Surviving Triplets

50's Sock Hop

2012-01-19T08:30:00.000-06:00

To celebrate the 50th day of preschool, the kids had a 50's Sock Hop.

We were told they needed to wear something that had 50 items on it,

the number 50 or they could dress the part of a 50's sock hopper.

Now, ya know I sew.

My rep at the kids' school means I had to come up w/ something cute.

After all, I do make them outfits for every occassion.

So that meant finding an easy & cute poodle skirt tutorial.

And coming up w/ Ian's "James Dean" look.

The kids were soooo excited!

It was hard to keep them still for any type of photo.

Tell me this little "James Dean" isn't the cutest EVA!?!

I love this shot b/c the girls are looking at their hands.

Miss Gabi was all prim & proper w/ her cute feet crossed!

And Miss Sofi, not happy about having her photo taken alone.

She wanted Gabi in it w/ her.

Miss Christi wanted a photo of them all w/ their thumbs up, Fonzy style!

I absolutely LOVE it!

Can't wait for PJ day next week.

That means I will have extra time in the morning, haha!

La Escondida

2012-01-16T14:03:00.001-06:00

La Escondida

What to say about this magical place?

It belongs to my parents.

It has been a long time coming that we make the trip up there.

This happened the day after Thanksgiving.

We stayed from Friday to Sunday.

The kids loved it.

The weather wasn't so great that time around.

But this time it was perfect.

Again, the kids kept busy from the time we got there to the time we left.

As a matter of fact,

they are still in recovery mode.

They rode & drove the tractor.

Picked up rocks.

Helped build a rock wall.

Cleared some brush.

Built fires in the pot belly stove.

Ate food cooked off a wrought iron skillet.

Pet the doggies.

Looked at the stars.

Played the guitar.

Sang by the fire.

Ate ribs cooked in the fire pit.

Helped clean.

Slept in bunk beds.

Yes, it was amazing for them.

The casita...it continues to grow!

Gabi finally got her turn on the tractor & LOVED it!

Sofi driving the tractor alone.

Abu was NOT helping!

Ian loved helping Abu with the shovel.

Kept him busy all afternoon!

They were pretending to be "adults" and getting gas.

Don't ask me...it was all them!

The photo of the weekend, hands down.

Gabi literally fell asleep on Abu on the tractor.

Yep, that's a photo of me.

(GASP)

What we got to see Saturday night.

The perfect sunset to end the day.

Now it is back to reality.

Peace out 2011!

2012-01-08T11:31:00.001-06:00

2011 is done & gone.
I don't know how I went from Halloween until now w/o posting.

Well, ok...I know how but not gonna go there.

So for those of you wondering how triplet life is going,

the lack of blogging should explain it all.
I use to wonder why blogs died out at about 2 yrs old.

Blogs of triplet mommas that is.

Now I get it.

They are a handful.

Terrible 2s...nope.

Terrible 3s...yep.

Independence, yep.

Fighting each other like a good ol' street fight, yep.

Voicing their opinion, yep.

Doing the opposite of what we say, yep.

Wanting 3 different things at the same time, yep.

The list could go on & on but at the same time,

there are many positives that happen.

They love school.

Adore it.

They have friends besides one another.

They use their manners there & are praised by the teachers.

~~Wish they would use more manners at home, haha!~~

They love to try to dress themselves.

Of course, that means several clothing changes a day.

OMG, the laundry is out of control.

Their imaginations run wild.

It is so neat to hear them play when they become different people.

The kisses and hugs.

Unbeatable!

And in case you wonder what the cuties look like,

these were taken at the beginning of November.

{yep, by me although Candace did an awesome job}

And here are some individual shots!

Miss Gabi...always a joy!

I was lucky to get this shot.

Sofi...so sweet!

One day Ian is going to kill me, isn't he?

But until then, he looks sooooo dapper!

Life continues.

A bit differently than before.

Maybe this is really the hardest part of raising triplets.

The 3's have been a challenge.

Hoping that the 4's are as magical as they say they are.

And, maybe I'll have a bit more time to blog.

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T15:12:00.001-05:00

To say the least, life has been hectic.

Seems like we can't shake an illness.

Yes, I know...this is what happens the 1st year of school.

Luckily we were all healthy for Halloween b/c the kids were super excited this year!

And if you are wondering, I was planning on making costumes.

I was overruled once we hit the costume section of Target.

Go figure.

And they are only 3.5 yrs old!

The night was beautiful.

The kids had the "trick or treat" down pat.

And they scored big!

Lots & lots of candy which I have no idea if we can finish eating.

Our babies sure are growing up quickly.

I can't wait what the next year brings...

And life continues...

2011-10-14T19:16:00.003-05:00

Time just goes by.

This age is so busy.

I find myself wondering where the time goes.

I've talked about it in the past few posts.

3 is a whole different ballgame.

These kids are growing up so fast.

For example, Gabi can spell her name & tell anyone

our home address...yes, the whole thing.

And Sofi is just amazingly tall & bright surprising me by writing

many different letters yesterday.

Then there is our sweet boy, Ian.

We have enrolled him in private speech therapy.

It is absolutely the best thing we could do for him.

He is progressing & we are practicing at home when allowed.

School is going wonderful.

They learn so many things & have new friends.

Gabi even has a "best friend".

I think it is amazing.

I can't wait to see what these kids do in the future.

Life with 3.5 yr olds and school...

2011-09-27T16:00:00.002-05:00

Why do the terrible 2's exist?

I'm telling you right now, the 3's are much more challenging.

Preschool has been fabulous.

The kids absolutely love going.

It was the best decision we could have made.

They talk about the letters they are learning.

About all their new friends.

They love the activities they do.

The playground is the highlight of their day.

Going Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday seems to work very well.

They get all their learning in & if they get sick, we have 4 days to get

over it before they have to go back.

Speaking of sick...

The 2nd week of school Gabi brought home a tummy virus.

The kind you don't want to come home.

Vomiting for 6 hours and then diarrhea.

She started on Thursday night, 11:30pm.

And we thought we were scott free..

HA!

Sofi started on Saturday at 2:30pm.

Then Ian at 6:30pm.

It gets better...

I started at 8:30pm.

And we though Todd would get away from it all.

Until about 5am Sunday morning.
5 days of vomiting.

1 week of diarrhea.

It.was.absolutely.horrible.

Worse than I could ever imagine.

But we made it through.

That's not all.

Last Friday, Gabi started w/ a fever.

Then Ian.

His went up to 104.4.

Scary & yes, we were in the tub.

I say we...Ian & I.

Todd sitting next to us.

No fun.

But it is all worth it.

The kids immune systems are getting tested now rather

than when they get to kindergarten.

And they are happy about school.

So, that's what we have been up to.

Preschool

2011-08-30T09:38:00.003-05:00

We debated this topic.

It was a long drawn out decision.

But we went for it.

And couldn't be happier.

The kids started yesterday.

They go on M/T/W.

3 consecutive days.

As a former teacher, I think this is best.

The only thing that went wrong?
Ian had a poo accident right at the end of the day.

Poor kid.

He is my emotional one.

The nerves got the best of him.

That & lack of communication.

But it is still ok.

They didn't cry at all.

They were ready.

Mommy & Daddy were teary-eyed.

But we got through it.

I made them special outfits.

They picked out the fabric.

And they had to get a photo w/ each of us.

Today was much smoother.

Ian & Gabi's teacher came out to get them.

So did Sofi's.

{yep they are split up & we are ok w/ that}

Mrs. C scooped Ian up this morning & he melted in to her.

Instantly I knew we had made the right decision.

It ain't cheap but it will be worth it for everyone.

I can't wait to see what they bring home today!

PS - Sorry for the absence...long story but I needed to focus

attention on other things in our life.

The blog will always be 2nd...

Surviving Triplets Makeover

2011-08-10T18:36:00.003-05:00

How exciting is this?
We've got a new look for the blog.
I absolutely LOVE it.

Thank you Tracey!
You do an amazing job.
Seriously amazing.

Maybe this will motivate me to blog a bit more.
That & time.
I need more time.

Check out Tracey's designs.
Little Bitty Blogs

And if you decide to get her to makeover your blog,
PLEASE let her know I sent you!
She is amazing to work with.

Ready to Go!

2011-08-10T18:34:00.001-05:00

You're all set. Happy Blogging!

Breastfeeding Triplets

2011-07-31T21:30:00.003-05:00

It can be done.
Granted, there will be many hurdles to jump.

BUT...

it is possible.
Take it from me.
The girls got mommy milk until 13 months old.
Ian went all the way to 20 months.
And he chose by himself to give it up.
I think the peer pressure got to him.

After all, his sisters were getting milk in sippy cups.

*GASP*

That was that.
Fortunately, I was comfortable w/ his decision.
Not that I wasn't sad.
I did cry about a million & a half tears.
Most of it b/c it was the end of our breastfeeding relationship.
The other part b/c I knew I would never have this opportunity again.

I was reminded this evening by a great online friend, Renee,
how important this relationship was to me.
How much I sacrificed for my kids to get the goodies from mommy.
She even wrote a little shpeel about it on her blog.

Most triplet moms don't even think it is possible.
Some run in to supply issues.
Others run in to health issues.

I can speak from experience.
I had mastitis a total of ELEVEN times in 16 months.
Yes, you read correctly.
And if you have had it, you know what I sacrificed to keep going.

This battle was in my heart.
I already gave my children a disadvantage by knowing they would be born premature.
This was my way to give them back a little something.

If you doubt the fight is worth fighting,
I encourage you to find a La Leche League near you.
They are a wonderful support group.
If anything, they will provide a comfortable environment where you can ask questions and receive educated answers.

If in doubt, just know that this triplet momma,
that didn't have a nanny and did days by herself,
could manage to breastfeed and pump over 90 oz of milk
on a daily basis so if you think you can't...

YOU CAN.

Big Dislike for July

2011-07-30T13:39:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted much.
The reason being?
Our house is full of ickies.

It started with Gabi and walking pneumonia.
You would think that should be enough.
Well, um...no.

Sofi started running a fever on Tuesday.
And since Gabi had a followup on Wednesday afternoon,
they decided to squeeze in Sofi as well.

No symptoms other than a fever.
Her throat was barely red.
Glands were swollen just a bit.
Nose was red & inflamed.
Dr. N even said it was likely to be viral.
BUT, she did a strep swab just in case.

You can probably guess the outcome.
Yep, strep throat.
She has been running a fever on & off since Tuesday.

Great fun.
Then it got more interesting.
Ian started w/ a cough on Thursday.
It sounded croupy on Friday.

Off to Dr. N we went on Friday morning.
And the boy tested negative for strep.
So, he has a virus.

She even said it was likely that Sofi had the virus on top
of the strep throat.
Happy, happy, joy, joy.

Being couped up inside for all this time is no fun.
No fun for the kids,
and most definitely no fun for momma.

God please let this end soon.

Dance Class

2011-07-21T15:12:00.005-05:00

It is hard to find anything affordable for the kids.
Times 3 makes things very expensive.
So, when this new dance studio opened up close to home,
I didn't get my hopes up but called anyway.

Turns out, they do a tiered tuition.
This means the 1st pays normal but every kid after goes down a tier.
I was so excited!
All I had to do was get the hubs on board.

I talked to the owner, she is a great gal.
She is also the teacher.
We talked about all the classes.
The decision was to put them in Creative Movement/Tap.

We go on Wednesdays at 9am.
Our first class was yesterday.
You should have seen the excitement of the kids.
It was the cutest.thing.ever.

They are still talking about it.
And I have to say, they were fairly good in class.
Eh hem...Ian had to proclaim his Buzz Lightyear-ness & do so every 5 minutes by getting up, spreading his "wings"& running around the studio.

I know it will get better in time.
This is such a good activity for them.
I can't wait until their 1st recital.

And don't you think I didn't take photos!

It was hard getting a decent photo before we left.

Out of the car & in to the studio...

Yep, I made the ballet wrap skirts & the tulle ponytail holders.

Checkin' out the studios...

Putting up our backpacks w/ our shoes in them.

I love this shot of my Sofi...

Warming up :)

Let's get the show on the road!

Sofi had to help Ian a bit.
That's my Sofi...aka, Boss Lady.

Ian LOVED the tap portion.
They were marching & making lots of noise!

After all was done, we had to run to the grocery store.
I thought this was a cool photo.
A complete oxymoron of sorts.
The harsh metal cart & my beautiful Gabi.

