Hi All-
My goodness time goes by so quick. I got so busy at work and at home that I just did not have time to post.
So- here it is ... we have taken the plunge... we are now POTTY TRAINING. Three children all at one time. Yup, I think that qualifies us to be clinically insane.
Actually it is going much better than I ever thought that it would. We started last Saturday and Jack seemed to get it about 1/2 the time. Pauley was about 1/3 and Harper, well Harper just didnt. She did not use the potty at all. Not once. Apparently OUR daughter is the ONE girl in existence who is harder to train than a boy. (just kidding)
Starting on Tuesday though, the boys had no accidents at all. Harper is steadily decreasing the number of accidents each day. So, it looks like we may have them all potty trained in two weeks.
Before I have an angry mob come to my house, please let me clarify what we mean when we say potty trained. We mean during the day, while they are awake. We still put diapers on them during naps and at nighttime. I have to take this thing in stages!
However, now on to less "dirty" topics.
The other night on the way home from bible study- the kids all pretended to be asleep. Jack is the funniest when he does this because he "snores" and exhales very loudly and quickly when pretending. So, Harper pretended so well that I thought she actually was asleep. Until she opened her mouth and said "Quiet! I am trying to nap here" We busted out laughing!
Pauley the other day walked up to us and advised that he " Need food Mama" - yup, thats my Pauley- he will talk for food.
I have also started to rock the boys right before putting them down at night, just for 2 or 3 minutes. They both put their heads down on my shoulders and just lay there. The other night, Pauley leaned back and said " That HARD Mama!" Apparently my shoulder is not meant to be a pillow, so I lowered him on my chest and asked if that was better. He smiled and said " Uh Huh Huh" --- his version of Absolutely!
That is it for now. I promise, you will never get a graphic story out of me about potty training, although I will probably share some of the funny ones!
Come take a stroll down the path of life with us~
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The Littelest Things
Just a quick little post-for those of you in the Richmond Area--- if you have not taken your kids to the splash pad at CMOR downtown, you are missing out on a terrific WEAR THEM OUT place! Our kids throughly enjoyed it! Too bad we were not prepared and did not have a change of clothes, swim diapers or bathing suits!!! But, you live you learn.
Next little tidbit, if you give your child a nickname make sure your childcare provider calls them by that nickname! We are now having to hear our oldest son tell us that his name is "James" not Jack. (In a slightly less than piercing tone) Harper also calls him James. By the way, it is really hard to correct a child, when they are technically correct! Who knew??? LOL
Our kids are not yet into the WHY phase, but our daughter is asking "What that?" and "Why they do that?" I know that is it just around the bend! Hopefully the state of VA has enough liquor to get us through!
And Pauley, sweet little Pauley. That boy is a DEMON with a step-stool, chair, big enough toy that it can hold his weight, stack of clothes- basically anything that can hold his weight that he can step onto to allow him to reach something that he should not have.
Thank God are children are happy and healthy- but is a slighly sprained ankle a bad thing??? LOL
Join us on the next little sprint down the road of life~
Next little tidbit, if you give your child a nickname make sure your childcare provider calls them by that nickname! We are now having to hear our oldest son tell us that his name is "James" not Jack. (In a slightly less than piercing tone) Harper also calls him James. By the way, it is really hard to correct a child, when they are technically correct! Who knew??? LOL
Our kids are not yet into the WHY phase, but our daughter is asking "What that?" and "Why they do that?" I know that is it just around the bend! Hopefully the state of VA has enough liquor to get us through!
And Pauley, sweet little Pauley. That boy is a DEMON with a step-stool, chair, big enough toy that it can hold his weight, stack of clothes- basically anything that can hold his weight that he can step onto to allow him to reach something that he should not have.
Thank God are children are happy and healthy- but is a slighly sprained ankle a bad thing??? LOL
Join us on the next little sprint down the road of life~
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Water Babies~
This past 4th of July weekend we went to my mother in laws house in Staunton, which has an in-ground pool. We found out that we have kids who LOVE the water- and one who even likes to go UNDER the water - that to me is a LITTLE scary. Jack is the one who will go under with no problems- which terrifies me since that boy does not comprehend FEAR or careful or danger or anything to do with safety for that matter. He was in the pool with only water wings and wanted to take those off. Since they are winter babies, we have not yet the oppotunity to have them take swim lessons. Pauley was just fine in the float, even if it sat a little LOW in the water. He does not like to have his face go under though- just like his Mama! Harper was perfectly content to sit in the water on the steps and play with a bucket or in a float and play with a shovel - she is a pretty easy going child.
The high-light of their trip came when their daddy dove off of the diving board. They are still talking about the BIG SPLASH he made.
Every morning when they wake up, within the first 10 minutes or so- they are all asking to Go to Mimi's house - Go Pool! So, needless to say, I see pool trips in our immediate future!
It still astonishes me how quickly they learn new things and how much they love to explore their world!
Last night my mom brought all of the babies Light Up Wands (they are soft rubberized clear plastic that light up when hit on a hard surface) -- Pauley was going around saying "Zap" to everything in sight! And AMAZINGLY enough, they have not hit each other with the wands all that much.
I just wish you all could have seen them sitting on the couch with their little wands all aglow saying Zap--- or My did it-- or whatever else they thought was good at the time.
Crazy Creatures!
Please join us on the next little side path of life~
The high-light of their trip came when their daddy dove off of the diving board. They are still talking about the BIG SPLASH he made.
Every morning when they wake up, within the first 10 minutes or so- they are all asking to Go to Mimi's house - Go Pool! So, needless to say, I see pool trips in our immediate future!
It still astonishes me how quickly they learn new things and how much they love to explore their world!
Last night my mom brought all of the babies Light Up Wands (they are soft rubberized clear plastic that light up when hit on a hard surface) -- Pauley was going around saying "Zap" to everything in sight! And AMAZINGLY enough, they have not hit each other with the wands all that much.
I just wish you all could have seen them sitting on the couch with their little wands all aglow saying Zap--- or My did it-- or whatever else they thought was good at the time.
Crazy Creatures!
Please join us on the next little side path of life~
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Three little Talkers~
OK, so here's my thought for the day- We all know that they have "What to expect when you're expecting" books and even ones for one and two year olds. Do they think that we have time to READ??? Because, they need to come to our house, or any house with multiples in order to find out how wrong they are. Don't get me wrong- these book are good. However, there are a lot of little things left out of the mix. For example- some babies are gassy. I don't mean produce a little bit of extra gas, I mean gassy to the point of being able to win CHAMPIONSHIPS! For the sake of my childrens future, I will refrain from further comment, but you get the drift.
These types of books also do not ever seem to mention how to get your child interested in the TV that exists that actually IS good for them. Apparently we have future Bunny Chinese/Spanish Translators- by means of Max & Ruby, Ni Hao Kai-Lan and Dora & Diego. These are cute shows, but come on- what is with Dora's belly shirt? And the helmets on the animals??? I know that they are kid shows, but JEEZ a LITTLE reality would be nice! And the parents on Max and Ruby just do not exist, but they do have a grandmother.
One of the other things that these books do not tell you is that your children will STICK TOGETHER from a very early age. Last night, Paul did not listen to me when I told him to do something (I honestly cant remember what, it was probably get down from the top of the bookcase) so I popped him. That is the rule in our house, I figure if we don't get an early handle on them- they will run over us! Jack then proceeded to stomp over to me and tell me to "Leave Pauley lone. That my brother!" (Side note: that totally melted my heart!!! It was so sweet of him to care on that level about his brother) Back to reality, let's just say that Chris and I are in A LOT of trouble as these kids get older! IF they are sticking up for each other now- who is going to be the tattle tale? Every family with more than one kid needs a tattle tale! ( I had that honor!- For those of you who know me, no snickering from the peanut gallery!)
My last gripe with those kinds of books is that they do not warn you as to how much you are going to love your children- even when they are climbing up on a book case, or telling you "No, they are not going to eat lunch" or throwing the Temper Tantrum of the Century.
Join us on the next little leap on the road of life, won't you~
These types of books also do not ever seem to mention how to get your child interested in the TV that exists that actually IS good for them. Apparently we have future Bunny Chinese/Spanish Translators- by means of Max & Ruby, Ni Hao Kai-Lan and Dora & Diego. These are cute shows, but come on- what is with Dora's belly shirt? And the helmets on the animals??? I know that they are kid shows, but JEEZ a LITTLE reality would be nice! And the parents on Max and Ruby just do not exist, but they do have a grandmother.
One of the other things that these books do not tell you is that your children will STICK TOGETHER from a very early age. Last night, Paul did not listen to me when I told him to do something (I honestly cant remember what, it was probably get down from the top of the bookcase) so I popped him. That is the rule in our house, I figure if we don't get an early handle on them- they will run over us! Jack then proceeded to stomp over to me and tell me to "Leave Pauley lone. That my brother!" (Side note: that totally melted my heart!!! It was so sweet of him to care on that level about his brother) Back to reality, let's just say that Chris and I are in A LOT of trouble as these kids get older! IF they are sticking up for each other now- who is going to be the tattle tale? Every family with more than one kid needs a tattle tale! ( I had that honor!- For those of you who know me, no snickering from the peanut gallery!)
