Here we go again. This update will be short. Ian is sick. Any bug/virus/bacteria that comes in to this house, he catches. And so is life. The fever is the only symptom at the moment. It spikes to 103.5 & we manage to get it down to about 99.8 w/ Tylenol or Advil. I've already been in the tub w/ him once today b/c I waited an extra hour to give him his dose. Won't be doing that again! Hopefully this will be the worst of the nights & the girls won't get it.
More to come tomorrow.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Lovin' our new ECI coordinator!
We finally got to meet our new ECI coordinator (catch all therapist), Melissa. We REALLY like Melissa! I think she is going to push Ian which really is saying that she is going to push me to push Ian, if that makes sense. It was a very productive meeting. I didn't expect her to do much w/ him this 1st time b/c I know she needed to observe where he is developmentally so I let her do that while interjecting information about his recent activities.
Our old coordinator passed along the info about Ian's famous "du". Seems like he uses this word for just about anything. Melissa asked me if he could possibly be saying "that" & I told her it never crossed my mind. Now I wonder if he is just calling everything "that". He does say a couple of words outside of mama & dada. I also told her the Gabi situation. She does all the talking for the them. When she wants water, she signs it & the other 2 also get it b/c I automatically offer it to them. This is completely normal in the multiples world & unfortunately there isn't anything we can really do to change this. She is the official spokesperson.
Now, if there isn't any movement forward by the time he hits 18 months, we will begin speech therapy. Fine by me. What ever help they are willing to give us, we are willing to accept.
Melissa was pretty happy w/ where Ian is developmentally, even stating that if they were to assess him today for services, he would likely not qualify. Even w/ the delayed walking, it isn't of concern until they are 18 mths old. She said he is on the low end of normal but still hitting milestones in the allotted time. YAY IAN! That's my boy! Persistent but pleasant. Another thing she mentioned...he was very willing to play w/ her, not holding back. That's my babies. They really don't have stranger anxiety if you are on their turf. Seriously. None. They will seek you out & sit in your lap. No joke.
The plan is to continue to see him twice a month & PT once a month. Sonia, our PT, is coming w/ another PT to assess his ankle strength for braces. Until then he is w/o shoes for most of the day. In the late afternoon, I put shoes on him. I have to say that I have already noticed a difference in his balance in the past 2 days. This boy is soooo close to walking. I have a good feeling about things.
We have a follow up appt w/ his neurologist on the 22nd. Todd normally takes Ian to all his neurology appts since he is familiar w/ the docs b/c he is the one that stayed in the hossy w/ Ian. This appt happens to fall on a Saturday so we are going to get 1 set of the grandparents to watch the girls while we take Ian down to see Dr. Brown. I need to go this time in order to pass along the info that the PT said. It will be a good trip for the 3 of us.
Gotta share the latest news on feeding. I have begun to introduce the spoon to the kids. No. Not like for the 1st time ever. I mean where they get to actually use it to shovel food in their mouths. We do it every morning w/ yogurt. Hell, you can't get too dirty w/ yogurt, right? It is thick enough to stay on the spoon & yummy enough for the kids to want to get it in their mouths. Of the 3, Ian is the best at getting it all in his mouth & is most often the least dirty. I tried to get the girls w/ the spoon in their hand but these were the best I could get.
Our old coordinator passed along the info about Ian's famous "du". Seems like he uses this word for just about anything. Melissa asked me if he could possibly be saying "that" & I told her it never crossed my mind. Now I wonder if he is just calling everything "that". He does say a couple of words outside of mama & dada. I also told her the Gabi situation. She does all the talking for the them. When she wants water, she signs it & the other 2 also get it b/c I automatically offer it to them. This is completely normal in the multiples world & unfortunately there isn't anything we can really do to change this. She is the official spokesperson.
Now, if there isn't any movement forward by the time he hits 18 months, we will begin speech therapy. Fine by me. What ever help they are willing to give us, we are willing to accept.