Bronchitis/Walking Pneumonia

2011-07-15T17:15:00.002-05:00

Sorry for my extended absence.
Gabi started running a fever on Sunday.
Never got over 101.
Meds took care of it during the day.
The fever would disappear at night.

But, it would always come back.
9ish every morning.
Very frustrating.
Especially since she had NO.OTHER.SYMPTOMS.

Seriously, nothing.
She had been acting completely normal.
Then came the slightest of coughs.
Nothing that would alarm you.
Nothing you would even notice, if there wasn't a fever.

By Wed, when the fever finally decided to go up to 102,
it was time to put in a call to Dr. N.
I said, "We are probably coming in for you to tell us it is a virus."
And the nurse said that's what it sounded like.

So, off we went.
Gabi & I.
Dr. N started listening to her lungs.
Kept asking Gabi to take deep breaths.
And then she looked at me.

"I hear wheezing. Left lung."

Huh?
What?
Excuse me?
Can you please say that again?

She said she definitely had bronchitis.
Probably a touch of walking pneumonia.
Caught early.

Um, thankyouverymuch.

Now on antibiotics & an inhaler,
albuterol, on a regiment, she is on the mend.

She is still acting completely normal.
The only time you know something is wrong is
when she runs for a bit & starts to cough,
trying to catch her breath.

It has been a very, very long week.
Waking up twice a night to fight a 3 year old
to take inhaler puffs, not so much fun.
Fever care, not so much fun.
Restless sleep, not so much fun.

Reminds me of the days when they were itty bitty.

Aye.

Sofi is recovering well!

2011-07-09T11:57:00.003-05:00

The procedure took 26 minutes.
I'm not even sure she was asleep for that whole time.
That's just how long we weren't with her.

It was that quick.
And now she has a new belly button.
Yesterday she was very uncomfortable.
She didn't want to walk or straighten out.

We have kept up w/ her pain meds, as suggested.
It seems to keep the discomfort away.
I think by this evening, we will have her on ibuprofen.

She seems to be doing very well with it.
She wasn't even afraid when they took her away.
Todd & I really worked on not making a big deal out of it.
We told her she was going to get a new belly button.

She chose to have a PINK one & made sure Dr. B knew.
Nina, the anesthesiologist, came to explain to Sofi that she
was going to breathe in pixie dust & feel like she was flying.

The mask even smelled like bubble gum.
And had glitter.
AND...was full of stickers!

She thought it was the coolest.thing.ever.
They also gave her a teddy bear & Dora stickers.

This girl was in Heaven.
I'm telling you, she loved the attention!

She was wheeled out to recovery & we were literally back there
within a minute to see our baby girl.
She wasn't crying too much although she was fussy.
Todd cuddled her a bit & then I picked her up & rocked her.

After we felt she was "awake" enough, it was time
to get her in the car and home to rest.
She fell asleep in the car, after some apple juice & a few crackers.

From that point on, it hasn't been too difficult.
Gabi & Ian have been very attentive to their sister.
They understand she can't play.
And because she isn't allowed to climb stairs,
we have an air mattress downstairs that she & I slept on last night.
Daddy was on the couch, not too far away.

Not a bad experience at all.
Thank God!

Surgery for Sofi

2011-07-07T12:15:00.002-05:00

This is going to be short.
She has a very small herniated belly button.
Not really anything that is a big deal.
We were hoping it would close on it's own.

It didn't.
Go figure.

After a 2 year wait, we are having it fixed.
Tomorrow at 8am, we will be at the surgery center.

Please say a little prayer for the surgical team,
for my little girl,
& maybe a couple for Mommy & Daddy.

Oh, and how in the HELL am I suppose to keep her from
playing for the next 2 days?
And no climbing?
Or taking the stairs?
GEEZ...someone give me a tranquilizer.

4th of July

2011-07-05T07:15:00.005-05:00

What a different it makes when they are this age!
I'm totally serious.
Not only did they have a blast outside most of the day,
they were well behaved.

We had quite a few peeps come over for Todd's famous smoked brisket.
Can I just tell you that my man can cook some meat!?!
Apparently everyone else thought so too.
They kept coming back for 2nds & 3rds!

Luckily, we were able to spare a bit of meat.

Here is the day in photos...

Diva Sofi...stiking the same pose as Minnie

The kids finally have enough balancing skills to get on the hammock together.

Gabi & me playing soccer w/ a volleyball, oops!

Love for the smoker & for Todd cooking the bestest brisket!

The force is strong with this one...

Loads of water fun.

And then the brisket was done...ready to be wrapped!

Our monsters in their 4th of July garb!
The girls' dresses are from Upcycle Me Crazy.
I made Ian's cutie shorts!

We hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July!
Looking forward to next year.

Vaccinating...

2011-06-30T08:06:00.003-05:00

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that is the question.
I'm not really a big supporter of not vaccinating,
BUT I'm extremely bothered by how many vaccines are given at one time.

Now, let me tell you, I was blind going in to this kid thing.
Especially being overwhelmed w/ triplets.
So when the docs told me they needed their vaccines, I blindly decided to go along w/ what they were suggesting.
Not that there is anything wrong w/ that but I wish I had gone in to it a bit more informed.
That is the honest truth.

Now, I didn't do any research.
I followed my mommy gut.
Again, this is a truth.

After Ian got so sick & lost almost all his skills, we (Todd & I) couldn't imagine giving him a shlew of vaccines.
We decided the little tike needed a break.
And from that point, it was only 1 combo shot or 2 single vaccine shots.
The trio was 10 months old at this point.
Before Ian's illness, we vaccinated on schedule.

It wasn't just for Ian either.
We chose to do the same w/ the girls.
The result?
Much less fussy babies after shots.

Their bodies didn't overreact to all the stuff.
No fevers, no fussing, good sleep, etc.
The other choice we made was to not give the kids the MMR until they were 3.
Even then, I have to admit, I had cold feet going in.
Todd really was the one to take the stand & say that they needed it since we were going out so much more.
Inside, I knew he was right so I grinned & bared it as the kids got their MMR.

I will say this much,
they got the MMR & only 1 more shot.
We are "behind" b/c of the spread out schedule.
And, I don't go between visits.
Can you imagine taking them in for just shots every other month?

Not I.
No way, no how.
ICK...sicky germs!

So, that is how we came about to be on an "alternative" vaccine schedule.
Oh, for the record, we believe in vaccines.
We understand they do more good than harm.
It is our duty to protect our children.
But that isn't to say we don't understand the other side.
This is what is best for OUR family.

In case you want to read up on the alternative vaccine schedule, here ya go...

Dr. Sears is well known for his position on the alternative vaccine schedule.
We didn't follow his recommended schedule.
We went with what we decided at the moment based on local viral threats (chicken pox outbreak, etc).
We always discussed this w/ our pedi.
She always had info for us & we really appreciated that.

Dr. Sears Alternative Vaccine Schedule

At the end of the day, it is a personal choice.
You have to do what is best for YOUR FAMILY.
Don't let anyone sway you either way.
Follow your gut feeling.

Birthday Pics

2011-06-25T07:40:00.006-05:00

Daddy had a wonderful birthday!
Mommy & the kids gave Daddy the best cookies in the world.
They come from this little place called The Cookie Jar.

And, yep.
One of the kids wrote Daddy's name.
That would be Gabi.
He loved the cookies.

But even more than the cookies,
he loved his snuggle/nap time w/ Ian.
It must be a boy thang.

Ok, the honest truth is that naptime has been shortened.
(post for another day)
Ian wouldn't wake up.
I tried everything.
I even carried him down the stairs.
And the boy was STILL fast asleep.
So I took him to hang out w/ Pops.
Todd smiled for the next hour, none stop.

Then it was dinner time & open card time.

The kids picked the Toy Story card out.
It is the musical kind.
So it played, "You got a friend in me".
I'm not sure who was more excited about the card.
Todd or the kids.

Then it was time for Steak Night.
The kids went to bed.
Well, they went to their room.
(Again, another post for another day.)
The adults had steaks & adult beverages.

Overall, a very successful b-day.
We love you Daddy!!!

Happy Father's Day & Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-06-22T06:45:00.008-05:00

We had a 1-2 combo this week!
Sunday was Father's Day.
Today is my beloved's birthday.

It all started w/ breakfast in bed.
I made sausage gravy w/ biscuits,
scrambled eggs, & sausage on the side.

To boot, a brand new Starbuck's coffe mug
cuz those are the bomb diggity,
filled w/ a cafe mocha, no fat, no whip.
That's how we roll in this here house!

He even shared his specialness w/ the kids.
They ate breakfast w/ Daddy,
in the bedroom and on the bed.

Ian just cracks me up.
That boy, I'm tellin' ya.
He has stolen my heart.

But if that isn't cute enough,
check out the major cuddles Sofi gave her Daddy.

There is something very sweet about this photo.

And I wish I could say I got one of Gabi
snuggling w/ Daddy but every time I got the camera,
she magically disappeared!

But that wasn't isn't for Daddy.
He got to take a nice, long, relaxing morning nap.
Momma made him a tie.
AND, he got a rockin' dinner.

Stuffed spinach mozzarella chicken w/ lemon roasted asparagus.

We have some special activities to do today.
Can't write about them yet cuz Daddy is reading this at lunch.

We love you very much!

Social life...WHAT?!?

2011-06-18T09:37:00.003-05:00

It's slowly happening.
You know, the think that you never thought you'd get back.
Yeah, the one where you actually leave the kids at home.
Even leave the hubs at home.

GIRL TIME.
That's what I'm talkin' bout!
Nothing better than some vino & your BFF
to make the whole world right.

And just to think,
my other BFF will be down in a matter of 2 weeks.
Then life will be perfect.

Until then...

I can't believe how much Bailey has grown up!
She is absolutely gorgeous.

Her momma ain't that shabby either!
Love me some Stacey!

Yeah, we've always been this silly.
It feels good to actually get part of "my"life back.
And I don't feel guilty.

Todd & I knew it would be hard going in to this.
And I knew I would be stuck at home for at least
the first 2 years, so to be able to get out,
it feels good.

Course, there was an extra year of waiting,
but it was well worth it.
I wouldn't trade the time I have at home w/ our
beautiful babies for anything in the world.

Once they go to school,
there ain't no turnin' back.
And we don't get another opportunity.
This is it.

So, if you are reading this & you have younger triplets,
enjoy them & hug on them every.single.moment. you can muster.

Too Damn Hot

2011-06-15T08:22:00.006-05:00

It really is.
Way.too.hot.
Even in the morning.
We are talking about 80+ degrees at 6:30am.

Doesn't leave much time to go out & play
before we hit the century mark.

So what do we do to fill up the day?

We play w/ dry erase markers,
as evidenced by all the marks.

We also play w/ play dough.
I know some parents out there are wincing.
But we got it down pat.

We have rules & if they can't follow the rules,
they can't have the good stuff.
Cuz, you know it's like a drug around here.
Once they get it, they must have it.

Our rules?
Stay at the table.

That's the only one.
If they get up from the table,
their dough disappears magically.

They know not to push us.
Oh, & the other thing we have going for us.
NO CARPET.
None.
Zero.
Like not even a throw rug.

When you have triplets,
no carpets make life easier.
Especially in the earlier days,
when they were spitting up constantly.
Gotta thank the hubs for this one.

We don't do it every day.
If we did, it wouldn't be as much fun.
And I don't care if they mix the colors.
Kids will be kids.
Who am I to argue about colors?
We have bigger battles to win, haha!

Mötley Crüe Concert

2011-06-14T08:15:00.004-05:00

Mommy & Daddy enjoy getting out.
It really doesn't happen often enough.
But we are getting better,
trying to have a date night at least once a month.

It hasn't been an easy road.
Ask any parents of multiples.
They will tell you the same thing.

I think it becomes an even bigger problem
the more multiples you have at a time.
Speaking from experience,
triplets throws a kink in to the romantic side of a marriage.

But now that the kids are older,
they actually "get" when we say we are going out on a date.
Not only that, but lets face the truth,
they are easier to put to bed now.
They are more self sufficient.

In essence, they are easier to care for.
So I don't stress leaving them w/ the GPs.
Cuz you know I stress.
Can't help it.

But not so much anymore.
I have worked really hard to "let go".

This is the thing...

These are my only children.
I will only get them home w/ me now.
Once they go to school,
I don't get that chance again.

I am going to revel in every moment I have,
no matter how stressful it is.

That's really what I'm talking about.
And Todd seems to have my back on this.
He understands.
I couldn't ask for a more understanding hubs!