My last gripe with those kinds of books is that they do not warn you as to how much you are going to love your children- even when they are climbing up on a book case, or telling you "No, they are not going to eat lunch" or throwing the Temper Tantrum of the Century.
Join us on the next little leap on the road of life, won't you~
Friday, June 17, 2011
Thanking God~
Yesterday I had a chance to reflect on ALL of the blessings that God has given us. Harper suffered a febrile seizure (it is where they spike a fever so fast that they seize). The ER doctor checked her over, she had Motrin, fever subsided and she was released. She came home and got extra special attention. Her brothers came home and they all had McD's for dinner- let me tell you, that Chocolate shake didnt stand a CHANCE!
We have been truly blessed!
Make sure to give your blessings an extra hug and kiss each day- you never know what may be in store!
Please join us for the next little Speedy Hospital Ride on the Road of Life~
We have been truly blessed!
Make sure to give your blessings an extra hug and kiss each day- you never know what may be in store!
Please join us for the next little Speedy Hospital Ride on the Road of Life~
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Just as they were Made
It is amazing and awe inspiring to me to see how children truly are Made by God.
Jack last week fixed the play kitchen's oven door. The issue was they all stood on the door to the oven while it was open. It did not like that, so it would not stay shut anymore. Jack held it closed with his right hand and used a heavy plastic cucumber to "hammer" it shut. He would then pull his right hand away, and if it did not stay shut, then more hammering commenced. The door now stays shut. Our little Fixer.
Paul loves coloring. More than anything in life- he loves coloring. He will not ever pick up his toys or food that he has dropped. UNTIL you utter the words, "Would you like to color?" At that point you could tell him to do a summersault and that boy would find a way to do so. Our little Artist.
Harper loves to build. She will go off to herself, get the Mega Blocks out and build a tower or castle or rocket ship. If Pauley or Jack knocks it down- she just starts again. She could spend hours doing this. Our little Architect.
Children truly are a Blessing.
Please join us for our next little skip down the path of life, won't you~
Jack last week fixed the play kitchen's oven door. The issue was they all stood on the door to the oven while it was open. It did not like that, so it would not stay shut anymore. Jack held it closed with his right hand and used a heavy plastic cucumber to "hammer" it shut. He would then pull his right hand away, and if it did not stay shut, then more hammering commenced. The door now stays shut. Our little Fixer.
Paul loves coloring. More than anything in life- he loves coloring. He will not ever pick up his toys or food that he has dropped. UNTIL you utter the words, "Would you like to color?" At that point you could tell him to do a summersault and that boy would find a way to do so. Our little Artist.
Harper loves to build. She will go off to herself, get the Mega Blocks out and build a tower or castle or rocket ship. If Pauley or Jack knocks it down- she just starts again. She could spend hours doing this. Our little Architect.
Children truly are a Blessing.
Please join us for our next little skip down the path of life, won't you~
Monday, May 30, 2011
Happy Memorial Day
Happy Memorial Day and a huge Thank You to everyone who has served and sacrificed for our freedoms!
The thing about three day weekends is that you have three days with your children.... THREE days with your children. No break of work... just you and the kids... THREE days!
The kids were really good this weekend, even today! We took them out in the back yard in some of their junk clothes and just let them play in the dirt. OH MY GOD! I did not know that much dirt existed on the entire planet. My children apparently love to not only scoop up the dirt and just pour it back out again, but throwing it at each other as well. Of course, being the Ultra Cool Mama that I am (LOL....NOT) I just let them play and keep throwing the dirt around for about 30 minutes. We brought them in the house and went straight to the bathroom and stripped them. Now, before they came in I had already dusted them off outside. So, into the tub they went. And once we rinsed then off- I had to drain the tub and fill it up again to actually wash them. And even with that, it looked as if mud was running down Harpers face when I rinsed her hair out.
The second thing about this weekend, is apparently our children are going through a growth spurt. Which means that they are essentially eating all of the time. Now, if you have been following my blog for a while you have seen what we typically go through in a week. Let me just tell you what we have gone through today:
2 eggs
1 banana
1 package oatmeal
1 bunch of grapes
1/2 pint of blueberries
2 cups of goldfish
2 PB&J's
2 cups of chips
2 hamburgers
2 cups of baked beans
1 tomato
1 cup of doritos
1 cheese sandwich
3 pieces of cinnamon raisin toast
3 whole ears of corn
pint of strawberries
JUST THE KIDS....... No exaggeration.
Those kids are putting down!!!!!!
Oh, and Jack now says, "I love you so much mama!"
Like I said, the kids were really good this weekend, but Thank GOD tomorrow is a work day.
Come join us on the next little dirt road of life~
The thing about three day weekends is that you have three days with your children.... THREE days with your children. No break of work... just you and the kids... THREE days!
The kids were really good this weekend, even today! We took them out in the back yard in some of their junk clothes and just let them play in the dirt. OH MY GOD! I did not know that much dirt existed on the entire planet. My children apparently love to not only scoop up the dirt and just pour it back out again, but throwing it at each other as well. Of course, being the Ultra Cool Mama that I am (LOL....NOT) I just let them play and keep throwing the dirt around for about 30 minutes. We brought them in the house and went straight to the bathroom and stripped them. Now, before they came in I had already dusted them off outside. So, into the tub they went. And once we rinsed then off- I had to drain the tub and fill it up again to actually wash them. And even with that, it looked as if mud was running down Harpers face when I rinsed her hair out.
The second thing about this weekend, is apparently our children are going through a growth spurt. Which means that they are essentially eating all of the time. Now, if you have been following my blog for a while you have seen what we typically go through in a week. Let me just tell you what we have gone through today:
2 eggs
1 banana
1 package oatmeal
1 bunch of grapes
1/2 pint of blueberries
2 cups of goldfish
2 PB&J's
2 cups of chips
2 hamburgers
2 cups of baked beans
1 tomato
1 cup of doritos
1 cheese sandwich
3 pieces of cinnamon raisin toast
3 whole ears of corn
pint of strawberries
JUST THE KIDS....... No exaggeration.
Those kids are putting down!!!!!!
Oh, and Jack now says, "I love you so much mama!"
Like I said, the kids were really good this weekend, but Thank GOD tomorrow is a work day.
Come join us on the next little dirt road of life~
Monday, May 23, 2011
Super Kids~
We have now officially reached the Dress Up Stage and I cannot wait to see what they do!
This weekend all of my children discovered Capes, so they became Super Jack, Super Paul and Super Harper. They flew all around the house! And mama learned a valuable lesson--- IF you tell them that their Super Milk will help them Super Fly Super Fast- they drink it Super Quick!!! ( Just a tip!)
They also have discovered the world of cowboys thanks to a Woody costume hat. Jack actually tugged Harper's hair and she said "Go away Cowboy!" Pauley also has started to say "Yee-Haw" whenever he sees a cowboy hat or related item. It is just too cute. I cannot wait to see what else is to come!
Quick one today
Join us on the next trot down the path of life~
This weekend all of my children discovered Capes, so they became Super Jack, Super Paul and Super Harper. They flew all around the house! And mama learned a valuable lesson--- IF you tell them that their Super Milk will help them Super Fly Super Fast- they drink it Super Quick!!! ( Just a tip!)
They also have discovered the world of cowboys thanks to a Woody costume hat. Jack actually tugged Harper's hair and she said "Go away Cowboy!" Pauley also has started to say "Yee-Haw" whenever he sees a cowboy hat or related item. It is just too cute. I cannot wait to see what else is to come!
Quick one today
Join us on the next trot down the path of life~
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Funny Things that Kids Say
Well, its official- our kids are hilarious! Jack knows that he is being a ham. He will make something "disappear" - also know as throwing something behind him- and then say "Ta-Da" and bow. Our not quite two and a half year old son knows how to Take a Bow. To an audience. Where on earth do they learn those types of things?
Last night while we were driving home, I told the kids that they had a surprise waiting for them at home and could they guess what that might be? Harper looked at me with her one of a kind smile and said "Book?" She looked so thrilled at the thought of a book that I giggled a little bit. I told her no and asked if she could think of anything else. She looked at me and said "Two Books?" Well that got quite a laugh out of me. And that was it- the Sillies were off to the races!!! Boy, can that girl giggle!
A little while later I asked her what she had all over her face and she grinned and said "Lips!" Well, I am sure you know where we are going with this!
Jack on the way to work today, started counting his family members. He said "One Mommy. One Dad-Dee. One Harper (of course he almost sounds as if he has a cockney accent because he tends to drop the H) One Pauley. I do not know why he wanted to count us, but it was CUTE! He also decided that they should all go to different locations today as well. He informed us that Pauley was going to Francis's house, Harper was going to church and that he was going to Juice's house.