Melissa was pretty happy w/ where Ian is developmentally, even stating that if they were to assess him today for services, he would likely not qualify. Even w/ the delayed walking, it isn't of concern until they are 18 mths old. She said he is on the low end of normal but still hitting milestones in the allotted time. YAY IAN! That's my boy! Persistent but pleasant. Another thing she mentioned...he was very willing to play w/ her, not holding back. That's my babies. They really don't have stranger anxiety if you are on their turf. Seriously. None. They will seek you out & sit in your lap. No joke.
The plan is to continue to see him twice a month & PT once a month. Sonia, our PT, is coming w/ another PT to assess his ankle strength for braces. Until then he is w/o shoes for most of the day. In the late afternoon, I put shoes on him. I have to say that I have already noticed a difference in his balance in the past 2 days. This boy is soooo close to walking. I have a good feeling about things.
We have a follow up appt w/ his neurologist on the 22nd. Todd normally takes Ian to all his neurology appts since he is familiar w/ the docs b/c he is the one that stayed in the hossy w/ Ian. This appt happens to fall on a Saturday so we are going to get 1 set of the grandparents to watch the girls while we take Ian down to see Dr. Brown. I need to go this time in order to pass along the info that the PT said. It will be a good trip for the 3 of us.
Gotta share the latest news on feeding. I have begun to introduce the spoon to the kids. No. Not like for the 1st time ever. I mean where they get to actually use it to shovel food in their mouths. We do it every morning w/ yogurt. Hell, you can't get too dirty w/ yogurt, right? It is thick enough to stay on the spoon & yummy enough for the kids to want to get it in their mouths. Of the 3, Ian is the best at getting it all in his mouth & is most often the least dirty. I tried to get the girls w/ the spoon in their hand but these were the best I could get.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Getting back in shape, one jog at a time.
For the 1st time in well over 2.5 yrs, I went jogging. I've been contemplating starting up again but kept on coming up w/ excuses. The only time I have is either at 5:30 in the morning (um, no) or after the kids go down. The problem (in my head, of course) is that I have to feed Todd & I dinner first. Then it is entirely too late to go jogging. Well, I just decided too late or not, I'm going & if I end up staying up until midnight, I'll have learned my lesson.
Turns out that I was able to shut my eyes at about 10:15, no problems. Now I'm stoked about the prospects of picking up my jogging again! I went jogging for 22 minutes straight. Not bad for a momma that had triplet 16.5 months ago & was on bed rest for 16 months out of the pregnancy. Once I got home, I got in the car to clock the mileage. I thought I had gone about 1.75 miles. Turns out I jogged 2 solid miles.
My hope it to run every other day. I need it for mental health purposes as well as getting tone back in my legs. Yeah, they are lookin' a little flabby now days. Damn that bed rest! I am even thinking if I can keep up w/ the jogging, I will enter a 5K in November. I've never run in a 5K. Why not start now? I think it would be great!
I know I have been writing more about me & my new ventures the past couple of posts so I want to make sure to take some time out to write about the kids. The thing is that for the past 16 months, the kids have been my life. They still are, always will be but I needed to start some personal projects for myself. Now...on to the kids!
Sofi has gotten to be quite the clever little girl. She loves to take her bib off. I've had to get creative on how to keep it on. Here is a picture of me using a chip clip. Now, it doesn't prevent her from taking it off but it does make it that much harder. Of course, taking only her bib off isn't satisfying enough. She also manages to free Gabi from the clutches of the evil bib!
This is Sofi's hair standing straight up using grape jelly. Who need gel!?!
Ian had another therapy session yesterday w/ his PT. He is still having what she thinks is overfiring of the nerve endings. His brain is trying to regulate the signal but sometimes over does it. She mentioned possibly asking for another CT scan the next time we go to the neurologist just to verify there wasn't any damage. I'm a bit confused by her statement b/c they scan, MRI, & EEG (both sets) all came back normal. This is why he was diagnosed by exclusion. She mentioned a possible hemorage (small) that could have done some damage??? There was no sign of a hemorage & I would think that the head of neurology at TX Children's hospital would have caught this. She did say this was just what she thought based on very limited information. I suppose when we go back, we will see what the neurologist says. She did say that she thinks any issues will resolve themselves, that she doesn't see it being a permanent situation b/c of how far he has come. So, if you are a praying person, please say a little one for Ian.