Now, back to the show.
Mötley Crüe is our fave band, together.
We danced to Without You for our 1st dance at the wedding.
Yep, we are cheese like that.

Going out to a Mötley Crüe concert meant we had to have the digs.
I purchased 2 shirts for Todd & I to wear.
His, the 1st Mötley Crüe album, Too Fast for Love.
There wasn't much in the way for me to choose from.
And I had to sex it up a bit so I cut out the neck & made it a scoop neck.
LOVE the shirt now.

Yeah, I'm hot for my man!

This was at the venue, outside.
I'm a Nikki fan although I think I am a bigger Tommy fan.
This bus was awesome.
It also hit Tommy's bus on the way to our city.
Crazy!

We are official SIN Crüe-heads.
Love it!

Who's toes?!?

2011-06-10T09:52:00.003-05:00

Although I'm not particularly fond of
my son's toes being painted,
this was too cute!

Sofi managed to finagle the top of the paint
and proceeded to paint Ian's toes just like theirs.

He's never asked before
so I can only imagine they are mimicking what
I do with the girls.

They were so intent on getting it right!

Thank God this was the kids paint.
The kind that washes easily.
And not off the toes.
Because the bottom half,
the part with all the paint...

it is MIA.

Can't wait to find it.
Happy.happy.joy.joy.

The Great Oil Spill of 2011

2011-06-05T16:41:00.005-05:00

In our home.
With our kids.
Loads & loads of oil.

2 kinds.

Our big bottle of extra virgin olive oil.
The BIG ASS ONE.
A 2 liter bottle to be exact.

A second bottle of canola oil.
A BIG ASS ONE.
48 oz if you really want to know.

All mixed together.
All on the floor.
All over Ian.

How does this happen, you ask?
I snuck away,
in to the laundry room,
to talk on the phone.

I was gone all of 60 seconds.
That's it.
Seriously.

And Ian is the one that unscrewed the tops.
Ay yay yay!
And I couldn't get angry.

No way.
BUT, I didn't laugh out loud.
I kept it all in.

I love our kids.

Sweet Cuddles

2011-06-03T08:05:00.002-05:00

There is nothing better
than having dinner in Daddy's lap.

Don't you think?

This is what we call "sick privileges".
Yes, sick.
Again.

But that is the way the cookie crumbs.
Everyone got our 1st summer cold.
We all suffered.
Them b/c they couldn't sleep well.
Daddy & I b/c we could sleep well
since they weren't sleeping well.

And, to boot, rashes accompanied
the virus we caught.
Ian & Gabi had a raised rash
pretty much throughout their body.

Oddly enough, it was confined to the
legs/arms, torso & a bit on their face.
Their little bums got away scott free!

And Sofi ended up with her 1st cold sore.
Poor kids...

Just to think, it will get worse
when they attend school.

God help us.

Bustin' out the pool!

2011-05-31T08:58:00.005-05:00

I got this cute dragon pool on clearance
at the end of last summer.
It was about $10 at Target.

I feel better about spending that much
b/c destruction is inevitable w/ triplets.

The only thing that I don't like
is the slide b/c it won't say down.
I get it.
Full of air.
Floats on water.

Not a good combo.
Any time they wanted to go down the slide,
they needed help from someone.

Taylor & Monty stopped by so Taylor got to do the honors.
The kids had fun.
BUT, somewhere along the way,
we picked up a rash.

AND...our 1st summer cold.
Poop.

I don't think I've seen our trio run so fast!

Daddy was cheering them on.
It was full steam ahead!

This sweet face sums up how much fun they were having.

On the flip side,
let me tell you it is quite the undertaking
to get them ready to go outside.
Sunscreen, repellent, bathing suits, water shoes,
fill up the pool, get the towels, make sure to have water ready,
yada, yada, yada...

Around these here parts,
if you aren't wearing mosquito repellent,
you will get eaten alive.

Bullfrog sunscreen & repellent it is for us.
And it works.
Now I just need to figure out where the rash came from.
So weird.

It was a wonderful day,
especially since Daddy was smoking a brisket.
That was the.yummiest.ever.

Happy Memorial Day...
and for those that have served & lost their lives,
THANK YOU!!!!

Cat in the Hat

2011-05-27T09:32:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what to think.
All I can say is that I am amazed at the mind of a 3 yr old.
How can one memorize a whole book?

Exceptional, that is the answer!

My Gabi loves her books!

Mommy & Daddy Night Out

2011-05-22T11:37:00.003-05:00

It's actually called a social life.
We haven't had one in about 4 years.
And now it is beginning to pick up again.

What a relief!
Seriously, staying at home & missing adult interaction,
can really make you appreciate it more when you do it.

Todd & I really needed a night out.
Scott & Amanda's wedding celebration was perfect.
Scott is a dear friend of Todd's, dating back to college.
And we LOVE Amanda!
It is going to be fun getting to know her even better in the coming years.

The event was kow key enough for us to actually socialize,
but nice enough to play dress up.

Love for Amanda & Scotty G!!!
Congrats to the newlyweds!!!

I had to get a photo in the dress!
I never get to wear a dress :)

Sometimes I forget I'm an adult,
someone that needs that adult stimulation.
Being w/ the kids all the time is fabulous but even
this momma needs some time away.
AND even better w/ my hunny & our friends!

Sofi & Gabi's First Haircut

2011-05-17T08:45:00.003-05:00

We absolutely adore Gina.
Not only b/c she has a great disposition
and loves kids and that the kids love her back...

SHE MAKES HOUSE CALLS!

Yep, you read right.
No need to take the monsters to a local salon.
She comes over in the comfort of our home.

Gina also does my hair.
As a matter of fact,
if she didn't come over to the house,
my hair would still be 1 color & probably 4 inches longer.

Why?

Cuz, I ain't leavin' the house to get my hair did.
With Gina coming home,
I simply do not have an excuse.

And since it was time for Ian to get a summer cut,
I had her trim up the girls' hair as well.
Now, let me tell you,
the girls reacted w/ squeals & literally jumping up & down.

Ian, on the other hand,
he promptly found Daddy's big blankie
and hid underneath.

Our strategy?
Cut the girls' hair first so he could see
that it doesn't hurt.

Thankfully, it worked.
No one shed a tear!

Sofi wanted to be first.
No surprise there.

Does this face say it all?!?
She's just like her momma.
I love to get my hair cut!
Makes me feel GOOD.

Then Miss Gabi got to sit in the hot chair.
She was mostly concerned about her pig tail.
She didn't want it cut.
But in the end, her whole head of thin hair got a trim.

Gabi maintained that stoic look on her face
throughout the whole haircut.
She still enjoyed it!

Compared to any other time he has had a haircut,
this is such a relief to see the joy in his face.

Overall, a great experience!
Can't wait for the next time around.

THANK YOU GINA!

Visiting Tio & Tia

2011-05-15T08:59:00.004-05:00

We finally did it.
We took the kids out of town.
Albeit, a short trip for the morning,
but a trip out of town none the less.

It only took a little bit of planning on our part.
The night before, I packed everything up.
Sunscreen, bug spray, Benadryl, Motrin,
bandaids, snacks, cups for drinking,
a spare change of clothes, books,
crayons, coloring books, &
a few other mommy/daddy essentials.

Once the kids woke up,
we just did our normal morning routine.
Changed in to clothes, breakfast,
bathroom, & then last minute checks started.

I was shooting to get us out of the house by 8:30
and we managed to leave 15 minutes earlier.
IMPRESSIVE.

They were very well behaved.
I couldn't believe it.
It had to be the Dr. Seuss audio books.
No DVD player for us!

The kids had a blast.
Tio & Tia also had a good time.
I can't wait to go again.

The kids were definitely all cozy!

Once we got there, we checked out Tia's garden.
Mommy had garden envy.
I learned a lot from Tia.
Can't wait for the fall to arrive
so I can plant green beans & snap peas!

Tia taught the kids how to take off the snap peas.
Ian & Sofi ate a few right there on the spot!

Then it was time to walk to Sam Houston's museum/park.
It was only 1 block away from Tio's house.
Ian LOVES being on Tio's shoulders.
Course, it helps that Tio is 6'2".

Family photos are getting easier!
The kids set right up for this one.

And they were just as cooperative w/ Tio & Tia!

Tio & Tia have TONS of energy.
They ran around w/ the kids for a good 15 minutes in this field.

There are quite a few more pics,
like over 100.
Some were of me practicing photog skillz.
I'll share those in a separate post.
BUT, I had to share the best of the photos on the trip!

Mother's Day Festivities

2011-05-10T06:35:00.006-05:00

What a fabulous day!
I got to wake up late.
Have breakfast in bed w/ my 3 munchkins.
Got some new pj's that are super comfy.

Minnie Mouse if you are wondering.
From Gabi cuz she has a Minnie fascination.
AC/DC from Sofi.
Cuz it had serious rock bling on it.
And my Sofi is all about being girlie.

Ian?
A pair of headphones for my computer.
Totally a boy gift.

Loved it all.
Can't forget the flowers I got from my hubs.
Awe!!!

I got to lounge around in bed until 2pm.
Then I had to get dressed for the afternoon festivities.

CRAWFISH BOIL!!!!

I haven't eaten mud bugs since before I was preggers.
This was a treat!
Bill cooks the best mud bugs ever.

The whole family, minus my bro & his fiance, showed up.
It was a beautiful day!

All my kids wanted to show off their balancing skillz.

Todd's mini me.
They even have the same stance.

Watching the mud bugs racing!

Sofi's had a bit of an attitude.
Ian's won in the end!

Sofi's mud bug gave me an opportunity to
practice w/ my lens.
I didn't touch up the next few photos at all.

Getting pissy once again w/ Todd.
Hehe...

And best of all,
my Mommy made it.
If it weren't for her strength,
I would not be the mommy I am today.

If you think it gets easier...

2011-05-02T06:35:00.003-05:00

It really doesn't.
It gets different.

The hardest part having triplets
was by far the night feedings.
Especially when the hubs goes back to work
and you have to fly solo.
(And then pump afterward.)

There is nothing that could match that difficultly,
except when Ian was in the hospital.
That was super duper hard.
And emotionally draining.

Then things evened out a bit.
But not for long.
It seems like w/ every road bump,
there comes another after.

We have hit the terrible 3's.
Lord help us.
It ain't been pretty around these here parts.
The attitudes just flat suck.

The no's.
The answering back.
The refusing to apologize.
The brutality between one another.

I could go on.

Here is our most recent sibling to sibling combat wound...

I wish I could get a photo of his teeth
but he doesn't like me touching his mouth.
My poor boy.
He's been on a soft food diet since Saturday.

I don't know if you can really see,
but his whole left (right in the photo) side of
his face is swollen.

Let's call it one running shove,
sneakers on wood floor (traction),
and no way of breaking the fall.

Teeth & left side of head met the floor.
Very intimately at that.

The damage?
Not sure yet but from what we can see,
he had 2 teeth pushed up in to his gums a bit,
and one of them pushed back.
1 super fat lip/gum/nose/cheek/eye area.
Butt loads of blood.
And one very pathetic looking boy.

Not gonna name names.
I love my girls.
But man, if she does it again...

Easter BBQ

2011-04-25T17:36:00.008-05:00

What a wonderful Easter!
Papap & Gamma hosted a wonderful bbq.
Everyone in our little family went.

Abu & Meme.
Tio & Tia.
Uncle Jeff (not blood but may as well be).
The 5 of us, of course.

The food was OUT OF THIS WORLD.
Papap really outdid himself w/ the brisket,
the sausage, the chicken, & the ribs.

That's a whole lotta meat!
Oh, gotta mention the fab bbq sauce Papap makes.
YUM!

But I have to mention that the whole day wasn't fab.
The morning was treacherous.
The kids almost unbearable.

We even threatened to not go to the bbq.
That's how bad it was.

And to top it off,
they chose to only nap for about an hour.

I think the anticipation was too much for them.
They wanted to get all dressed up & leave immediately.
I just wanted a glass of wine.

With all that said,
the afternoon was beautiful.
Not too warm.
Beautiful breeze.
Great company.

Good times all around!
And I have the pics to prove it.
Sorry, there are quite a few.

I was trigger happy.
Practicing some portraits & what not.
But most of all,
b/c it was a wonderful day!

Thank you Jesus for you have risen!

Don't mind Sofi's bandaid.
That is a direct result of Ian's piggy bank
wanting to get to know her better.
Are they the cutest?!?

Daddy & his girls.
So sweet!

Woah nelly!
HANDSOME!