Pauley is more the strong silent type. He is within the realm of normal for a singleton his age, he just chooses not to say as much as the other two. I honestly do not know how our ears are going to handle TWO teenage talkers, because I do not see Jack slowing down at all and lets face it MOST girls talk up a storm starting at the age of about one years old. I know that Harper certainly does!
So, that's it- that is my cute little time capsule for today. Please join us on our next little frolic down the road of life~
Last night while we were driving home, I told the kids that they had a surprise waiting for them at home and could they guess what that might be? Harper looked at me with her one of a kind smile and said "Book?" She looked so thrilled at the thought of a book that I giggled a little bit. I told her no and asked if she could think of anything else. She looked at me and said "Two Books?" Well that got quite a laugh out of me. And that was it- the Sillies were off to the races!!! Boy, can that girl giggle!
A little while later I asked her what she had all over her face and she grinned and said "Lips!" Well, I am sure you know where we are going with this!
Jack on the way to work today, started counting his family members. He said "One Mommy. One Dad-Dee. One Harper (of course he almost sounds as if he has a cockney accent because he tends to drop the H) One Pauley. I do not know why he wanted to count us, but it was CUTE! He also decided that they should all go to different locations today as well. He informed us that Pauley was going to Francis's house, Harper was going to church and that he was going to Juice's house.
Pauley is more the strong silent type. He is within the realm of normal for a singleton his age, he just chooses not to say as much as the other two. I honestly do not know how our ears are going to handle TWO teenage talkers, because I do not see Jack slowing down at all and lets face it MOST girls talk up a storm starting at the age of about one years old. I know that Harper certainly does!
So, that's it- that is my cute little time capsule for today. Please join us on our next little frolic down the road of life~
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Our Pink Princess~
I think that it is time for the story of Harper. I know that for some of you who have been gracious enough to follow along that you may be wondering what her "Sleep Story" is--- well, in order to tell you that story I have to tell you this one. So, let us begin...
My first born was Jack- so tiny at only 3 1/2 pounds- but such a trooper. He was followed one minute later by Pauley- my big He-Man- so sweet. He was followed one minute later by Harper- our little pink princess. She entered this world at 5:46 pm on December 26th 2008. She was perfect. In every way, absolutely perfect. She weighed in at exactly 5 pounds and she was 18 inches long. She needed no help and in fact, never set foot into the NICU- she went straight to the PCN. The first time I saw her, she was bundled up with her lips as puckered as if she had just eaten 10 lemons! Her lips could have had another zip code. She was gorgeous. And very, very, very pink! She would have blended into a Pepto Bismol backdrop.
Harper did not open her eyes for essentially the first six weeks she was on this Earth. Oh sure, she would crack them every once in a while just to check and see if we were all still here and then close them again. I am not exaggerating, we did not know what color eyes she had until she was almost 2 months old!
In the PCN, she was the easiest child to learn how to manage. Apparently she was saving it all up for when we brought her home.
For those of you who dont know, when you have children that are in either the NICU or PCN, they actually make you pass a test before you are allowed to bring home your child(ren). Not kidding, you have to pass a test. They set you up in a room with them and you get to keep them all that night. Ok, what the heck is the deal with that?????? You do not get any sleep, I mean lets face it- hospital beds are hard to sleep in when you are on REALLY good drugs, you dont have a chance otherwise. Lets save that little fun time for another story, shall we? Lets just say, we survived, they survived. We were released to come home with two of our children. The entire time that they were in the ward, I kept mentioning how pink Harper was - the nurses never thought anything of it. Until we were walking her out into the sunshine- then the nurse said, " You're right, she is REALLY pink!" DUH-------
So, we walk into the house. And then we realize- we have NO idea what we are supposed to do next!. What the HELL were those people thinking? They let us leave with our children? No supervision? No Chaperone? OH NO....
After the teensy tiny split second of panic, we settled in. We swaddled Harper and Pauley. We put them both in the bassinet. That is when Harper must have thought: I am home now. I can be me.
For the next 4 weeks that child did nothing but GRUNT. For those who have not have the pleasure of having a child who has intestines that are not exactly in tune all the way down the pipe, boy have you missed out!!! Every time she would try to go poopy- she grunted. Lets just say she needed to relax. For 4 weeks she grunted. FOUR WEEKS. GRUNTING. She was also the squirmiest child I have ever seen. She was never still, not even when she was asleep. She would turn from one side of her face to the other and then back again, all within one minute. She would take more than 30 minutes to go to sleep. With us trying every single trick in the book. But I promise, the story of the Not Sleeping Beauty will make its appearance shortly.
Harper was the second child that we bathed at home. She was a pretty chill baby as long as she was not hungry, tired or poopy. Or just felt like being cranky. You get the picture.
She is out little pink princess. Now and forever.
Please join us on the next little Grunt down the road of life, won't you~
My first born was Jack- so tiny at only 3 1/2 pounds- but such a trooper. He was followed one minute later by Pauley- my big He-Man- so sweet. He was followed one minute later by Harper- our little pink princess. She entered this world at 5:46 pm on December 26th 2008. She was perfect. In every way, absolutely perfect. She weighed in at exactly 5 pounds and she was 18 inches long. She needed no help and in fact, never set foot into the NICU- she went straight to the PCN. The first time I saw her, she was bundled up with her lips as puckered as if she had just eaten 10 lemons! Her lips could have had another zip code. She was gorgeous. And very, very, very pink! She would have blended into a Pepto Bismol backdrop.
Harper did not open her eyes for essentially the first six weeks she was on this Earth. Oh sure, she would crack them every once in a while just to check and see if we were all still here and then close them again. I am not exaggerating, we did not know what color eyes she had until she was almost 2 months old!
In the PCN, she was the easiest child to learn how to manage. Apparently she was saving it all up for when we brought her home.
For those of you who dont know, when you have children that are in either the NICU or PCN, they actually make you pass a test before you are allowed to bring home your child(ren). Not kidding, you have to pass a test. They set you up in a room with them and you get to keep them all that night. Ok, what the heck is the deal with that?????? You do not get any sleep, I mean lets face it- hospital beds are hard to sleep in when you are on REALLY good drugs, you dont have a chance otherwise. Lets save that little fun time for another story, shall we? Lets just say, we survived, they survived. We were released to come home with two of our children. The entire time that they were in the ward, I kept mentioning how pink Harper was - the nurses never thought anything of it. Until we were walking her out into the sunshine- then the nurse said, " You're right, she is REALLY pink!" DUH-------
So, we walk into the house. And then we realize- we have NO idea what we are supposed to do next!. What the HELL were those people thinking? They let us leave with our children? No supervision? No Chaperone? OH NO....
After the teensy tiny split second of panic, we settled in. We swaddled Harper and Pauley. We put them both in the bassinet. That is when Harper must have thought: I am home now. I can be me.
For the next 4 weeks that child did nothing but GRUNT. For those who have not have the pleasure of having a child who has intestines that are not exactly in tune all the way down the pipe, boy have you missed out!!! Every time she would try to go poopy- she grunted. Lets just say she needed to relax. For 4 weeks she grunted. FOUR WEEKS. GRUNTING. She was also the squirmiest child I have ever seen. She was never still, not even when she was asleep. She would turn from one side of her face to the other and then back again, all within one minute. She would take more than 30 minutes to go to sleep. With us trying every single trick in the book. But I promise, the story of the Not Sleeping Beauty will make its appearance shortly.
Harper was the second child that we bathed at home. She was a pretty chill baby as long as she was not hungry, tired or poopy. Or just felt like being cranky. You get the picture.
She is out little pink princess. Now and forever.
Please join us on the next little Grunt down the road of life, won't you~
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The story of Pauley~
I have talked about how Jack came to be the Jack-Jack Attack that he is, but now its time to talk about how Pauley came to be our super sweet He-Man.
During the entire 34 weeks and 5 days that I was pregnant Paul was on my left side head up. At least every single time that I had an Ultrasound done. Since I was one of those "Advance Maternal Age" women out there AND since I had triplets I was treated, lets just cal it that, to an Ultrasound. At every single one of them Baby B, as Pauley was known back then, was essentially in the same place. One worry that a lot of people have is Which Baby Will Arrive in Which Order. When you have multiples, they call each baby by either A, B, C, D, E, etc. --- Complete side note here, Octomom had kids at once, 7 of them have an H in their name EXCEPT for baby H... For those of you who know me, that is TOTALLY messing with my (almost) OCD sense of symmetry, but I digress!---- Now, if you are like me, then you have the name(s) picked out pretty soon after, or even before, finding out that you are pregnant. So, while you are bonding you usually call them by name. Which leads to a dilemma as babies can move and switch position the entire pregnancy, especially with twins. Therefore, how do you know that the baby A that you named Amy Lynn is the baby that was SUPPOSED to be named Amy Lynn and not Betty Sue.... See the problem???
Obviously, there was not a whole lot of room in there for them to move around once they were past a certain size- disaster averted! My He-Man was always the biggest baby, we will not mention the one week that Harper edged him out by a quarter ounce, so, we always knew Pauley was Pauley.