Gabi is quite the character. This little girl is already counting. I'm not sure where that falls developmentally & I'm not saying she is the smartest lass in the world but should a 16 month old be able to count? At first she was just saying random numbers. Now she can count 2 objects. She even points to them. She can only count to 2 but starting to count higher. It is super cute! She also only counts when she has the number book or any book/page that has numbers so she recognizes that is what she is suppose to do w/ them. Either way, it is super cute to hear her!
Um, more pics? Uh. They are still on the camera. I know, bad mommy. I promise more later.
Turns out that I was able to shut my eyes at about 10:15, no problems. Now I'm stoked about the prospects of picking up my jogging again! I went jogging for 22 minutes straight. Not bad for a momma that had triplet 16.5 months ago & was on bed rest for 16 months out of the pregnancy. Once I got home, I got in the car to clock the mileage. I thought I had gone about 1.75 miles. Turns out I jogged 2 solid miles.
My hope it to run every other day. I need it for mental health purposes as well as getting tone back in my legs. Yeah, they are lookin' a little flabby now days. Damn that bed rest! I am even thinking if I can keep up w/ the jogging, I will enter a 5K in November. I've never run in a 5K. Why not start now? I think it would be great!
I know I have been writing more about me & my new ventures the past couple of posts so I want to make sure to take some time out to write about the kids. The thing is that for the past 16 months, the kids have been my life. They still are, always will be but I needed to start some personal projects for myself. Now...on to the kids!
Sofi has gotten to be quite the clever little girl. She loves to take her bib off. I've had to get creative on how to keep it on. Here is a picture of me using a chip clip. Now, it doesn't prevent her from taking it off but it does make it that much harder. Of course, taking only her bib off isn't satisfying enough. She also manages to free Gabi from the clutches of the evil bib!
This is Sofi's hair standing straight up using grape jelly. Who need gel!?!
Ian had another therapy session yesterday w/ his PT. He is still having what she thinks is overfiring of the nerve endings. His brain is trying to regulate the signal but sometimes over does it. She mentioned possibly asking for another CT scan the next time we go to the neurologist just to verify there wasn't any damage. I'm a bit confused by her statement b/c they scan, MRI, & EEG (both sets) all came back normal. This is why he was diagnosed by exclusion. She mentioned a possible hemorage (small) that could have done some damage??? There was no sign of a hemorage & I would think that the head of neurology at TX Children's hospital would have caught this. She did say this was just what she thought based on very limited information. I suppose when we go back, we will see what the neurologist says. She did say that she thinks any issues will resolve themselves, that she doesn't see it being a permanent situation b/c of how far he has come. So, if you are a praying person, please say a little one for Ian.
Gabi is quite the character. This little girl is already counting. I'm not sure where that falls developmentally & I'm not saying she is the smartest lass in the world but should a 16 month old be able to count? At first she was just saying random numbers. Now she can count 2 objects. She even points to them. She can only count to 2 but starting to count higher. It is super cute! She also only counts when she has the number book or any book/page that has numbers so she recognizes that is what she is suppose to do w/ them. Either way, it is super cute to hear her!
Um, more pics? Uh. They are still on the camera. I know, bad mommy. I promise more later.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Couponing...saving for the family.
My newest venture in ways to help my family has to be 1 of the most frustratingly complicated things EVER. Couponing. I started yesterday & every time I closed my eyes, I could see coupons. I even dreamed about them last night. I know it will get easier the more I do it but man, it got me all flustered.
It all started w/ me joining a Facebook group called Serious Super Saver. The girl that started the group is someone I went to high school w/ & was good friends w/ her little sister b/c we were both in the same grade. I think this enabled me to "believe" in the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, I have heard of these women that go to the grocery store & walk out only paying pennies for $100+ worth of food, etc but I just didn't think I would be able to accomplish that. Turns out Jen was holding her 2nd seminar so I talked to Todd about it & he said "a penny saved is a penny earned" so I signed up to go. Shoot, the $10 I paid would be worth it all if I saved that much on my 1st trip out, right?