Papap putting shoes on Gabi :)

LOVE this shot!
She looks so old :(

Sliding fun!
This really captures Sofi's spirit.

And this look,
among others,
is what makes me have a difficult
time saying no to this young lad.
My heart melts.

Momma...
the one shot of the day.

So pensive...

Uncle Jeff chuckin' the duces!

Oma in all her glory.
I really like the way this photo came out.
Now you know where the blue eyes come from.

Gotta love the g-mas!
That would be Gamma on the left.
Meme on the right.

Oh boy, did the kids ever have fun playing w/ Tia!

Then it was time for the Egg Hunt.
Sofi was on top of that!

Gabi finally getting an egg.
Seemed like every time she would start going for one,
Sofi would come out of nowhere & snag it!

Go, Ian, Go!!!

Hey, you have more eggs than me!
I want one!

And the last one,
Tia & the kids.
I played w/ some editing features.
This is going to be printed.
So sweet & innocent!

We are so lucky to have the family we have.
Thank you God!!!

Sharing :)

2011-04-23T08:48:00.003-05:00

Most of the time they don't.
But then there are times that they do.
And not only that,
they feed each other.

How sweet is that?

Now, I also have to share this.
They are all about switching up their seat arrangement.
On.a.daily.basis.

At one time,
it was all about THEIR chair.
Or THEIR carseat.

Now it is all about getting in someone else's chair.
Whether it is at the table or in the car.
Love it!

Change is good.

A Dr. Seussical of a Time

2011-04-17T09:23:00.009-05:00

The party finally happened.
It was fabulous!
The day couldn't have been prettier.
The company couldn't have been better!

Everyone that came seemed to enjoy themselves.
I think Mr. Upstairs definitely made it
so that the party had to be canceled 3 weeks ago
and rescheduled for yesterday.

We couldn't have asked for a better party!

Friday, I got to put all the favors together
as well as some other little party related things.

Yep, that is a big 'ol glass of vino.

So as to not bore you w/ tons of pics,
these are my fave shots from the party...

This was the food spread.
Minus the stuff from Chick-fil-A which
was on the way.

The scoop on the goods...
Cupcakes from Walmart.
Decorations from Let's Party On.
Cookies from The Cookie Jar.
(Linda & Ida are fabulous to work with.)
The green eggs (deviled eggs) were
provided by my wonderful ILs.
Donna makes the best eggs EVA!

Then it was time to PAARRRTAY!

The temporary tats were a hit among all the adults.
Here, you can see Tio decide that his neck was the place
for his Cat tat.

The pinata was fun for all!
We spent a majority of the time outside.
Just like I wanted.
And the weather couldn't have been prettier!

Last pic...this is of Ian & Jude.
They are BFFs.
So cute!

Gotta say, the 3rd b-day is the funnest!
The kids got what was going on & really enjoyed themselves.
So much so, that as they went to bed,
I had the following convo w/ Gabi...

Gabi: Mommy, the birthday party is over.
Mommy: Yep, sure is.
Gabi: Mommy, can we have another birthday party?
Mommy: Yep, next year.
Gabi: *Squeals* OK!!!

Now, I don't think she understand the time concept
quite yet so she went to bed a happy camper.

SUCCESS!!!

Time Out...Supernanny Style

2011-04-14T08:11:00.003-05:00

I know we struggle w/ discipline
from time to time.
It's hard to do,
especially times three.

We have watched Supernanny,
even before kids.
It is interesting.

And having been a teacher,
many of her methods applied.

Well, we started watching her again.
Gotta love me some Jo-jo!
I even went as far as to watch the episodes
I have missed, on the computer.

We have also known about the time out technique.
Kinda used it, but not really to a "T".
Until about 2 months ago.

Sofi was having HORRIBLE temper tantrums.
Bad.
Aweful.
FUGLY.

And we needed guidance.
Supernanny gave it to us.
(thanks to Andrea for having typed out the steps below)

TIME OUT

1. Warning

(eye contact, eye level, firm tone of voice)

2. Explanation and time out

(one minute per year of age)

3. Walk away

4. Explanation after time is up.

5. “I’m sorry”, hugs and kisses

6. Move on

Important: Do not engage in conversation or argument while the time out is going on. Every time the child gets up, silently place them back and reset the timer. If at the end of the time out, the child is not yet calm or ready to talk, let them have another minute or two to calm down.

Here is a clip for you to watch.

It works.
You have to be consistent.
Every.single.time.
Otherwise the kiddos will learn that you aren't serious.

We use to threaten time out & then not give it.
Not any more.
Don't worry,
we still flub up.

It's the nature of the parenting beast.

We also use this for mealtime as well.
Our timeout spot is closer to the table.
And it has made our once veggie refusing Gabi,
actually eat veggies.

We put the amount we want her to eat
which is normally a bite or two, where she can see what she needs
to gobble up.

If she refuses, we put it on the fork & tell her she has until we count
down from 5 to eat it.
Most days, she eats it before we ever hit the number 4.

Some days, she gets time out.
And those times, she comes back to eat her portion.

Yep, there have been a couple of times that she has all out refused.
We just bring her back to the table & try again, starting the process over.
These times are becoming rarer though.

Ian & Sofi only needed a time out or 2 to get the picture.
They are great eaters.

BUT, you have to be CONSISTENT.
If you aren't,
forgetaboutit!

Hopefully this will help someone else.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention.
We never, ever, ever, never...
give them another food option.

What is on their plate is what they are going to eat.
I ain't cookin' twice or 2 different meals.

NOT.GONNA.HAPPEN.

Triplet Stats

2011-04-07T13:16:00.005-05:00

When our monsters were born,
they were big for triplets.
Small by regular standard babies though.

In birth order,
here are their stats for each year.
I attribute their size to Momma's milk.

Sofia Genevieve, 4lb 9oz & 18"

Sofi (1 yrs old) - 20lb 13oz (50%) & 30.5" (90%) long.

Sofi (2 yrs old) - 31 lbs (90%) & 37" (95+%)

Sofi (3 yrs old) - 34 lbs 13 oz (84%), 39.75" (95+%)

Gabriella Marie, 4lb 4oz & 18"

Gabi (1 yrs old) - 22lb 6oz (75%) & is 30.5" (90%) long.

Gabi (2 yrs old) - 32lb 9oz (95%) & 36" (90%)

Gabi (3 yrs old) - 37 lbs 4 oz (93%), 39.6" (95%)

Ian Giovanni, 4lb 1oz, 18.5"

Ian (1 yrs old) - 18lb 15oz (5%) & is 30" (60%) long.

Ian (2 yrs old) - 28lb 8oz (50%), 35" (75%)

Ian (3 yrs old) - 32 lb (54%), 38.25" (63%)

That's what I call some big kids,
considering they were born at 33w 6d.
We are proud!
And Dr. N is impressed!

They even did well w/ their shots.
2 vaccines since we have spread them out.
MMR today, first time.
And a blood draw that they didn't even cry about.

Did I mention we were proud?

Goodbye to our dearest friends...

2011-04-06T06:30:00.003-05:00

We bid you a fond farewell,
and welcome the extra space in the closet!

The kids started in teeny, tiny diapers.
They were SOOO hard to find!
It really didn't take them long
before they were peeing out of these things.

And we ended w/ these.
Gotta LOVE me some Dora & Diego.
They helped motivate my kids to stay dry.
But I gotta admit, we used these sparingly.

Let me explain,
after the potty training boot camp disaster,
it did get me thinking.
And thinking is always a good thing.

Part of what the program said made sense.
When it is time to PT,
put them in undies.

Why?

B/c the poor kids are confused!
I mean, they've crapped & pissed in a diaper for all their lives.
Now you are sticking a modified diaper,
calling it a pullup,
big girl diaper,
big boy diaper,
or what ever else you call it...
and you tell them not to crap or piss in it.

Uh...hmmmm...
and then they do.

Well, yeah, of course!
So I knew when I used them for the kids
that we would battle this confusion.

And Gabi & Ian,
they like to take the easy way.
So if the diaper/pullup is on,
they were going to use that instead of be motivated
to go on the potty.

And since I only did 1 kid at a time,
it was ok while I was PRE-training them.
But when I got serious,
it was underwear time.

NO.GOING.BACK.

It worked 3 out of 3 times.
Call it a successful approach, yes.
Call it less stress on a triplet momma & daddy, yes.
Call it stretching out the whole process, sure.
Well worth keeping sane though.

Now, all we have to do is get Ian to make it through the night.
No rush, I can handle only 1 in overnights.
The other 2 are panties all the time.

PRAISE GOD!

Most importantly,
it was not a traumatic experience.
I think we waited until they were ready.
Just like we did w/ the bottle,
w/ the cribs,
now w/ the diapers & PTing,
and the same for any other challenge that requires
our kids to be ready for a big change.

AMEN!

Birthday Wishes

2011-04-04T10:49:00.003-05:00

My babies blew out their own candles this year.
They were so excited.
Gabi couldn't even keep hers lit.
The second she saw it,

PHFFFFFFFFFEW...

and it was out.
We would relight it, and...

PHFFFFFFEW.....

again, it would be out.
She loved doing that over & over again!

My birthday wishes for my babies is to always be happy & healthy.
We love being THREE!

Happy Birthday Sofia, Gabriella & Ian!!!

2011-03-31T08:14:00.003-05:00

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around this.
They are THREE.
My triplets are THREE.

We have survived half of toddlerhood.
We are 2 for 3 in big kid undies.
(Eh, after today, Gabi is being put in them.)
We are 3 for 3 in big kid beds.
They are between 37" and 40" tall.
(My meaurements, official stats to come on the 7th.)
They weigh somewhere between 32 to 36 lbs.

They are talking up a storm.
Learning their letters & numbers.
Able to say the sound of letters.

They can draw circles, scribble, & love crafts.
They eat like champs.
(Thanks to Supernanny techniques for the veggies.)
They sleep like champs at night.
Even better for their nap every day.

Yep, counting my blessings on that one.

They challenge us every day.
Todd & I are the luckiest parents in the world.
God entrusted us w/ these 3 precious lives.
And every night before we go to bed,
we thank Him for the opportunity.

Not only that,
my babies are fortunate enough to share this b-day
with their Meme (aka, my mom).

Happy birthday MOM!!!!!!
Happy birthday Sofia!!!!!!
Happy birthday Gabriella!!!!!!
Happy birthday Ian!!!!!

I had these outfits especially made for them.
Cuz The Beatles are my mom's fave band.

I hope she likes them :)

Finally feeling better!

2011-03-28T09:39:00.002-05:00

It has been a long 2.5 days.
I'm not use to being in bed.
Except to sleep.

The kids are a bit freaked out as well.
They aren't use to see me in bed.
Ever.
Not even to sleep.

As a matter of fact,
when they saw me yesterday,
they kept asking me to put on my clothes.
I had pj's on but that wasn't good enough.

And it figures.
By the time they wake up in the morning,
I'm already dressed for the day.
They go to bed at 7 & lights off at 8,
I'm still in my day clothes.

So it is rare for them to see me in pj's.
Just not my thang.
Even on pj days,
I'm in regular clothes.

This is traumatic for them.
They are acting out.
They want Mommy to hold them.
And I can't.

It breaks my heart.
So, I'm ready to get back to normal.
PLEASE!!!!

2 for 3

2011-03-26T08:06:00.002-05:00

That is our number for canceled b-day parties.
The 1st birthday had to be canceled & it took
almost 2 months to reschedule.

Last year went fine.
Then come this year.
Sofi had a fever last weekend.
I was geared up to cancel.
I thought the other 2 would get sick.

Nope, nothing.
They are healthy.
So why are we canceling?

I'm sick.
I'm running a fever.
I haven't been sick w/ a fever since mastitis.

So the party is canceled.
This sucks.

Goodbye Cribs

2011-03-22T22:24:00.004-05:00

HELLO BIG KID BEDS!
I was originally going to post this BEFORE the Sofi scare.
But now that we seem to have somewhat recovered from that,
I want to tell you all about the new beds.

No toddler beds.
I thought ahead on this one.
The minute we found out we were having triplets,
my gears started turning.

I honestly couldn't figure out what we were going to do for cribs.
I didn't want big cribs.
Not to put 3 in 1 room.
Not the kind that converted to full or queen beds.
(Seriously...I don't think so, not for triplets.)

I wanted to save us money in the long run.
I just couldn't find anything.
And then we stumbled across them.
Jesse & I, that is.
My future SIL & I went to Baby USA.

There they were.
The style I liked.
The sleek lines.
Their size.