Once it was go time, Pauley was the second one to be greeted into the world. He was the biggest, by quite a measure! Jack was 3 1/2 pounds, Harper was 5 pounds even and Pauley was 5 1/2 pounds. The average for triplets the average gestation is 32 weeks and 2 1/2 pounds- so we beat the odds all the way around. But, he also happened to be the one who was having the most trouble breathing. He had to be put on a CPAP machine. My Paul was the only one that I did not get to lay eyes on in the operating room. He was not on the machine for long- he was such a trooper. He and Harper came home at only two weeks old!
Once we got them home, he proved to be my challenge. Paul was the one who had the worst reflux- the boy would spew like Mt Saint Helens if you even thought of putting him down after a bottle. Even if it was 15 minutes before his next bottle, he was still giving it all back!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how many nights he slept on my chest while I was sitting... ok, sleeping.... in the recliner!
He also spent a few months sleeping in the swing- yes, while it was one. He was also the one that led to the creation of the stroller derby- we had to "stroll" him, back and forth, across the living room floor until our arms came out of their sockets OR he fell asleep. Sometimes both had to happen. Pauley was also the only child that we allowed to sleep on their back. I told you, I have broken just about all the rules out there!!!
Paul was also the first to roll over, crawl, cruise and walk. Oh yeah, and the first one to eat solid food at 2 months- due to his reflux.
Pauley is also the first child to giggle OR throw an over the top temper tantrum! He loves hopping and coloring. His is such a sensitive funny soul!
When my children were still in the PCN I told my husband that Jack was my heart and Harper was my world. Pauley, he was my soul. That is the story of Pauley.
Please join us on the next little frog jump down the path of our life, won't you~
During the entire 34 weeks and 5 days that I was pregnant Paul was on my left side head up. At least every single time that I had an Ultrasound done. Since I was one of those "Advance Maternal Age" women out there AND since I had triplets I was treated, lets just cal it that, to an Ultrasound. At every single one of them Baby B, as Pauley was known back then, was essentially in the same place. One worry that a lot of people have is Which Baby Will Arrive in Which Order. When you have multiples, they call each baby by either A, B, C, D, E, etc. --- Complete side note here, Octomom had kids at once, 7 of them have an H in their name EXCEPT for baby H... For those of you who know me, that is TOTALLY messing with my (almost) OCD sense of symmetry, but I digress!---- Now, if you are like me, then you have the name(s) picked out pretty soon after, or even before, finding out that you are pregnant. So, while you are bonding you usually call them by name. Which leads to a dilemma as babies can move and switch position the entire pregnancy, especially with twins. Therefore, how do you know that the baby A that you named Amy Lynn is the baby that was SUPPOSED to be named Amy Lynn and not Betty Sue.... See the problem???
Obviously, there was not a whole lot of room in there for them to move around once they were past a certain size- disaster averted! My He-Man was always the biggest baby, we will not mention the one week that Harper edged him out by a quarter ounce, so, we always knew Pauley was Pauley.
Once it was go time, Pauley was the second one to be greeted into the world. He was the biggest, by quite a measure! Jack was 3 1/2 pounds, Harper was 5 pounds even and Pauley was 5 1/2 pounds. The average for triplets the average gestation is 32 weeks and 2 1/2 pounds- so we beat the odds all the way around. But, he also happened to be the one who was having the most trouble breathing. He had to be put on a CPAP machine. My Paul was the only one that I did not get to lay eyes on in the operating room. He was not on the machine for long- he was such a trooper. He and Harper came home at only two weeks old!
Once we got them home, he proved to be my challenge. Paul was the one who had the worst reflux- the boy would spew like Mt Saint Helens if you even thought of putting him down after a bottle. Even if it was 15 minutes before his next bottle, he was still giving it all back!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how many nights he slept on my chest while I was sitting... ok, sleeping.... in the recliner!
He also spent a few months sleeping in the swing- yes, while it was one. He was also the one that led to the creation of the stroller derby- we had to "stroll" him, back and forth, across the living room floor until our arms came out of their sockets OR he fell asleep. Sometimes both had to happen. Pauley was also the only child that we allowed to sleep on their back. I told you, I have broken just about all the rules out there!!!
Paul was also the first to roll over, crawl, cruise and walk. Oh yeah, and the first one to eat solid food at 2 months- due to his reflux.
Pauley is also the first child to giggle OR throw an over the top temper tantrum! He loves hopping and coloring. His is such a sensitive funny soul!
When my children were still in the PCN I told my husband that Jack was my heart and Harper was my world. Pauley, he was my soul. That is the story of Pauley.
Please join us on the next little frog jump down the path of our life, won't you~
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mothers Day- Part II
I kinda knew when I posted that my Mothers Day would be spectacular no matter what that I was leaving the door wide open. Next time I am going to have to listen to that little inner voice. My Third Mothers Day began at 4:35 am this morning, hearing Pauley cough in a way that I have never heard anyone else cough. It was almost as if he was getting sick, moaning and coughing all at the same time. My Hubby went in to check on him and came back into our bedroom a few minutes later, asking me to come and look at Pauley- he just didnt seem right. So, we went back into the boys room and I picked Pauley up. He was breathing very rapidly and very shallow. I took him into the living room so that I could hold him upright against my chest- hoping that he would be able to breathe better. He did not improve, so we decided that he needed to go to the Emergency Room.
Two and a half hours later, Pauley and Hubby were back. They had given him two breathing treatments, a dose of steroids and some tylenol. They did a chest X-Ray and said that his chest was completely clear. The overall diagnosis was either he still had Croup from a week ago or he probably has Asthma. We will need to take him to his Pediatrician sometime this week so that we can rule something in or out.
As soon as he got home he was running around and playing just like nothing had happened. A few hours later the Revenge of the Steroids kicked in. If you have not yet had the opportunity to have your child on Steroids, please take my word for it- they are NOT happy little campers.
So that is my lesson learned for the weekend. Do not leave yourself wide open for things like this. And the best gift a mother could ever have, any day of the year, is the health of their children. I know that I have certainly been blessed.
Please join us on the next little prance down the road of life~
Two and a half hours later, Pauley and Hubby were back. They had given him two breathing treatments, a dose of steroids and some tylenol. They did a chest X-Ray and said that his chest was completely clear. The overall diagnosis was either he still had Croup from a week ago or he probably has Asthma. We will need to take him to his Pediatrician sometime this week so that we can rule something in or out.
As soon as he got home he was running around and playing just like nothing had happened. A few hours later the Revenge of the Steroids kicked in. If you have not yet had the opportunity to have your child on Steroids, please take my word for it- they are NOT happy little campers.
So that is my lesson learned for the weekend. Do not leave yourself wide open for things like this. And the best gift a mother could ever have, any day of the year, is the health of their children. I know that I have certainly been blessed.
Please join us on the next little prance down the road of life~
Friday, May 6, 2011
Happy Mothers Day
This is going to be the first Mothers Day that I can say I will truly enjoy. I know that my children will be 2 1/2 soon, so this is their third Mothers Day, but please- let me explain:
The first three months of their lives, I took almost every single overnight shift. On March 2nd I went back to work. At that time only Harper was sleeping through the night on a regular basis. Jack begin sleeping through the night right around the FIRST Mothers Day. That day we decided that since the babies were so portable, we would all go to my mothers house. Needless to say, I was still severely sleep deprived at this point. My gift to myself that day was taking a nap, while other people watched my children. It was glorious, way too short, but glorious. That day Pauley gave me a gift- he laughed for the first time. My husband sat him up on a bed and took Pauley's hands and ran them through his beard- Pauley giggled. And then full on belly laughed. Over and Over. It was spectacular.
Lets skip to the SECOND Mothers Day. This year, the babies were not quite so portable. They were mobile though, so if anything was going to get broken it should be at my house- so everyone came there. I was also in charge of cooking everything for our family, my mother, his mother and her husband, my sister, my brother-in-law and my niece. Can we say just a little bit stressful, especially since my mother said that she would "be there early to help" and then arrive 15 minutes before everyone else. Not my idea of early. Of course, there was also the usual family spat- I assume that every family has at least one at every gathering, right? Well, if not- then your family is just plain ODD, I mean really... Just be like the rest of us, its so much easier.
This year is going to be fantastic. All of the babies are sleeping through the night and Harper walks herself to bed now. (I will do a side piece on that for those of you who do not know LONG LONG tale of Sleep Horrors that we faced with our Little Princess.... Trust me that is worth the telling!) They have finally started liking Church and in fact request to go there in the middle of the week. They should all be pretty much healthy by then and over their allergies and colds. The weather is supposed to be nice and warm, but not too hot. And the only thing that we have planned is a simple dinner with my mother in law, since my mom is working. I have no expectations and no set in stone plans. So, no stress, no worry... Yup- this year should be fantastic. Here's hoping!
Happy Mothers Day to everyone who is a mother, either in the flesh or the spirit!