The seminar was very informative. I pretty much understand the concept but now it was time for me to put it to use. I have several obstacles that most don't. One being that I have very limited time to actually get out & do shopping. Ok, I have only one opportunity. Sunday morning. I guess I could go after the kids go to bed but then Todd & I wouldn't have any time together. So Sunday morning it is!
To get started, I got the Sunday paper on Saturday (yeah, like that makes sense but what ever). Then I sat down at the table & put my new skills to use. It took a good 2 hours. That is when I started seeing coupons when I closed my eyes. I made my menu based on what was on sale & put my CVS coupons together w/ that list & then my Kroger's coupons w/ that list.
I embarked on my maiden coupon voyage at 8am. I wanted to get to CVS early. I was on a mission! I loaded up my 4 12-packs of Diet Coke (for Todd of course), my 2 bags of Chex Mix, the Soliel razor, & 2 tubes of Colgate. The total was $41.70 before my coupons. My actual out of pocket was $17.27. I also earned $6 in CVS bucks & a coupon for $4 off a $20 purchase. I didn't buy anything I wouldn't use either.
Then it was time to go Krogering. I had a handful of coupons & don't think I did really well here BUT I know it will et better once I start getting more & more coupons. My total before coupons was $147.31. My total after was $102.44 w/ $44.87 in coupons/store savings, about a 30% savings. Not too shabby for a first-timer. I hope to reach 50%.
I managed to save my family $69.27 between the 2 stores. The seminar has officially paid for itself AND a pedicure for me. Ha. Joking. Ok, maybe not. Even if I were to get a pedi, that is only $20 so I still come out on top by $39.27. Let's just call that $40. All that for 2 hours of time. I think I'll do it again next weekend.
It all started w/ me joining a Facebook group called Serious Super Saver. The girl that started the group is someone I went to high school w/ & was good friends w/ her little sister b/c we were both in the same grade. I think this enabled me to "believe" in the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, I have heard of these women that go to the grocery store & walk out only paying pennies for $100+ worth of food, etc but I just didn't think I would be able to accomplish that. Turns out Jen was holding her 2nd seminar so I talked to Todd about it & he said "a penny saved is a penny earned" so I signed up to go. Shoot, the $10 I paid would be worth it all if I saved that much on my 1st trip out, right?
The seminar was very informative. I pretty much understand the concept but now it was time for me to put it to use. I have several obstacles that most don't. One being that I have very limited time to actually get out & do shopping. Ok, I have only one opportunity. Sunday morning. I guess I could go after the kids go to bed but then Todd & I wouldn't have any time together. So Sunday morning it is!
To get started, I got the Sunday paper on Saturday (yeah, like that makes sense but what ever). Then I sat down at the table & put my new skills to use. It took a good 2 hours. That is when I started seeing coupons when I closed my eyes. I made my menu based on what was on sale & put my CVS coupons together w/ that list & then my Kroger's coupons w/ that list.
I embarked on my maiden coupon voyage at 8am. I wanted to get to CVS early. I was on a mission! I loaded up my 4 12-packs of Diet Coke (for Todd of course), my 2 bags of Chex Mix, the Soliel razor, & 2 tubes of Colgate. The total was $41.70 before my coupons. My actual out of pocket was $17.27. I also earned $6 in CVS bucks & a coupon for $4 off a $20 purchase. I didn't buy anything I wouldn't use either.
Then it was time to go Krogering. I had a handful of coupons & don't think I did really well here BUT I know it will et better once I start getting more & more coupons. My total before coupons was $147.31. My total after was $102.44 w/ $44.87 in coupons/store savings, about a 30% savings. Not too shabby for a first-timer. I hope to reach 50%.
I managed to save my family $69.27 between the 2 stores. The seminar has officially paid for itself AND a pedicure for me. Ha. Joking. Ok, maybe not. Even if I were to get a pedi, that is only $20 so I still come out on top by $39.27. Let's just call that $40. All that for 2 hours of time. I think I'll do it again next weekend.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Goodbye Cheesy 80's Teen Movies
May John Hughes rest in peace. These movies shaped so much of who I was. They were a staple in my teen years. Of all his movies, my all time favorite is Pretty in Pink. Andie was everything I was. Blane, everything I wanted. Ok, so I wasn't as pretty as Andie but I sure felt like an outsider. Being from a different country, a Spanish country at that, in a small Texas town with a name like Astrid, can really make a teenager's life pretty bad. Sorry, don't want to throw myself a pity party. It just brings back all those memories.