Mini cribs.
Now, we found them & they were by Million Dollar Baby.
Wish I had know I could get them from Walmart for $75 cheaper.

Either way, they were perfect.

Why?
B/c they converted straight from the crib to a twin bed.

Check it out at Walmart.
That is exactly our crib x3.
And now they are twins.

Only 1 expense in changing beds.
No toddler frame.
No toddler mattress.
No new toddler sheets & comforter set.

Straight to the beds they will sleep in until they leave this house for college.
Now that's what I'm talking about baby!

Daddy slaved away all morning long.
Mommy tended to a feverish Sofia.

Course, you know he had to try out the bed.
Had to make sure it was "sturdy".
Ok, Dad...WINK, WINK.

Is that really 3 twin beds in their room?
Definitely need Mommy to get in there & rearrange a bit.

The kids were so excited!
There was no lack of enthusiasm,
especially when it came time for naps.

And I am happy to report,
we have had no issues since Sunday.
They get in bed & they stay in bed.

It's not really surprising.
Their new beds are 4 times as big as their cribs!
They also understand there are consequences to getting out of bed.
We went over them before getting in them.

Now, we'll see if they continue to go so well to bed.
Course, that has never been a real issue for us.
Gotta attribute that to our regimented sleep schedule from the beginning.
Telling you...it has paid 1000 times over.
Well worth some of the struggles in the beginning.

LOVE the beds!
LOVE my almost THREE YEAR OLDS!
LOVE my LIVE!

PS ~ Thank you Daddy!

And we have the highest fever yet...

2011-03-20T20:31:00.002-05:00

Today it happened.
2 days ago I prayed to God.
Seems to always work that way.

Premonition?
Mommy intuition?

Call it what you will.
But it always happens the same way.
I touch each of the kids' forehead
(like I always have since Ian's illness).
Then I say a quick prayer to God...

"Thank you God, for giving us health for this long.
I know we are due for an illness.
Please give us the strength to get through it.
Amen."

And in less than 48 hrs,
it happens.
Someone gets a fever.

Every.single.time.

This time it walloped Sofi.
The fever started this morning & was 101.3.
It went away for most of the morning.

Then came nap time
(in new big kid beds no less...but that is another blog)
and I went to check on her.

104

That's the highest fever we have dealt w/ to date.
Scary.
Especially when even after a cool bath,
it doesn't come down.

After cold wash cloths,
it doesn't come down.

Only time finally allowed it to happen.
For a brief couple of hours.
And then it crept.
Crept itself right back up to 103.
Where it is sitting.
Still.
Waiting.
Not giving up hold.

And might I add,
we picked the perfect day to do big kid beds.
Cuz Momma has a spot right next to Sofi,
on a very comfy new bed.

Not to mention the rad Dora sheets!
At least we are stylin'.

Our 2nd Annual Victory Garden

2011-03-19T21:14:00.006-05:00

With everything that is happening in the world,
it is great to be able to grow our own goodies.
As much as I would like to grow more,
I have to limit our choices based on productivity.

Last year we grew lettuce.
It was fabulous picking fresh lettuce from the garden.
It was when the kids weren't so much in to it.
Now it is a different story.
And much cheaper to buy at the store once a week.

So no lettuce this year.

Then we tried broccoli.
Yeah, not so much.
Damn buggers got it all.
Every.single.time.it.came.back.

So no broccoli this year.

And the carrots.
HA!
Not a chance.
Not with the space we have.

So no carrots this year.

BUT, the cucumbers.
Oh, the cucumbers.
They were fat & delish.

So YES to the cucumbers this year.

And b/c they worked so well.
And b/c I learned how far they need to be spaced.
And b/c I know they can grow on lattice.

Yes to anything that grows like cucumbers this year.
Yes to the squash.
Yes to the zucchini.

Let's not forget the tomatoes.
Todd got tons of tomato plants.
But more importantly...

Mommy got cherry tomato plants for each kid.
They can pick as they please.
From their OWN plants.
Planted in their OWN planters.

No fighting.
Thankyouverymuch!

I also thought the kids would be way in to it this year.
Not so much.
They saw us doing our thang.
And they went off to PRETEND that they were doing
their own thang.
But that's all right b/c I still got a few shots of them "helping".

Now, if I can get through the next week.
So much to do w/ their b-day party next weekend.

God help me.

Making brother feel better...

2011-03-18T21:45:00.004-05:00

Their imagination has exploded.
The girls decide that Ian was sick yesterday.
So they had to "take care of him".

It was the most precious thing EVER.
They had him all set up on the armchair.

Then they proceded to...

Give him toys.
Make him comfortable.
Feed him medicine.
Bring him water.
Hold him.
Squeeze him.
Pat his head.
Check his temperature.

And, let's not forget...

tell Mommy all about it.
The.most.adorable.thing.ever.

Made me smile all morning long.
AND...if you didn't know better,
you would have thunk that Ian was actually sick.

He loved all the attention!

Those are my babies.
Little kids...er hem...sorry Gabi.

PS - Tuesday was my 36th b-day. I'm getting old but we celebrated in style by going to see KISS. It was AWESOME! Also the cause for no blogging this week. Please forgive!

My 2 favorite boys...

2011-03-14T20:13:00.003-05:00

Finally taking a nap together,
after much insistence on Daddy's part.

He said to me,
"I never get these opportunities. Let him stay down here with me. I want to take a nap w/ my boy!"

And so it was.

My heart melted.
Tears came to my eyes.
THESE are the things I wish we had more opportunities.
But so is the life of a triplet parent.

Which makes us cherish each of these moments that much more.

We've been chosen!

2011-03-11T07:23:00.003-06:00

The force is strong in our family!
(Just for you hunny, just for you.)
We are the chosen family for an article on life w/ higher order multiples.

Nothing I haven't blogged about before
but exciting that it is going to be a published article
in a high end local magazine!

I've managed to make the kids their outfits.
Gotta get my {SIG} name out there & what better way
than to have my own trio wear stuff.

Ian is going to rock the tie w/ a white button down & jeans.
Can't forget the Chuck Taylors (all 3 will wear them).

I'm totally stoked!
I hope it all goes well.

Wish us luck!

Coming up for a breath of fresh air!

2011-03-06T09:48:00.004-06:00

It's almost been 3 years.
3 years that on some days have felt like 300 years.
On other days have felt like 3 seconds.

It's weird.
I don't even know how to explain it.
I'm not sure there IS a way to explain it.
Unless you are a parent.

Then you understand.
It makes complete sense.

Their first birthday feels like eons ago.
Ian's illness feels like it happened yesterday.
That in itself is a conundrum.
I suppose the more tragic event is the one that scarred us the most.

Beyond all that,
being a triplet mommy means that so much of regular parenthood
has been taken away.

Those that are in the same boat understand.
Those that aren't, can't fathom what I am saying.
(unless you have a child in a special circumstance)

We knew the minute they said triplets that for
at least the 1st 2 years life would be inside our home.
Occasional trips to the store,
especially in spring/summer/fall.

Back to lockdown during RSV/Flu Season.
We decided to do the lockdown this past season.
For our own peace of mind.
And now the fog is lifting.

This is the 1st time we are starting to feel like a "normal" family.
Taking the kids out is much easier than before.
They walk to the car, climb in, & get ready for buckling.
They can sit in a restaurant w/o boosters & behave themselves,
for about an hour max & then we head out.
We can go in to someone's home w/o them destroying it.
Walking on the sidewalk, around the corner,
with no stroller is easy.
Sitting through a whole movie like Toy Story,
a reality.
We can actually leave w/o the kids freaking out.
They are more tolerable to schedule changes.
Or should I say that WE handle the schedule changes better.
Staying up late on occasion, a reality,
not something we freak out about b/c the kids will be in hellacious moods the following day.
Walking in to the grocery store, no carts or strollers,
another reality.

The list could go on forever.
It's like the fog has lifted.

We are even considering gymnastics.
And did I mention we are 2/3 out of diapers?
The hubs & I can actually spend quality time together & enjoy it.
This is really like a new beginning.

I have seen it coming over the horizon for the past 6 months.
It seems like these last 2 months have really solidified the changes.
The freedom.

The feeling that we are very much like every other family
on the block that doesn't have multiples.
It really is an amazing feeling.

There are so many changes coming up.
The kids only have another year here at home w/ me.
Then it is off to official preschool.
I know I will cry.

I cry now thinking about it.
And I thought I would never be that mom.
I.am.that.mom.

Last night I sat in their rooms,
touching their faces & bawling my eyes out.
Visions of babies born around 4 lbs each dancing in my head.
Of how much they have grown.
But how much their personalities are the same
as they were when they were growing in my belly.

Life is amazingly different.
All for the better.
All for them.

And, I'll add that I am amazed at the strength of my marriage.
It has been tested time & time again.
Somehow we always come up for a breath, together.

I thank God every day for my life.
My 3 beautiful children, my wonderful husband & my family.

We HEART Dr. Seuss

2011-03-03T17:40:00.011-06:00

I'm not really sure who likes him more.
Me or the kids.
Either way, Dr. Seuss is very loved in this house.

So much so that this is the theme for the kids' party this year.
Yeah, already.
Like, birthday party.

Seriously.
I'm not joking.
Cuz if I were reading this, I would think...

You have got to be kidding me?
THREE years old?
Already?

And then reality sets in.
Yes, they are going to be three.

As much as that scares me,
it also brings new found freedom for the family.
New experiences & new challenges.
(I promise to blog about this new freedom after this post.)

But back to the topic.
Dr. Seuss.
A photog session won on Facebook.
Fabulous outfits.

All equals...FABULOUS PICS.

The group shots are adorable!

There is something special about these.
Holding hands, walking down a beautiful trail in the forest.
Triplets at their finest.
One never w/o the other.
In peace.

Sisterly love.
Totally reminds me of Little House on the Prairie.
Just the outfits are a little on the bright side, lol!
More like Alice in Wonderland now that I think about it.

Miss Sofia, first born.

Our second born, Miss Gabi...

Our sweet boy & the last to be born, by a few seconds, Ianchito...

I know I'm bias.
They are my kids.
And I love them w/ every ounce of my heart & then some.
But these photos are fabulous.
Precious.
A moment in time caught on the camera.
Displaying their individual personalities.

My babies.
Er...I stand corrected by Miss Gabi.
Kids.

Little Kids.

Missing Daddy

2011-02-28T08:34:00.007-06:00

Daddy had to go to Washington DC for business.
A whole 6 days he was gone.
And although I had help from the grandparents,
my sanity was still put to the test.

I think I cried a couple of times.
The kids were soooo testy.
I assume it was that they weren't quite understanding why Daddy was gone.

Thanks to Skype, we were able to eat dinner one night w/ Daddy.
It was a really cool experience.
I know there are peeps out there that are regular users of Skype.
I have just stumbled across it,
a suggestion from my BFF in Jersey.

It was a great way to connect w/ Daddy.
But boy, were we ever glad when he got home.

Then it was off for a date night.
One that was long coming.
We just don't do them often enough.
So it was nice to get out after a long week.

This is us being silly.
A change...instead of the kids pics :)

The neverending PT...

2011-02-22T22:26:00.003-06:00

That's what it feels like.

Although I have to admit I'm not stressing about it.

Not like the 1st time.

That was hell.

Trying to keep up w/ 3 kids peeing, not so much.

One at a time is the way to go!

Ian is day time trained.

It wasn't that hard.

But he doesn't like to tell me when he has to go.

So I have to constantly ask.

He constantly says no.

Then I put him on the potty.

Bribe him.

Yes, bribe him.

And he goes.

The breakdown...

1st day = 3 accidents

2nd day = 1 accident

3rd day = 0 accidents

4th day = 0 accidents

5th day = 1 accident

I even put the kids in the car.

2 in undies.

1 in a pull up.

It was a short trip but we survived.

Unscathed & DRY.

I'm pretty proud.

Now if I can get Gabi to come around.

That would be nice but until then,

I will lavish in the steps towards NO DIAPERS!

PT continued...

2011-02-19T21:19:00.002-06:00

It's Ian's turn.
He has been ready but I wanted to make sure Sofi was good.
I started w/ him yesterday.
Big boy undies all.the.way.

He's done pretty well.
Not so quickly as Sofi but well none the less!
Yesterday we had 3 BIG accident.
BIG.PUDDLES.

Thankfully pee doesn't gross me out.
At least, not their pee.
Guess it's a mom thang.

Today, only 1 accident.
Mind you, we are doing pullups for naps & bedtime.
He isn't quite ready to go the undies route during those times.