Join us on our next little stroll down the avenue of life~
The first three months of their lives, I took almost every single overnight shift. On March 2nd I went back to work. At that time only Harper was sleeping through the night on a regular basis. Jack begin sleeping through the night right around the FIRST Mothers Day. That day we decided that since the babies were so portable, we would all go to my mothers house. Needless to say, I was still severely sleep deprived at this point. My gift to myself that day was taking a nap, while other people watched my children. It was glorious, way too short, but glorious. That day Pauley gave me a gift- he laughed for the first time. My husband sat him up on a bed and took Pauley's hands and ran them through his beard- Pauley giggled. And then full on belly laughed. Over and Over. It was spectacular.
Lets skip to the SECOND Mothers Day. This year, the babies were not quite so portable. They were mobile though, so if anything was going to get broken it should be at my house- so everyone came there. I was also in charge of cooking everything for our family, my mother, his mother and her husband, my sister, my brother-in-law and my niece. Can we say just a little bit stressful, especially since my mother said that she would "be there early to help" and then arrive 15 minutes before everyone else. Not my idea of early. Of course, there was also the usual family spat- I assume that every family has at least one at every gathering, right? Well, if not- then your family is just plain ODD, I mean really... Just be like the rest of us, its so much easier.
This year is going to be fantastic. All of the babies are sleeping through the night and Harper walks herself to bed now. (I will do a side piece on that for those of you who do not know LONG LONG tale of Sleep Horrors that we faced with our Little Princess.... Trust me that is worth the telling!) They have finally started liking Church and in fact request to go there in the middle of the week. They should all be pretty much healthy by then and over their allergies and colds. The weather is supposed to be nice and warm, but not too hot. And the only thing that we have planned is a simple dinner with my mother in law, since my mom is working. I have no expectations and no set in stone plans. So, no stress, no worry... Yup- this year should be fantastic. Here's hoping!
Happy Mothers Day to everyone who is a mother, either in the flesh or the spirit!
Join us on our next little stroll down the avenue of life~
Sunday, May 1, 2011
When your plan derails...
Ok, so Saturday morning my hubby and I woke up knowing that we were going to work about four hours of overtime and then we would come home and have a nice little quiet weekend with our children.
Needless to say, the best laid plans and all of that...
We got home, with McD's in hand, and were greeted with a weird breathing pattern and coughing noise coming from Pauley. We didnt like that at all, but wanted to wait until after their nap to see if maybe he would feel a little better. Let's just say that did not happen. As soon as he woke up, his fever was higher and we decided that he would need to be seen. There is a wonderful new invention of a Pediatric only version of Patients First called Kid Med. They only have hours when the regular Ped office would be closed. It is a magnificent thing.
So, into the new minivan we went. And leave it to Pauley to christen it with spitting up, but that is a whole nother story.
We get to the office and there is only one other child there. The wait was not long at all and the staff was very nice. Sweet Little Pauley did so well, he didnt cry once. He was a trooper. They even gave him a popcicle. Apparently we have the only children on the face of the earth who do not like popcicles... But again, that is a different story.
Pauley got medicated and we got sent down the road. Later that night, we discovered that it is totally possible to sleep on the floor on our living room while Paul slept on the sofa and actually sleep. Of course, I woke up when he rolled off the sofa- odd fact, I was the only one who did- Pauley slept through it.
This morning dawns, oh so very very early. Pauley decides that he is totally ok to laugh one second and scream bloody murder the next. We still do not know why... but if we go into the kitchen and do not let him in- it starts world war three.
Plans are meant to be fluid and malleable--- good thing we arent afraid of change in our household!
Join us for the next little hiccup in the dirt road of life~
Needless to say, the best laid plans and all of that...
We got home, with McD's in hand, and were greeted with a weird breathing pattern and coughing noise coming from Pauley. We didnt like that at all, but wanted to wait until after their nap to see if maybe he would feel a little better. Let's just say that did not happen. As soon as he woke up, his fever was higher and we decided that he would need to be seen. There is a wonderful new invention of a Pediatric only version of Patients First called Kid Med. They only have hours when the regular Ped office would be closed. It is a magnificent thing.
So, into the new minivan we went. And leave it to Pauley to christen it with spitting up, but that is a whole nother story.
We get to the office and there is only one other child there. The wait was not long at all and the staff was very nice. Sweet Little Pauley did so well, he didnt cry once. He was a trooper. They even gave him a popcicle. Apparently we have the only children on the face of the earth who do not like popcicles... But again, that is a different story.
Pauley got medicated and we got sent down the road. Later that night, we discovered that it is totally possible to sleep on the floor on our living room while Paul slept on the sofa and actually sleep. Of course, I woke up when he rolled off the sofa- odd fact, I was the only one who did- Pauley slept through it.
This morning dawns, oh so very very early. Pauley decides that he is totally ok to laugh one second and scream bloody murder the next. We still do not know why... but if we go into the kitchen and do not let him in- it starts world war three.
Plans are meant to be fluid and malleable--- good thing we arent afraid of change in our household!
Join us for the next little hiccup in the dirt road of life~
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Picking Your Battles...
It seems that the one thing that I hear over and over is that it is a good thing that I had triplets, since I seem to have the personality to be able to deal with them - meaning better me than them! I am no different than anyone else, in most ways. I think that the one thing that I may do differently is I pick my Battles. Let me give you a few examples:
For Easter we bought Harper a new pair of little pink plastic sandals. Due to lack of space in their Easter basket, we gave them to her a day early. She has worn those shoes every day since then, no matter what she is wearing. A purple polo shirt dress- pink plastic sandals. A pair of jean shorts and a bright orange shirt- those pink plastic sandals. A nice church dress- yup, you guessed it- pink plastic sandals. Do I stress? HELL NO. In the grand long term scheme of life does it matter what she wears on her feet? Nope- so it is all good.
Jack and Paul love purses. They fight over the four purses that are in their play bin. Do I worry about the fact that my sons are playing with purses? Nope- it keeps them happy and quiet, which is music to my ears!
Pauley one day threw a lay on the floor and scream in octaves never heard by human ears temper tantrym. Why? Haper had a ponytail and he wanted one. What did I do? I put a ponytail in his hair and loaded him into the car to go to church. (One of the nursery workers complimented me on how great it looked-- it was pretty spectacular, Pauley has one of those He should be muscle of the Mob faces) Did I stess about my son having a ponytail? No siree Bob!!! I put that sucker in and kept right on a'going!
So please, if you take nothing else from all of my ramblings, please try to relax and just go with the flow. The only battles worth fighting are the ones that will matter when you look back on them in 5 years.
Please join us for the next big leap on our path of life~
For Easter we bought Harper a new pair of little pink plastic sandals. Due to lack of space in their Easter basket, we gave them to her a day early. She has worn those shoes every day since then, no matter what she is wearing. A purple polo shirt dress- pink plastic sandals. A pair of jean shorts and a bright orange shirt- those pink plastic sandals. A nice church dress- yup, you guessed it- pink plastic sandals. Do I stress? HELL NO. In the grand long term scheme of life does it matter what she wears on her feet? Nope- so it is all good.
Jack and Paul love purses. They fight over the four purses that are in their play bin. Do I worry about the fact that my sons are playing with purses? Nope- it keeps them happy and quiet, which is music to my ears!
Pauley one day threw a lay on the floor and scream in octaves never heard by human ears temper tantrym. Why? Haper had a ponytail and he wanted one. What did I do? I put a ponytail in his hair and loaded him into the car to go to church. (One of the nursery workers complimented me on how great it looked-- it was pretty spectacular, Pauley has one of those He should be muscle of the Mob faces) Did I stess about my son having a ponytail? No siree Bob!!! I put that sucker in and kept right on a'going!
So please, if you take nothing else from all of my ramblings, please try to relax and just go with the flow. The only battles worth fighting are the ones that will matter when you look back on them in 5 years.
Please join us for the next big leap on our path of life~
Friday, April 22, 2011
When you have three....
You never know what little things you will see or have to do. We finally cleaned under the sofas- who knew that you would have to do that when you have kids- and we found 1/3 of all the toys that they have owned in their lifetime. It was like a Little People graveyard with a few food items thrown in.
We have also noticed that their little personalities have really come out over the past few months.
Jack is The Entertainer- He will put on a show and then Bow (twice) and say Tank You! Tank You! Seriously where in the world do they learn these things??? He is also the one who will get to and figure out anything electronic. He was the first one to be fascinated with cell phones and any toy that makes noise.
Pauley is The Muscle- He was the first to sit up, the first to crawl, the first to walk. The first to give his brother a Horsey Ride down the hallway. I mean come on... what other 2 year old could do that? The first to do a chin up- yup that was our son at about 18 months old. I think that was the day before he pulled- not pushed- the heavy ass train table that we have in the living room. Dude, I really hope that boy is good at sports, otherwise his wife is not going to be able to afford to feed him.
Harper is The Mommy- She looks after her brothers and makes sure that everyone does as they are told. It is so cute, for now at least, to hear her say "No, Pauley, no take off shoes." or "Jack, I need toy Jack." She will tell them what they need to do or repeat what we tell them. She has not quite gotten the hang of LISTENING, but we are confident that will come in time.