I hope my kids have fun, innocent movies like this to watch as they are fighting puberty & the ways of teen love. Gawd, I have to go through all that w/ them TIMES THREE. Where is the nearest church? I need to start prayin'!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Our first bite of STEAK!
Last Wednesday Todd grilled some yummy steaks. I had about 1/2 of mine left over & decided to give the kids the rest of it for lunch the next day. I wasn't sure how it would go over since they have had an aversion to red meat for quite some time. I have to sneak it in their food so I was pleasantly surprised that they actually ate it! I wish I had waited for dinner so Todd could have gotten a glimpse of the kids eating their very first piece of steak!
We have been keeping busy w/ several playdates around here. Mommy needs adult interaction. Today, Allie (a friend from high school) & her precious daughter Zoe, came over for a morning playdate. It was great! Zoe is so precious. She is a tiny little thing but that is expected as she was born way too early. After spending nearly 7 months in the NICU, she is at home w/ her mommy & daddy, getting ready to celebrate her big FIRST birthday on the 18th! Wish I had gotten pics :(
We did have another playdate w/ a triplet mommy (Marie) last week. The kids were all about being in her lap, especially when she busted out the Cheerios! All 6 kids were her best friends!
One last thing, I think this is priceless. I would love to see who can come up w/ a funny caption for this picture. Leave a comment!
We have been keeping busy w/ several playdates around here. Mommy needs adult interaction. Today, Allie (a friend from high school) & her precious daughter Zoe, came over for a morning playdate. It was great! Zoe is so precious. She is a tiny little thing but that is expected as she was born way too early. After spending nearly 7 months in the NICU, she is at home w/ her mommy & daddy, getting ready to celebrate her big FIRST birthday on the 18th! Wish I had gotten pics :(
We did have another playdate w/ a triplet mommy (Marie) last week. The kids were all about being in her lap, especially when she busted out the Cheerios! All 6 kids were her best friends!
One last thing, I think this is priceless. I would love to see who can come up w/ a funny caption for this picture. Leave a comment!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Is that what it feels like?
We went on a DATE this afternoon! We felt like a normal, married couple & it felt GREAT to get away, even if it was just for a movie. The opportunity was presented to us by my brother. He happened to have a couple of free tickets, no restrictions & offered to babysit while we went. Of course, he brought along his wonderful girlfriend Jessie (I have a feeling she did most of the work, lol). I didn't even stress about it.
I wrote out the kids' lunch menu & told them where Ian's seizure medication was just in case & we left. No turning back! Apparently things went magnificently. They ate all their lunch & went down for their nap w/o much protest what so ever. Tio (my brother) even bought the kids pizza for dinner so we wouldn't have to mess w/ it when we got back.
The kids didn't even cry when we left. Much better that way. When we got home, they were as happy as could be. This is the first time we have left all 3 w/ anyone besides our parents. I can't wait to go out again!
The movie was fantastic. I'm a big Harry fan, having read all the books. We even got to see the 1st 12 minutes in 3D which was really cool! I would highly recommend the movie. I can't wait for the last 2.
I wrote out the kids' lunch menu & told them where Ian's seizure medication was just in case & we left. No turning back! Apparently things went magnificently. They ate all their lunch & went down for their nap w/o much protest what so ever. Tio (my brother) even bought the kids pizza for dinner so we wouldn't have to mess w/ it when we got back.
The kids didn't even cry when we left. Much better that way. When we got home, they were as happy as could be. This is the first time we have left all 3 w/ anyone besides our parents. I can't wait to go out again!
The movie was fantastic. I'm a big Harry fan, having read all the books. We even got to see the 1st 12 minutes in 3D which was really cool! I would highly recommend the movie. I can't wait for the last 2.
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