He does have to be reminded to go.
Well, maybe he doesn't but I've been asking every 3o minutes.
And making him sit & pee every hour.
So maybe he would ask, if given the opportunity.

I'm pleasantly surprised at how easy this is going thus far.
Much better than before.
WAY.BETTER.THAN.BEFORE.

Why did I buy in to that stressful 3 day PT boot camp again?
I lost hair.
Gained weight.
Lost my mind.
And almost left home.

Permanently.

I'm gonna say this again & again.
We should have done this like we did everything else.
When the KIDS were ready & showed signs.
Not when WE wanted to make them.

I probably would have a fuller head of hair.
And be 5 lbs lighter.
But so is life as a parent.

Right?

Painting fun!

2011-02-17T20:15:00.003-06:00

I'll admit it.
I've been scared.
Very scared of painting.

The mess.
The clothing.
The mess.
The furniture.
The mess.

Did I mention the mess?
Call me paranoid.
Yes, I am.

BUT, it went much better than I expected.
And when it is literally FREEZING outside for like 5 days straight,
desperate times call for desperate measures.

Daddy got in on the action when he got home.
(A big thank you to She-she for giving us the Crayola painting smocks, LOVE!)

Miss Sofi & all of her left handedness...

Gabi concentrating on getting as much paint at one time on the brush.

What is it w/ boys & the color brown?
Seriously.

Now that I know we can survive,
we will do this more often.

Thank you Crayola for making washable paint.
It came off the wood table w/ ease.
And the smocks are perfect.
Cute & perfect.

Not to mention the cute & perfect kids.
Hehe...

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T21:45:00.004-06:00

Instead of having the romantic dinner ALONE,
we opted for a family day to the zoo.
Our wonderful neighbor (and more like an auntie) Jane,
got us a year pass to the zoo.

LOVE

Seriously.
Despite Ian's constant challenges to do as he pleased,
it was a great morning.
Gabi was by far the most well behaved (WOW).
Sofi a close 2nd.

Ian.
Ianchito.
Ian Giovanni.
John John.

OH.MY.GOD.

Cry after cry after temper tantrum.
He wanted to run.
He wanted to walk.
He wanted up.
He wanted down.

Nothing.at.all.made.him.happy.

Except to do what HE wanted.
And that wasn't going to happen.

But it all worked out in the end.
We had fun!
Thankfully we can go back as much as we want.
No stressing the fact that we got a third of the way through the zoo.

And as always, we love our Melissa.
She is the greatest therapist EVA!
Always working w/ all 3 although Ian is the one signed up :)
I see a lifelong friendship!!!

The orangutans had a love thing goin' on.

And of course, I could show the million shots of animals.
But they aren't spectacular.
So instead...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

It is much better celebrating w/ a family.
No doubt!

XOXO,

One is Done!

2011-02-10T09:22:00.002-06:00

It's official.
Sofi is completely, 100%, totally...

POTTY TRAINED!

She has not had an accident in well over 10 days.
This included at night.
Yep, even during naps.

Last night she refused to put on the pull up.
It was big girl panties or bust.
And she did it.

Very proudly I might add.
So, no more diapers for Sofi.
No more pull ups.

One down, two to go!
Now if the weather can warm up a bit so I can put Gabi in panties only.

XOXO,

Family Photos

2011-02-07T16:14:00.007-06:00

I've always wanted to do this.
Get both sides of the family together & have a big photo shoot.
It finally came to fruition.
As our Christmas gift to both sets of grandparents & tio,
the shoot happened about 2 weeks ago.

Thankfully it was right before the very cold snap we experienced,
but there was still a bit of a chill in the air.
Not enough to make it unbearable.
Just right.

The results are absolutely amazing.
Photos that can be cherished for years to come.
Photos for the kids to have as they get older.
It was a marvelous experience.

Candace has magic.
She captured the essence of each individual.
The editing is superb.
And most importantly, she is AFFORDABLE!

Eye Candy by Candace

I would LOVE to share everything with you but then this would take forever.
I'm going to pick out my absolute favorite shots.

This is of the whole family together.
Don't ask how we were all looking at the camera.
It just happened.
Magic.

My side of the family, with the kids.
I love this photo!

Daddy's side of the family.
I adore this picture b/c I see Gamma & Papap laughing.
This is how they always are around the kids.
They bring them so much joy!

These speak for themselves.
They will get framed & put on the wall.
NO.DOUBT.

These next 2 are special...

This is of 4 generations of women, my side.

And this one is of the 3 generations of men on Todd's side.

This next series, I adore.
My man & each of his beautiful children.
LOVE.

Candace brought the kids Valentine's lollipops & asked to take pics.
Of course I said yes.
And I'm so glad she did!

This final picture brought tears to my eyes.
It's perfect.
Absolutely.the.perfect.family.picture.

XOXO,

What's up w/ the "NO"?

2011-02-01T20:32:00.002-06:00

That is what it is all about.
Answering back.
And fighting.
It's gonna drive me insane.

Let me just tell you that even the hubs agrees on this one.
Witness the phone call..

Hubby: "Do they act like this all the time?"
Me: "What do you mean?"
Hubby: "Well, I'd like to know how you get anything done!"
Me: "While they are awake? Well, not really.
That's why I wait until nap time & after they go to bed."
Hubby: "I think I have a new appreciation for what you go through."
Me: "Yeah, it hasn't been easy lately."

The 2's were virtually a breeze.
Not easy but not hard at all.
Terrible twos?
What are those?

As we approach 3 in a short 2 months,
it gives a new meaning to terrible.
It ain't 2 so much that I should have been dreading.
It is 3.

THREE is the new TWO.
Trust me.
The answering back.
The no when I need a yes.
The yes when I need a no.
Always the opposite.

And the fighting.
OHMIGOD.
The fighting.

Drag out,
smack down,
arm bar,
choke hold,
pushing kind of fighting.

It ain't no joke!
I redirect all the time.
Give choices (2 of which are acceptable to me) to avoid the answering back.
(which seems to work, hehe, suckers)
Time outs.
Going outside for long walks.
Anything to help ease the issues.

And most of the time,
I manage to get to bed w/o wanting to not wake up in the morning.
All it takes is for them to say...

I love you very much Mommy (Gabi)
Mommy, I loooooove you (Sofi)
Loo you Mama (Ian)

And my heart melts.
Melts to pieces.
Makes me smile.
Allows me to get ready to do it all over again in the morning.
So worth every frustration.

I love them to pieces!
And my hubby too!

Sister LOVE

2011-01-31T19:37:00.002-06:00

We are quickly approaching 3.
And it is bringing new challenges.
Something I will post about separately.
But for now, check out how cute my girls are.

They love each other so much.
When they cuddle, they CUDDLE.

These are the moments I cherish.

My girls are just too precious for words!

GOOO MELISSA & DAVID!!!

2011-01-30T07:49:00.002-06:00

Ian's primary ECI therapist, Melissa, is running the Houston Marathon today.
Along w/ her hubs, David, they got a much coveted spot.
We have much love for Melissa.
She is a great general therapist.

In March, Ian will graduate from ECI.
Melissa will be missed, as both a therapist & a friend.
Until then, we will covet our time w/ her.
And cheer her & David on today.

GOOOO MELISSA & DAVID!!!

PT update :)

2011-01-28T19:22:00.002-06:00

Sofi is doing beautifully.
Minus the occasional accidents, she loves being in her big girl panties!
She even makes it through all her naps.
And she is waking up dry in the morning about 50% of the time.

Now, it is time to start thinking about tackling the other 2.
As the weather gets warmer, I'm going to put Ian in underwear & a shirt.
I think he will catch on pretty quickly.
Not as quickly as Sofi.

Gabi, that girl is going to take some work.
I've got to get the stickers & the sticker chart ready for this one.
She is going to challenge me.
But I'm ready for it.

Now, if we could get healthy, yet again,
life would be good.
This time, Daddy went down.
It has been a lonely week w/o him here to stand by my side.
I miss him & am glad he is on the mend!

Potty Training...Take 2

2011-01-22T08:16:00.002-06:00

The 1st time was horrible.
I tried the 3 day bootcamp thing.
Wish I hadn't.
Don't know who it was more stressful for.
Me or them.

Probably me.
Definitely me.

The experience left me scarred.
To the point that I didn't want to try it again for a while.
I should have approached it like everything other major change.
Let the kids lead the way.

Let me explain, esp for those that have just joined the blog.
The kids were 15 mths old & it was time to give up the bedtime bottle.
It was the only one left.
The girls (Ian was exclusively breastfeeding) loved their bottle before bed.
And I understand that pedis are worried about rotting teeth.

But we are responsible parents.
And we brushed & still brush their teeth before bedtime.
So we decided that the girls would let us know when they were ready.

Without fail, they did.
After seeing Ian nurse or drink some extra milk out of a straw cup,
they wanted in on the action.
They were 17 mths old.
It happened that easily.

No fussing.
No fighting.
Simple.

We did the same thing w/ integrating dinnertime.
We could just tell.
The kids were ready to be in big chairs at the table.
Again, it was easy.

I believe that through all this, every kids has cues.
The parent reads those cues the best.
Why I didn't do this for PTing, I don't know.

Either way, the 1st time was a BIG FAIL.
It was a miserable 2.5 days.
Lots of crying on my part.
This bootcamp thing was just not our style.

Fast forward 6 months.

It was time to think about PTing again.
Sofi was ready.
Mommy was not.
I'm telling you, that 1st go around left me w/ serious PTSD!

And there was no magic solution.
I put big girl panties on Sofi on Monday after her nap.
She hasn't had an accident since.

The other 2, not so much.
Gabi poos like a champ on the potty but she won't pee to save her life.
Just.won't.do.it.
No way, no how.
Not gonna happen.

Ian is hit or miss.
When I am certain Sofi is good as gold, I will put him in undies.
I think it will only take a day or w/ him.

And then I will work on Gabi.
Oh, she is turning in to quite the stubborn one.
But that's another story.

We are 1 for 3.
Not too bad.
And loving 1 less in diapers!

Growing little business...

2011-01-20T17:15:00.004-06:00

I wish there were more time in a day.
There is so much I would like to accomplish.
And it just doesn't happen.
One of those has been the frequency of my blogging.

It is for a good reason.
My business, {SIG}nature Creations,
is growing by leaps & bounds.

It takes up all of my "free" time.
Yeah, not much of that w/ triplets.
But I have been able to involve them in the process.
They are my muses & models.

Check out some of the latest things I have created.

And on top of that, I'm trying to learn a bit of photography.
You know, so I can take great pics of the kids,
but also of my products.

Learning to edit is not easy.
It takes time.
Time I really don't have.
This is the reason my blogging has been scarce.

I've got to learn to manage the time again.
It ain't easy but it will be doable!

Brotherly Love

2011-01-16T22:05:00.004-06:00

Now, I knew my boy loved to run his fingers through my hair.
I just never expected him to love to this to his sister.
And my heart absolutely melted when he did it.

Ian is such a sweet boy.
He loves to cuddle.
It warms my heart.

Arts & Crafts

2011-01-14T09:37:00.004-06:00

Man, this stuff scares me.
Me who use to be an elementary school teacher.
Go figure, right?
But we finally got our feet wet.
(yes, it has taken this long)

Don't get me wrong, we have done tons of coloring.
Sidewalk chalk has been a favorite of ours as well.
But painting, not so much.
Marker, even a bigger not so much.
It was time.

Thankfully, Uncle Jeff bought the kids these really cool
Crayola coloring/markering/painting sets.
And since the weather has been cold & less than stellar,
we had the perfect opportunity to try them out.
(and for me to get my feet wet...no pun intended)

Gabi got the Magic paint thing-a-ma-jigger.
She loved it!
And it was relatively painless for me.
No worries about paint on the clothing.
A good start for us all.

Ian got this awesome mat that glows in the dark.
The pen leaves tracers but also makes the mat glow.
It really is the coolest, especially at night!

Sofi got this really cool black light kit.
There are blacklights & about 3 layers of plastic to color on.
It has an awesome 3D effect.
She really got in to it!

All in all, a very successful arts & crafts session.
We have done it almost every afternoon this week.
The real paint is coming.
I promise...sometime in the near future.

Oh what a birthday party!

2011-01-10T22:46:00.007-06:00

Not ours, Miss Caroline!
Boy, was that a BIG sha-bang!
No joke, like the biggest birthday party we have ever been to,
including our own.
And the theme was fabulous.

Tutus & Ties

I was lucky enough to be asked to make both,
as party favors, for all the kids.
It was fun!
And my girls finally got to wear one of my tutus.