One other thing that people do not quite think about is we have three children. What worked for you with ONE or maybe even TWO, may not work for us with three. I totally understand that they mean well, but let me tell you, a "tip" from someone who had one child (who apparently was completely perfect) does not always make me want to rush home and try it.
We do things a little differently, even if my mother would wish otherwise, and we find that for the most part they work for us. Some of our unique qualities are:
We feed the children in the living room. I know, I know - we are breaking every child rule that has ever existed. BUT- it works for us and we do not have to fight them when they are ready to get out of their chair and no one else is done. We also do not feel that it is necessary to be even with the children. Our philosophy is that it will all even out in the wash. Sometimes Harper needs a little more love or attention, or Jack needs for us to spend one on one time with him. Pauley may need for us to cuddle him a little before nap or we may let him get up early and just chill with us. We strongly feel that life is not going to be fair to them- they are not all going to be treated equally by everyone, so we want to help them understand now that that is not always a bad thing.
That's my little sidewalk of life right now, come join us as we skip over the next crack~
We have also noticed that their little personalities have really come out over the past few months.
Jack is The Entertainer- He will put on a show and then Bow (twice) and say Tank You! Tank You! Seriously where in the world do they learn these things??? He is also the one who will get to and figure out anything electronic. He was the first one to be fascinated with cell phones and any toy that makes noise.
Pauley is The Muscle- He was the first to sit up, the first to crawl, the first to walk. The first to give his brother a Horsey Ride down the hallway. I mean come on... what other 2 year old could do that? The first to do a chin up- yup that was our son at about 18 months old. I think that was the day before he pulled- not pushed- the heavy ass train table that we have in the living room. Dude, I really hope that boy is good at sports, otherwise his wife is not going to be able to afford to feed him.
Harper is The Mommy- She looks after her brothers and makes sure that everyone does as they are told. It is so cute, for now at least, to hear her say "No, Pauley, no take off shoes." or "Jack, I need toy Jack." She will tell them what they need to do or repeat what we tell them. She has not quite gotten the hang of LISTENING, but we are confident that will come in time.
One other thing that people do not quite think about is we have three children. What worked for you with ONE or maybe even TWO, may not work for us with three. I totally understand that they mean well, but let me tell you, a "tip" from someone who had one child (who apparently was completely perfect) does not always make me want to rush home and try it.
We do things a little differently, even if my mother would wish otherwise, and we find that for the most part they work for us. Some of our unique qualities are:
We feed the children in the living room. I know, I know - we are breaking every child rule that has ever existed. BUT- it works for us and we do not have to fight them when they are ready to get out of their chair and no one else is done. We also do not feel that it is necessary to be even with the children. Our philosophy is that it will all even out in the wash. Sometimes Harper needs a little more love or attention, or Jack needs for us to spend one on one time with him. Pauley may need for us to cuddle him a little before nap or we may let him get up early and just chill with us. We strongly feel that life is not going to be fair to them- they are not all going to be treated equally by everyone, so we want to help them understand now that that is not always a bad thing.
That's my little sidewalk of life right now, come join us as we skip over the next crack~
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The things you probably dont think about...
Ok- so we all know that having triplets is not common. I have read that it accounts for 1 out of every 8,000 births.
We had the devil of a time with picking out crib sets. We bought a Cowboy Bear Cowgirl Bear set once we knew we were pregnant. I had fallen in love with it two years before and of course it was no longer sold. Craig's List here we came. We found one- YEA US! Then we found out it was twins. Oh Crap! What do we do now??? So, we decided to wait to find out what sex children we were having and then get another Bear crib set. Great- we now have a plan of attack. Then we found out that we were getting another EXTRA present. DUDE....... Three styles of bears in one room- probably not going to look that great. Back to the drawing board. My friend, Charlotte, suggested that we put the original crib set up on the wall and use a different color of gingham for each child- just pull the colors out of the crib set. Fantastic, that is how we ended up with light blue, light green and light pink gingham crib sets. For those of you who are wondering --- Jack is blue, Pauley is green and duh, Harper is pink.
SIDE NOTE--- you would be AMAZED at how many people ask me "Which one is the little girl?" when we tell them that we have two boys and a girl and that their names are Jack, Paul and Harper. REALLY????? You have to ask which name is for a girl? Anyway...
Clothes. Well, lets just say that laundry is not a friend of our family. If we go without doing laundry for more than one day- we are already a week behind. For some reason, I can wash it, I can dy it - Hell I can even fold it. Putting it away, that is a whole other matter entirely. If they could only invent clothes that put themselves away. Of course, people were so very generous to us when it came to the baby shower. Our sister in law that has twins herself gave us a ton of stuff. Let me tell you- when you are pregnant you do not have to but a single piece of clothing for under 9 months!!! We put them in a different outfit each day just about. Everyone always asked where the white onesies were. I replied that we had too many cute outfits that I wanted to make sure that their tiny hinies hit before they outgrew that I could not waste time on the white onesies.
There are more little odd things that you probably never thought of, but I am tapped out for tonight. The little ones were up a little early this morning.
Join us on the next little skip down the yellow brick road~~~
We had the devil of a time with picking out crib sets. We bought a Cowboy Bear Cowgirl Bear set once we knew we were pregnant. I had fallen in love with it two years before and of course it was no longer sold. Craig's List here we came. We found one- YEA US! Then we found out it was twins. Oh Crap! What do we do now??? So, we decided to wait to find out what sex children we were having and then get another Bear crib set. Great- we now have a plan of attack. Then we found out that we were getting another EXTRA present. DUDE....... Three styles of bears in one room- probably not going to look that great. Back to the drawing board. My friend, Charlotte, suggested that we put the original crib set up on the wall and use a different color of gingham for each child- just pull the colors out of the crib set. Fantastic, that is how we ended up with light blue, light green and light pink gingham crib sets. For those of you who are wondering --- Jack is blue, Pauley is green and duh, Harper is pink.
SIDE NOTE--- you would be AMAZED at how many people ask me "Which one is the little girl?" when we tell them that we have two boys and a girl and that their names are Jack, Paul and Harper. REALLY????? You have to ask which name is for a girl? Anyway...
Clothes. Well, lets just say that laundry is not a friend of our family. If we go without doing laundry for more than one day- we are already a week behind. For some reason, I can wash it, I can dy it - Hell I can even fold it. Putting it away, that is a whole other matter entirely. If they could only invent clothes that put themselves away. Of course, people were so very generous to us when it came to the baby shower. Our sister in law that has twins herself gave us a ton of stuff. Let me tell you- when you are pregnant you do not have to but a single piece of clothing for under 9 months!!! We put them in a different outfit each day just about. Everyone always asked where the white onesies were. I replied that we had too many cute outfits that I wanted to make sure that their tiny hinies hit before they outgrew that I could not waste time on the white onesies.
There are more little odd things that you probably never thought of, but I am tapped out for tonight. The little ones were up a little early this morning.
Join us on the next little skip down the yellow brick road~~~
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Tired Tantrum
This weekend we have had the pleasure? of seeing each child's tired tantrum.
Friday night we went to the childrens's museum and this kept them up about an hour later than they normally are. They were pretty good that night. But for some reason their little body clocks just don't know enough to sleep late the day after a big event. (Let me just tell you, some days I fantasize about the day when they are teenagers and just want to sleep in ...... That keeps me going some days!)
They all got up at pretty much normal time. We had planned to take them to the Easter Egg Hunt at our church that afternoon, which was from Noon to 2:30--- smack dab in the middle of their their normal nap time. Since they had been out late the night before and had gotten up at the normal time, I had the strange notion that they might actually go down a little earlier than normal and then we could enjoy the Hunt. Let's just leave it at The Boys Had Other Ideas. It's best that we not talk about that one in too much detail for the sanity of my husband....
Well,we got to see the Pout of Pauley that day. I have never in my life seen a bottom lip that could poke out so far. I would be willing to bet that he could actually trip over it. He actually stuck out his bottom lip, tilted his head down and looked up at us through his eyelashes. And then screamed. And rolled about on the floor. And gagged. And rolled over and made sure that we were watching. We were not. As entertaining as the Pauley Show was, we have seen it before, and this rerun was not enthralling us.
Today, we went to church and got a nice rendition of the Unhappy Harper Hour. This is where she stalks off to a corner of the room, crosses her arms and puts on her I Am Not Happy With You face. This is a pretty new developement, so this one is still pretty entertaining.
My niece had her birthday party tonight. YEA--- More excitement mixed with sugar and overtiredness--- OH JOY!
That leads us to Jack's tantrum--- his my toy chair fell out of my crib when I am trying to go to sleep tantrum. I have never seen so many tears shed over an inanimate object. A yellow chair. About the size of a meatball. That is what caused my son to cry as if he had lost everything in this world.
I LOVE my children. They are the best source of entertainment available.
Please come and join us on the next little cobblstone of our life~
Friday night we went to the childrens's museum and this kept them up about an hour later than they normally are. They were pretty good that night. But for some reason their little body clocks just don't know enough to sleep late the day after a big event. (Let me just tell you, some days I fantasize about the day when they are teenagers and just want to sleep in ...... That keeps me going some days!)