Ian, looked quite dapper in a pink damask tie.
(yep, made by me)

But that was the extent of the good parts.
Oh, what a morning!
Thankfully the party started at 11am & served lunch.
No skipping nap time for us.
But it didn't seem to matter b/c they still had tantrums.

We started off really well.
The bounce house was outside & Gabi immediately jumped in.
She LOVED it.

And while she couldn't get enough, Sofi did not want anything to do w/ it.
She was literally stuck to my side.
It took a lot of convincing for her to go inside the bounce house.
Even then, she wasn't too happy.

Then there was Ian.
He was ALL.OVER.THE.PLACE.
In. Out. In. Out.
Up the stairs. Down the stairs.
In one room. Out the other.
That boy would.not.sit.still.

Then it was time to go inside.
Gabi was not happy.
Until she realized it was STORY TIME!
This girl totally got in to it.
She repeated every line the librarian read.
She laughed in all the right places.
She even got right up to the book.

Sofi was still weary about it all.
She preferred Daddy's hand or my lap.

Don't even ask about Ian.
He was a wondering FOOL!
I tell you, he didn't know what to do in that big house!

Then it went south.
We couldn't get the kids to sit at the kid tables.
They had to sit at the kitchen table, together.
With no one else.

And when it came time to sing Happy Birthday,
Sofi's cupcake decided to fall apart on her.
GOD HELP US ALL.
The screaming commenced.
In the middle of the song.

E.M.B.A.R.R.A.S.S.I.N.G.

I took her outside as fast as possible.
All eyes were on us.
Not even 60 seconds later, Todd comes out w/ 2 more screaming kids.
Yes, 3 meltdowns in a matter of 60 seconds.
Enough for us to throw in the towel.

It was time to go home.
We were done.
Finished.
Terminado.
Ca-put.

And don't you think for a second that the crying stopped.
Oh no.
Not until AFTER we got home.
30 minutes in the car w/ screaming kids.
Happy.happy.joy.joy.

But, I would do it all over again.
And my kids were the cutest ones there, minus Miss Caroline.
Thankfully MK (Caroline's mommy) understood & even said that she thought the kids were fine.
HA! God bless her.

Hopefully the next party we attend will be our own.
WHEW.

Christmas Eve Night & Christmas Day

2011-01-07T08:33:00.005-06:00

I'm behind. Embarrassingly behind.
All along I thought I would have MORE time as the kids got older.
Joke's on me.
I have less.
Or maybe it is the booming business that is keeping me on my toes.

Either way, w/o further ado...

I love this picture.
Ian makes the perfect reindeer!

Neighbor Kathye gave the kids Sing-a-ma-jigs.
They aren't quite sure what to make of them yet.

Tio & Tia bought the kids a Dora tent.
As you can see, no kids are in this picture.
They are inside the tent!

After the kids went to bed, Santa's helpers began to assemble the toys.
Eh hem...Mommy & Jesse.
And I can't forget, Todd did a bang up job on the tool workbench!

Oma watched from her comfy spot.

Abu getting in on the action.
I knew he wouldn't be able to NOT help!

Tio really liked Ian's workbench.

Christmas Day...

Breakfast on the couch, watching Dora Christmas Carol.
Sofi has worn that dress that she got from Tia Jesse almost every day!

This is Gabi's favorite spot on the couch.
She goes directly to it every morning.
Christmas morning was no different!

Ian decided breakfast should be near the new toys & Christmas tree.
Boy, does he ever love that Christmas tree.
So much so, he cried when we put it away.
That's my sweet boy for you!

Those reindeer sure did leave a HUGE mess on our front lawn!

After a full morning of play & discovery, it was time for a nap.
Daddy is in there somewhere.

I wish I had gotten more pics on Christmas Day but honestly, I was just enjoying the moment instead of having the camera strapped to me.
It was worth it.
To take in every moment of their excitement.
Amazing & so much fun.
The innocence they have.
Priceless.

Christmas Eve Morning w/ Gamma & Papap!

2010-12-29T08:07:00.003-06:00

As soon as the kids woke up, we dressed & loaded them in the car for a trip to Gamma & Papap's house.
The kids were really excited about going.
They loved their new outfits.
(courtesy Mommy & her sewing machine)
And although I don't think they can grasp the concept 100%, they were loving Christmas celebrations.

As soon as we got there, they wanted to go to "their room".
Lo & behold, the cribs were gone & replaced by new big kid beds.
Miss Gabi claimed her bed immediately, leaving Sofi w/ the other one.
Ian will eventually have his own room there.
Gabi snuggled in to her bed & watched Dora's Christmas Carol.
She wouldn't leave.
I had to pry her out for breakfast!

All the while, Ian was hanging out w/ Papap in the kitchen.
He also found Santa in bed, snoring & went to investigate.

After a good, hardy breakfast, most of which Todd & I ate (haha),
it was time to open their Christmas Eve gifts from Gamma & Papap.
BUT, not before I got 1 shot of my hubs & his beautiful kids together.

Then it was time to rip open some gifts!

They loved their gifts.
It was exciting to see them get in to it this year.
It really is the 1st year that they are able to understand more of what is going on.
And so many traditions have started.
I know they will even be more curious next year!

**DISCLAIMER: I wish I had taken more pics. I think I was snuggled up on the other bed enjoying the down time so I didn't get too many more. Boo! I'll have to remember next time to keep the camera w/ me at all times.**

Christmas Prep

2010-12-27T17:48:00.004-06:00

**I don't think I'll be able to get everything in 1 post so I am going to start w/ our Christmas prep stuff. We decided to go all out this year. Everything was planned before Christmas Eve & the fun began early that morning.**

Neighbor Steve brought a bucket for the kids to fill w/ water for the reindeer.
Ian loves the water hose so he took the lead.

Then it was time for the bale of hay.
I don't know who had more fun, the kids or Daddy & Steve?!?

Daddy was coaching the kids.
Push harder!

Daddy & Steve did all the hard work.
The kids looked on in awe.

Our best picture of the family sitting on the hay!

Later that evening, while my family was there, we baked & decorated cookies for Santa.
This is the 1st year for us to do that.
The kids were so excited!
I assigned an adult to each kid & then it was time to get busy!

Tia Jesse & Sofi (they get along like 2 peas in a pod) decorated her cookie together.

Sofi was meticulous, making sure everything was in its place.

Tio Ian & Ianchito were paired up.
After all, he is the namesake AND the Godfather.
They are quite the team.
And everyone always asks if Ian is Ian's son when we are out.
There is a definite resemblance!

Gabi & I paired up for cookie decorating.

Then Abuelo wanted in on the action.
Apparently Gabi had much more fun w/ Abu than w/ me!

After all was said & done, the kids put the cookies on a plate.
Then we picked a special spot to leave Santa his cookies & milk.
The kids really got in to it this year.
I can't wait for next year!

Triplet Christmas Decorations

2010-12-21T17:52:00.003-06:00

Pretty scarce, that's it.
Really.
No joke.

Because if they can reach it, they will surely mess w/ it.
So it is better to not have the temptation.

Check out our tree.

And a close up in case you can't see our ornament placement.

Yep, they are all above toddler height.
Hmmmmm...wonder why?
Those pesky little hands!
We didn't even put up the good ornaments this year.
That's ok b/c I rather the kids have the tree w/ lights accessible as opposed to the tree being locked up behind a gate.
(Yep, that is our Elf on the Shelf, RED, sitting in the tree.)

And let me tell you how much they love the tree.
Especially the lights.
If they aren't on when they come down, they start asking immediately for them to be put on.

Oh, and then there are the stockings.
This is where they should be hanging from.
The pretty mantle.

But instead, they are hanging from the opening in front of the bar.

We were afraid they would pull the stockings down.
And those hangers on the mantle are HEAVY.
I really don't want to take a kid to get stitches.

The effort to change Christmas this year is worth every second of the kids' joy.
They LOVE it all.
They love the Christmas lights.
Santa.
Mrs. Claus.
Reindeer, and how they fly.
The sleigh.
And we are still teaching them to appreciate Christmas music.
They aren't quite there yet.

Now, I can't wait to see their precious faces on Christmas morning!

This is what sucks about having triplets...

2010-12-14T08:51:00.002-06:00

We are on day 11 of being sick.
Today the girls woke up w/ a fever.
11 days in to it.
I'm guessing a new virus.

Thankfully, the girls' bodies handle it better.
And I'm not as worried about them b/c they don't have a history of febrile seizures.
But needless to say, it is a big pain in the ass.

Illnesses will never be simple again.
They will always take this long, if not longer, to exit our household.
Amazingly enough, Todd has escaped the wrath of the cold.
I'm hoping neither of us catch this new "thing".

And so is life w/ triplets.
Gotta love every second!

Santa Visit!!!

2010-12-12T10:12:00.005-06:00

We've never taken the kids to go see Santa.
1) B/c of the long lines.
2) It's in the middle of RSV/Flu season, no other explanation needed.
3) The long lines.
4) Did I mention RSV/Flu season?
5) The kids freaking out scared me.

This year, we figured it was time.
We've been talking about Santa & Mrs. Claus.
We have "Red" the elf watching the kids every day.
Christmas shows have been played abundantly in our home.

The kids have gone to see Christmas lights.
They point out every Christmas tree & decoration they see when we walk or are in the car.
I think they "get" a little bit of what Christmas is about.
Not withstanding the fact that we also talk about Jesus & every time we see a Nativity scene.

It was time.
They needed to be officially introduced to Santa.
And we live in the perfect little city that does a special fundraiser for the fire dept. every year.
Santa comes to visit the kids AT HOME.

Can you think of a more perfect situation?
I can't.
Meeting this jolly, big Santa at home seemed to be the perfect situation!
So we signed up for a Santa visit, in support of the fire house that also saved Ian's life.
Forever indebted we are to them.

Me & my girls!

Our beautiful family!

There was no hesitation what so ever when Ian saw Mrs. Claus!
He ran right up to her & wanted to be held.

Then we went outside to wait for Santa!

Once again, Ian was all over it!
He ran up to Santa & gave him a big hug.

Gabi preferred the elves.

And Sofi preferred...me.

Ian crawled up on Santa's lap & didn't get off until Santa stood to leave.

Gabi & Ian w/ Santa, getting their presents!

Sofi wouldn't sit w/ Santa but would sit w/ me next to Santa.

Our family w/ Santa & Mrs. Claus!
Perfection!

We will most definitely do this again next year.
No doubt!

Another round of colds please!

2010-12-06T21:21:00.001-06:00

Yeah, cuz that's what we've been battling.
Yet another round of good ol' colds.
This time, we have managed to stay fever free.
But the exchange was that Mommy got it first.

I haven't been sick since forever ago.
The last time was mastitis & let me tell you, if you've ever had it, you know what I mean when I say I was dying.
Did I mention I had it 11 times?
Yeah, blame it on the thyroid not functioning.

Back to the colds.
I started on Thursday night.
Barely made it on Friday.
Not sure if I even remember Friday clearly I was so miserable.
I even took a nap.
Yes...I don't nap so when I do, it is serious business.

Then Ian started on Saturday.
Pointing to his throat & saying "OUCH".
At least they can tell us now.

Sofi started today.
I'm sure Gabi isn't too far behind.
Blah.
And so goes life...
Surviving triplets.

A visit from some old friends!

2010-12-04T14:26:00.004-06:00

Connie & Larry are my parents good friends.
We met in Greece, back in the 70's.
Since then, they have been like my aunt & uncle.
We would visit them every winter for a ski trip.

It is one of those friendships that can't be broken.
And now their kids are grown up & so are we.
They are grandparents & so are my parents.

Naturally, when they come to town,
they have to get in some play time w/ the kids.
And might I add how much fun they had!
Connie & Larry...oh, and the kids!

The kids had Larry push them around the whole back yard, like 1000 times!

Daddy playing "Gabi-saurus Rex".

How many triplets will fit on the car?

Need a push?
Sofi loved it!

With so many adults, each kid got to get some good swing time!
(And I got to work on my photog skillz.)

The gang!

We had a blast.
Spent the whole morning outside.
And if you thought it helped the kids sleep well.
Why yes, it did.

PS ~ Please forgive the absence. Christmas sales & illness has kept me busy.

Happy Turkey Day!

2010-11-26T07:16:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was hectic.
More b/c Gabi had a morning long temper tantrum.
Why, you ask?

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
She didn't want to watch it.
She only wanted Dora.
Or she would settle for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

But NOT the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Boy, it was tough.