They all got up at pretty much normal time. We had planned to take them to the Easter Egg Hunt at our church that afternoon, which was from Noon to 2:30--- smack dab in the middle of their their normal nap time. Since they had been out late the night before and had gotten up at the normal time, I had the strange notion that they might actually go down a little earlier than normal and then we could enjoy the Hunt. Let's just leave it at The Boys Had Other Ideas. It's best that we not talk about that one in too much detail for the sanity of my husband....
Well,we got to see the Pout of Pauley that day. I have never in my life seen a bottom lip that could poke out so far. I would be willing to bet that he could actually trip over it. He actually stuck out his bottom lip, tilted his head down and looked up at us through his eyelashes. And then screamed. And rolled about on the floor. And gagged. And rolled over and made sure that we were watching. We were not. As entertaining as the Pauley Show was, we have seen it before, and this rerun was not enthralling us.
Today, we went to church and got a nice rendition of the Unhappy Harper Hour. This is where she stalks off to a corner of the room, crosses her arms and puts on her I Am Not Happy With You face. This is a pretty new developement, so this one is still pretty entertaining.
My niece had her birthday party tonight. YEA--- More excitement mixed with sugar and overtiredness--- OH JOY!
That leads us to Jack's tantrum--- his my toy chair fell out of my crib when I am trying to go to sleep tantrum. I have never seen so many tears shed over an inanimate object. A yellow chair. About the size of a meatball. That is what caused my son to cry as if he had lost everything in this world.
I LOVE my children. They are the best source of entertainment available.
Please come and join us on the next little cobblstone of our life~
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Triplet Statistic ~ Part 2
Ok, well you heard about some of the infant things that we needed, here is a list of the Gear.
3 Infant Car Seats at $149 each- My Mother In Law purchased these for us along with a billion other things! : )
3 Cribs
3 Bumbo's - and let me tell you chubby babies do NOT fit well!!! Sorry, Paul.
3 High Chairs
3 Bouncy Seats
15 Crib Sheets
50 Baby Blankets
30 Burp Cloths
2 Play Pens
1 Bassinet
1 Swing - Thank You Fisher Price for selling a PLUG IN Swing!!!
1,000 Wipes every two and a half weeks or so
12 Pacifiers
84 bottles, in two sizes 4 and 8 ounce
1 Exersaucer
1 Jump-a-Roo
1 Around-We-Go - BEST thing ever!!! Harper walked over one million miles in this little toy- although it does not adjust for height.
Now, what do our children eat? Well, lets talk about that now...
Each week we go through:
5 gallons of milk
1 half gallon of apple juice
2 quarts of strawberries (this is two snacks worth)
2 cucumbers
5 packages of oatmeal
6 eggs
1 package of bologna
1 package of provolone cheese
2 cans of Gerber cheese and veggie puggs
3 cheeseburgers
4 pot pies
10 PB&J's
2 cans of peas
1 can of green beans
1 bag of broccoli
1 can each of broccoli cheese soup and bean and bacon soup
2 cans of double noodle soup
2 packages of chicken nuggets
1 box of fish sticks (44 sticks)
2/3 box of graham crackers
1 package of butter cookies
1 family package of rib patties
12 individual cups of pudding
6 individual cups of ice cream
1/2 gallon of chocolate milk
2 apples
Large can each of fruit cocktail, manadrin oranges, peaches and pears
5 bananas
1 1/2 pounds of grapes
1 assorted box of Lance snack crackers
10 waffles
1/2 box of mini-pancakes
1 box of sausage links
And that is just for the children...
Tired of listing now.. Will continue with the toddler gear next time!
See you on that next little skip~
3 Infant Car Seats at $149 each- My Mother In Law purchased these for us along with a billion other things! : )
3 Cribs
3 Bumbo's - and let me tell you chubby babies do NOT fit well!!! Sorry, Paul.
3 High Chairs
3 Bouncy Seats
15 Crib Sheets
50 Baby Blankets
30 Burp Cloths
2 Play Pens
1 Bassinet
1 Swing - Thank You Fisher Price for selling a PLUG IN Swing!!!
1,000 Wipes every two and a half weeks or so
12 Pacifiers
84 bottles, in two sizes 4 and 8 ounce
1 Exersaucer
1 Jump-a-Roo
1 Around-We-Go - BEST thing ever!!! Harper walked over one million miles in this little toy- although it does not adjust for height.
Now, what do our children eat? Well, lets talk about that now...
Each week we go through:
5 gallons of milk
1 half gallon of apple juice
2 quarts of strawberries (this is two snacks worth)
2 cucumbers
5 packages of oatmeal
6 eggs
1 package of bologna
1 package of provolone cheese
2 cans of Gerber cheese and veggie puggs
3 cheeseburgers
4 pot pies
10 PB&J's
2 cans of peas
1 can of green beans
1 bag of broccoli
1 can each of broccoli cheese soup and bean and bacon soup
2 cans of double noodle soup
2 packages of chicken nuggets
1 box of fish sticks (44 sticks)
2/3 box of graham crackers
1 package of butter cookies
1 family package of rib patties
12 individual cups of pudding
6 individual cups of ice cream
1/2 gallon of chocolate milk
2 apples
Large can each of fruit cocktail, manadrin oranges, peaches and pears
5 bananas
1 1/2 pounds of grapes
1 assorted box of Lance snack crackers
10 waffles
1/2 box of mini-pancakes
1 box of sausage links
And that is just for the children...
Tired of listing now.. Will continue with the toddler gear next time!
See you on that next little skip~
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Triplet Statistic
I am willing to bet that you are just a little bit curious about what types of things and in what number you need to have in order to raise triplets. Well here is a sampling:
Two and a half cans, 32.5 ounces each, of powdered formula a week - that equaled $72 a week
One hundred and twenty six bottles per week - I, in a stroke of genius, decided to put the dry powder and rice cereal that was needed for reflux into each bottle and just add warm tap water- that way we did not have any worries that the formula would expire, since they are only good for 24 hours once mixed
Fourteen to twenty loads of clothes each week
Four bottles of Mylicon each week - yup, our kids lived on that stuff!
Obviously, these are only for the infant times... Stay tuned for the next little installment~
Two and a half cans, 32.5 ounces each, of powdered formula a week - that equaled $72 a week
One hundred and twenty six bottles per week - I, in a stroke of genius, decided to put the dry powder and rice cereal that was needed for reflux into each bottle and just add warm tap water- that way we did not have any worries that the formula would expire, since they are only good for 24 hours once mixed
Fourteen to twenty loads of clothes each week
Four bottles of Mylicon each week - yup, our kids lived on that stuff!
Obviously, these are only for the infant times... Stay tuned for the next little installment~
The New Car
We FINALLY got a MINIVAN!!! WOO-HOO!
The babies love it, but they do not like the fact that we can no longer pick up their toys that they drop and hand them back.
Lets see- I have joined Facebook, I have a blog and now I have a Mini-Van. CRAP- I'm a techno-savvy mini-van MoM.... Who would have ever guessed???
Join us for the next highway exit~
The babies love it, but they do not like the fact that we can no longer pick up their toys that they drop and hand them back.
Lets see- I have joined Facebook, I have a blog and now I have a Mini-Van. CRAP- I'm a techno-savvy mini-van MoM.... Who would have ever guessed???
Join us for the next highway exit~
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Three Tantrums
Here is a sneak peek at what mornings are like in our house:
Imagine a house at 6:30 am. It is quiet and dawn has just broken. Birds are starting to chirp.
Suddenly, Jack and Paul are both up and talking to each other. Paul is tell Jack to "Wake Up Jack." Jack is screaming "ROAR!" They are both jumping in their cribs so hard that I am not sure the bottoms will hold.
Then, down the hallway- faint knocking on a wooden door. A small voice says "Mama. Mama. You there Mama?"
Clearly it is time to get up.
I go into the boys room because it is much closer. I open the door and Pauley says "MAMA" Jack promply chimes in "Go away Mama, my want Daddy." I lift Paul out- and he is off to the lamp to turn it off. Then on. Then off. Then the radio- same story.
I go to Jack to lift him out and he pushes me away. "My want Daddy" So, I lift him out anyway- and for now, there is no tantrum. He is off to the heater to turn it off. Then on. Then off. Then, well you get the picture.
By now, my husband has made his way down the hall to Little Miss Harper's room. He opens the door and is immediately met with "No, my want Mama." And then she strong arms him out of the way. Should he lift her over her gate- she cries. Please let me describe these tears. They are the size of grapefruits. The well up IMMEDIATELY, as soon as the wrong has occured. They then make tracks down her plump little cheeks faster than you can say "Don't cry." They do not stop once mama has appeared. Her world has now been completely broken apart- nothing will ever be the same. Until you give her Dora and some Milk. Now, she doesnt even know who mama is.
Join us on Part II of this little side trip, won't you?
Imagine a house at 6:30 am. It is quiet and dawn has just broken. Birds are starting to chirp.
Suddenly, Jack and Paul are both up and talking to each other. Paul is tell Jack to "Wake Up Jack." Jack is screaming "ROAR!" They are both jumping in their cribs so hard that I am not sure the bottoms will hold.
Then, down the hallway- faint knocking on a wooden door. A small voice says "Mama. Mama. You there Mama?"
Clearly it is time to get up.
I go into the boys room because it is much closer. I open the door and Pauley says "MAMA" Jack promply chimes in "Go away Mama, my want Daddy." I lift Paul out- and he is off to the lamp to turn it off. Then on. Then off. Then the radio- same story.
I go to Jack to lift him out and he pushes me away. "My want Daddy" So, I lift him out anyway- and for now, there is no tantrum. He is off to the heater to turn it off. Then on. Then off. Then, well you get the picture.
By now, my husband has made his way down the hall to Little Miss Harper's room. He opens the door and is immediately met with "No, my want Mama." And then she strong arms him out of the way. Should he lift her over her gate- she cries. Please let me describe these tears. They are the size of grapefruits. The well up IMMEDIATELY, as soon as the wrong has occured. They then make tracks down her plump little cheeks faster than you can say "Don't cry." They do not stop once mama has appeared. Her world has now been completely broken apart- nothing will ever be the same. Until you give her Dora and some Milk. Now, she doesnt even know who mama is.
Join us on Part II of this little side trip, won't you?
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Pillows
It is amazing. What little thing will keep them occupied. This morning it was couch cushions, four in total, laid out in a path on the floor- so they could walk on them.
That little thing kept them occupied for over 20 minutes. Last night it was a small bottle of bubbles. Yesterday afternoon it was my mom's red jacket. They all had to put it on and model it.
I just wonder what little thing it will be next...
Come hop down the trail with us~
That little thing kept them occupied for over 20 minutes. Last night it was a small bottle of bubbles. Yesterday afternoon it was my mom's red jacket. They all had to put it on and model it.
I just wonder what little thing it will be next...
Come hop down the trail with us~
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The Three Little Teachers
The wonderful thing about having a family, is how much they teach you about yourself and the world you thought you were living in.
As anybody who has a child, pet they treat like a child or a husband who acts like a child knows: It's sometimes the littlest things that make the biggest impact.
The thing that I can not get out of my head today, is how they totally, completely and undeniably think that YOU can fix anything. From the perfect PB&J (you have no idea ow many of those we go through in a week) to fabric on a chair that is unraveling to a broken banana. If anyone knows how to fix the banana without using a toothpick- PLEASE let me know!
It's just amazing that as we go along we are always wondering if we can do something or if we are smart enough, thin enough, fast enough, good enough. Our children always think that we hung the Moon and that there is nothing that we cannot do.
I promise Pauley, that one day Mama will get around to fixing Great-Grandma Grace's Orange chair- I never want you to think that there is anything that I cannot do.
Thank you for teaching me how wonderful I am.
Join on the next little hop down the path~
As anybody who has a child, pet they treat like a child or a husband who acts like a child knows: It's sometimes the littlest things that make the biggest impact.
The thing that I can not get out of my head today, is how they totally, completely and undeniably think that YOU can fix anything. From the perfect PB&J (you have no idea ow many of those we go through in a week) to fabric on a chair that is unraveling to a broken banana. If anyone knows how to fix the banana without using a toothpick- PLEASE let me know!
It's just amazing that as we go along we are always wondering if we can do something or if we are smart enough, thin enough, fast enough, good enough. Our children always think that we hung the Moon and that there is nothing that we cannot do.
I promise Pauley, that one day Mama will get around to fixing Great-Grandma Grace's Orange chair- I never want you to think that there is anything that I cannot do.
Thank you for teaching me how wonderful I am.
Join on the next little hop down the path~
Friday, April 8, 2011
Throughly Terrific Thought~
Last night as I was putting my daughter down to sleep, she asked me when I was leaving "Mama, you happy?" I replied "Yes honey, I am always happy since all of you are now in my life." She replied "Me happy too."
These are the little moments that bring tears to your eyes and swell your heart with love.
Stay tuned for the next little step that we take along the path.
These are the little moments that bring tears to your eyes and swell your heart with love.
Stay tuned for the next little step that we take along the path.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Terrible Teething Twosome
Yep, that's right, two children are teething. Harper seems to be dealing with it best- not too grumpy, just needs a little more cuddles and hugs than normal. Jack, well Jack is a different story. Let me give you some background on Jack. Jack was our baby A, so he was first out of the gate. He had the worst case of reflux. He also had slightly spastic limbs- his arms and legs would shoot out randomly at any time. It made him look like he was dancing to his own music. Jack is also our little Stevie Wonder- that boy has SOUL! When he gets grooving to the music his head is just going side to side and his legs are wiggling and his arms are just a'getting it!
Jack is also our little Pitiful One. When he is not happy, which is not too often, the ENTIRE WORLD comes to an end. He wails and sobs like his heart is breaking. It is truly Oscar worthy! So, the other night when we were driving home he decided that he wanted to go "THAT WAY!" He flung is arm up over his head and pointed behind him- for the rest of the twenty minute car ride, sobbing and wailing "No, My want to go THAT way!" At the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his face. Daddy and I were laughing (quietly of course) in the front seat, while we tried to calm him down and assure him that we were now driving THAT WAY.
That is our one little cobblestone for today- please join us again as we navigtate this windy little path.
Jack is also our little Pitiful One. When he is not happy, which is not too often, the ENTIRE WORLD comes to an end. He wails and sobs like his heart is breaking. It is truly Oscar worthy! So, the other night when we were driving home he decided that he wanted to go "THAT WAY!" He flung is arm up over his head and pointed behind him- for the rest of the twenty minute car ride, sobbing and wailing "No, My want to go THAT way!" At the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his face. Daddy and I were laughing (quietly of course) in the front seat, while we tried to calm him down and assure him that we were now driving THAT WAY.
That is our one little cobblestone for today- please join us again as we navigtate this windy little path.
Ok-so lets give you a little back ground. We had IVF, worked the first time. They put in two Grade 4+ embryos and we got out THREE 10+ children! They insist that the boys are identical- can't prove it by me.
My pregnancy was about as smooth as could be. The delivery at 34 weeks 5 days was pretty routine too. We are not going to talk about my recovery (lets just say complications). The children however did fantastic. Jack, actually it is James Alexander- was born first weighing in at 3 1/2 pounds. Paul Xavier came next at a whopping 5 1/2 pounds. Harper Noel was last weighing in at a respectable 5 pounds even. Paul was put on a C-PAP machine and both boys were in the NICU for 24 hours. Harper went straight to the PCN (progressive care nursery- basically they just need to grow).
Paul and Harper came home at 2 weeks, to the day. Jack joined them 5 days later.
So, we had three newborns. New parents. NO IDEA what to do. NO IDEA how to do it. Please be assured we took ALL the classes offered, but nothing prepares you. The babies didn't know any better, so they flourished. We had severe bouts of reflux but medicince and Good Ole Dr. Brown's Bottles took care of that! And then, they were off to the races to grow!
At one year, all of them talked and walked. Jack was 24 pounds, Paul was 32 and Harper was 29.
At two years old, all of them fought, threw temper tantrums, hit, bit, kicked, pushed, shoved, cried, screamed, loved, hugged, kissed and shared with each other- and were completely normal two year olds. Jack was 27 pounds, Paul was 36 and Harper was 33. We could not get heights on them because none of them would stand still long enough.
So, there you have it - there is our story of a normal life with two year old triplets. I hope you join us for the next little cobblestone of life. See you there!
My pregnancy was about as smooth as could be. The delivery at 34 weeks 5 days was pretty routine too. We are not going to talk about my recovery (lets just say complications). The children however did fantastic. Jack, actually it is James Alexander- was born first weighing in at 3 1/2 pounds. Paul Xavier came next at a whopping 5 1/2 pounds. Harper Noel was last weighing in at a respectable 5 pounds even. Paul was put on a C-PAP machine and both boys were in the NICU for 24 hours. Harper went straight to the PCN (progressive care nursery- basically they just need to grow).
Paul and Harper came home at 2 weeks, to the day. Jack joined them 5 days later.
So, we had three newborns. New parents. NO IDEA what to do. NO IDEA how to do it. Please be assured we took ALL the classes offered, but nothing prepares you. The babies didn't know any better, so they flourished. We had severe bouts of reflux but medicince and Good Ole Dr. Brown's Bottles took care of that! And then, they were off to the races to grow!
At one year, all of them talked and walked. Jack was 24 pounds, Paul was 32 and Harper was 29.
At two years old, all of them fought, threw temper tantrums, hit, bit, kicked, pushed, shoved, cried, screamed, loved, hugged, kissed and shared with each other- and were completely normal two year olds. Jack was 27 pounds, Paul was 36 and Harper was 33. We could not get heights on them because none of them would stand still long enough.
So, there you have it - there is our story of a normal life with two year old triplets. I hope you join us for the next little cobblestone of life. See you there!
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