And let's not mention they were so excited about going to Grandma & Papap's house in their new outfits that they didn't nap well.
But I managed to get some good pictures of them all dolled up before we headed out.

So, we had tired 2.5 yr olds by the time we left.
And the temper tantrums continued when we got to our destination.
This time it was Sofi.
It was b/c she was tired.
Momma settled in for a rest w/ the girls to stave off the tantrum.

It didn't work at the beginning but then Sofi was fine.
Almost fell asleep.
Me too.

But it got better.
The kids caught their 2nd wind.
We had a wonderful dinner thanks to Bill & Donna.
Delish.
Yummy.
Stupendous.

I live for this meal every year.
Especially the stuffing.
And we got to bring home the leftovers.
Holla!

Even w/ the tantrums, nothing could take away the joy I carried through the day.
I am very thankful for my husband & children.
I am thankful for great parents & inlaws, as well as a stellar brother.
I am blessed to have the friends I have.
And, let's not mention the booming little busines, the fans & followers.

Thank you God, for my life.
Just as it is.

Must See Video...for all my MoM peeps!

2010-11-23T10:35:00.002-06:00

This should give you a good laugh.

Our Latest Schedule

2010-11-22T16:46:00.002-06:00

Somehow, I forget to write about things like schedules.
Maybe it's all the cute pics I have to share.
Or maybe it is b/c the schedules aren't so important anymore.

I guess what I mean is that the most important part of the schedule is nap time.
Everything else is flexible, to a certain extent.
It works great for us.
Even when we started having nap issues, I tweaked the schedule a bit & the kids are now back to napping wonderfully.
So I thought I would share our schedule, for other triplet moms out there that are wondering what it will look like in a couple of years b/c God knows, I remember very clearly wondering when I wouldn't live so much by the ticking hands of the clock.

7am - Get out of crib, cuddle downstairs & watch some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
8:15ish - Breakfast
9:00am - Quiet time in cribs (allows me to get some morning chores done & they love their quiet time)
9:30am - Playtime anywhere we choose or run errands
12:30ish - Lunch
1:15ish - Nap time
3:30-4ish - Wake up & playtime anywhere we choose or run errands
6:00ish - Dinner w/ family
6:45ish - Bath time on bath nights
7:00-7:15ish - Get put in cribs & read a story, leave light on for playing or reading
8:15ish - Lights out

We have kept them up later, rarely waking them up before 7:00, & the adjust just fine.
Some days naps are a bit shorter but they stay in their cribs none the less.
There are days we are out & about so the schedule shifts around.
The amazing thing is that it IS possible.

They have gotten to a point of being more flexible.
And w/ triplets, that is something you pray for since their birth.

There is one thing we won't miss.
Naps.
It gets hairy.
Out of control.
And it takes about 2-3 days to get back to "normal".

So for now, we'll pass on outings that will cause us to miss nap time.
And allow this mommy to keep her sanity for a little while longer.

Laundry baskets, boxes & Daddy...

2010-11-16T14:41:00.003-06:00

They make for the perfect place for each kid to snuggle.
Seriously, with a pillow & a big blankie, there is no beating it.
Makes me want a box big enough.
And for Daddy snuggle up to me.
(Yes, for real.)

But alas...all 3 are for the kids.
They love to have their own space as much as they like snuggling together.

It's even better w/ Daddy.
Priceless...especially after a rough play session!

Cooler weather rocks!

Slurp,..slurp...

2010-11-14T13:32:00.003-06:00

The kids ate soup for the 1st time.
It was so much fun!
'Course, much of the soup landed in other places besides their mouths,
but it was still fun.

Of the 3, Sofi is definitely our best.
And the funniest...

We are such bad parents.
Egging them on w/ the slurping.
But it was soooo cute!

And so the slurping continued.
And we kept on giggling.

Our Christmas Cards!

2010-11-13T22:27:00.001-06:00

Colorful Frames Christmas

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Oh the lovely pics!

2010-11-11T20:42:00.007-06:00

If you had told me they were going to be this good,
I honestly would have told you to shut up.

I'm telling you, my kids gave the poor photographer a run for her money.
LITERALLY.
She was sweating by the end of our quick 18 minute session.

Our family shots...

My sassy Sofia...

Sweet Gabriella...

My lovable little boy, Ian...

These next 3 shots were worth every penny we paid.
I'm never in the pictures.
To have the opportunity to have a single moment w/ each of my beautiful children,
P.R.I.C.E.L.E.S.S.

I'm still surprised that she got so many good shots.
Who woulda thunk?
Not I but I'm sure glad that Candace broke a sweat.

A crafting we will go...

2010-11-09T07:47:00.006-06:00

A crafting we will go.
Hi ho the merry'o.
A crafting we will go.

That's my excuse.
This is my 1st holiday season making children's clothing.
AND OH MY GOODNESS.
Is it ever busy!

I'm really not complaining.
I like the extra cash that is coming in.
It's gonna make for a good Christmas.
But it takes up every.second.of.free.time.
E.V.E.R.Y.

I thought I'd share pics of my last craft fair w/ you.
I've got another in less than 2 weeks & then another 2 weeks after that.
Whew!

A view of our setup & my partner-in-crafting, Miss Andrea.

Here is some cuteness!

A view of the "bow-quets" & bow stand.

And I have to give a big shout out to Andrea b/c I love her reusable gift bags.
Perfect for decorating the mantle or slipping a wine bottle in.
Check her out @ The Blackbird's Song on Facebook.
OR...The Blackbird's Song on Etsy.

If you want to check out the things I make, join me on Facebook.
SIGnature Creations

Trick or Treat?!?

2010-11-01T12:01:00.008-05:00

It was by far the best Halloween to date.
Course, there have only been 3.
But who's counting?

The kids were so excited about it all day long.
Not sure they got the trick or treat part but they understood the "dressing up as Minnie & Mickey Mouse after dinner" part.
Gabi even refused to eat dinner.
Wonder who told her about the gobs & gobs of treats we were about to cash in on?

"Not I," said the fly.

As were the past 2 years, our neighbors were waiting for us to come to their homes.
Even waiting outside.
I guess we are still the "token" triplets around these here parts.
It did help w/ the candy.
They got to take as much as they wanted!
(which translates in to candy breakfast for mommy.)

The costumes were a hit!
I outdid myself this year.
It's really the 1st time I've made their costumes.
Last year I just made 1/2 of their costumes.

We had to get 2 colored Minnies.
Since Gabi is the Minnie fanatic (the new Minnie), she got to dress in the pink.
And then Sofi was more the "traditional" Minnie.
Then there is sweet Ian, he loves his "Nini Mou" (translation, Mickey Mouse).

I haven't seen Sofi move that fast since she was born!
She left Ian & Gabi way behind.

We had to go to Miss Kathye's house first.
After all, the cute Halloween buckets she gave the kids were now their trick or treating buckets.
They even said "Trick or Treat!"
And we taught them about not going to the houses that didn't have lights on.
By the 3rd house, they had it down pat.

Gabi was so happy, she had to show off her first "treat".

Then it was across the street to Miss Shirley's house.
Miss Shirley brought a Halloween book over last week for the kids.
She is wonderful!

And then, we had to hit up Neighbor Jane.
(AKA...Aunt Jane, Grandma Jane, save-momma's-ass-in-a-bind Jane)

This was by far one of the coolest things we saw of the night!
The Art Car parade is huge where we live & I suppose this came from it.
A peacock!

Gabi & Daddy taking a break.
Yes, she is digging in to her stash.
Daddy felt it appropriate to give them a sugar buzz to get through the rest of the street.

At Kathye's house eating delish cupcakes.

Gabi devoured hers in a record 3 minutes!
She was ALL.ABOUT.THE.CUPCAKE.

I'm beginning to wonder about Ian & sweets.
He rather eat onions, mushrooms, & green beans.
At least I got 1 outta 3 right.

Oh my Sofi...how she enjoyed that cupcake.

And then it was time for bed.
At 9:45pm.
The.latest.time.ever.

They were exhausted.
So were we.
But it was the best damn Halloween EVA!

Pre-Halloween Goodies

2010-10-30T22:11:00.004-05:00

I know you've heard about our wonderful neighbors.

I honestly don't know how we got so lucky.

But we did.

Miss Kathye came over on Monday w/ cookies for the kids.

She heard they weren't feeling well.

Boy, did those cookies make their day.

And then on Friday, she came over again.

This time she came w/ buckets-o-stuff.

All to do w/ Halloween.

(for the 2nd year in a row)

And boy did the buckets keep the kids busy.

For 2 days!

That's a momma's dream come true.

Thank you Miss Kathye!

Happy Halloween...pictures will be up tomorrow.

Sick Days

2010-10-29T07:43:00.004-05:00

It is so funny how things are evolving.

Once upon a short time ago, I would have MAJOR anxiety when I saw a runny nose or a low grade fever.

Now, I am managing it better.

Anxiety, yes.

When the kids got sick for the 1st time ever, it was disastrous.

He ended up in the hospital that night w/ an hour long seizure.

A 2 day stay.

Then another seizure 4 days later.

And a floppy baby.

Not able to feed himself.

Sit up, forget it.

No rolling over.

No pulling up to stand.

Having issues breastfeeding.

It was bad.

And mommy's instinct told me something was VERY wrong.

They insisted it was the flu's wrath.

I knew better.

He was jerking around when he tried to move.

(later found out it was ataxia)

It wasn't pretty.

And then I thought I figured it out.

B/c I was Dr. Googling it every moment I could.

He had brain damage & the result was cerebral palsy.

Todd thought I was crazy.

The doctor wouldn't listen to me.

Until I finally broke down & insisted he go to the ER.

He was admitted almost immediately upon arrival.

They could see it was neurological.

It needed immediate attention.

Then the waiting started.

What was it?

No one could figure it out.

Spinal tap

EEG

CT Scan

MRI

EKG

Bloodwork

Metabolic testing

It all happened.

It all came back completely normal.

He finally got diagnosed by exclusion meaning they couldn't find a damn thing wrong.

Post-infectious Cerebellitis

Then the IV steroids were started.

And he started to get better.

But it has been a long road.

A very long road.

Almost 2 years of therapy have gotten him close to "normal".

He is still lacking in speech but it noticeably every day.

His therapists are even impressed at the burst of growth & development.

He graduated from his AFO's & then his SMO's (both are foot/ankle/leg braces).

He is no longer in physical therapy.

Even bigger, he isn't being referred to the school district for continued services after the kids turn 3.

That's huge.

Ginormous.

Worthy of celebration.

But there is still the issue of future illnesses.

Ian's autoimmune system went haywire.

His body continues to react more to a virus than the girls.

I have a feeling it will always be like that.

And trust me, I have thanked my lucky stars on a daily basis.

We could be dealing w/ many more illnesses but the kids are relatively healthy.

Thank God.

That doesn't mean that a fever isn't still met w/ ferociousness in this house.

We beat it down.

If Ian's fever gets over 102, we are in the tub.

That's just the way it is.

I don't want to ever see my boy seize for an hour if I can help it.

I don't ever want to see him intubated WITHOUT sedation again.

This momma, along w/ Daddy, will do what we need to.

Which brings me full circle.

For the past 2 years, illness meant serious anxiety.

And while the anxiety still rears it's head when a fever shows up,

I can honestly say we are handling it so much better.

A perfect example was this past week.

Ian & Sofi both sprang up w/ a fever out of no where.

No symptoms, nothing.

Turns out there is a 24-36 hr high fever virus going around.

And they got it.

We handled it much better than in the past although we ended up in a cool bath on Sunday afteroon.

Ian & me.

Fun.

But it worked.

And we survived.

Sorry to be so serious.

Sometimes it helps to write it out.

To lighten the mood a bit, this is what we do on sick days.

Entertain the kids how ever we can!

This time it was bringing in their wagon & making it a comfy station.

They loved it.

Messy Faces

2010-10-26T21:53:00.001-05:00

Todd got me an awesome new lens for our anniversary.
AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1.4-5.6 G
I love it!
But w/ the love comes the learning process.
I'm not use to having to stand so far away.

The trade off?
Awesome close ups & action shots.
I mean this lens rocks!

You'll have to wait for the action shots next time.
They are from the Firehouse Open House.

Until then, check out these 2 beautifully messy faces & one very sad face.

And of course, I had to include this one.
Ian didn't put down his drill set for 4-5 days.
It even went to bed w/ him.
Every chance he had, he was screwing & unscrewing.
This time, he just happened to have whip cream on his nose.