Teeth anyone????

US, US, US!!! Gabi isn't the only one w/ teeth! I gave up on Sofi & Ian getting teeth a while ago. I figured that they would eventually get them, probably when I least expected it & guess what? It happened! I decided to stick my finger in Sofi's mouth yesterday b/c I was thinking that it would be funny for her or Ian to get a tooth w/o any warning. Well, the moment I did that, I felt the tooth. It is her right one. So, I thought to myself that maybe Ian would have gotten a tooth too. Again, right I was although his hasn't quite broken through, it is right there. I can feel it & expect it to break through by the end of the week if not earlier.

So, of course I had to call someone. First was Todd & then it was my mom. Here is our conversation...

Me: Mom! Guess what? Someone else got an Ike (our nickname for Gabi's teeth since they came in the day Hurricane Ike hit)!
Mom: Really, who?
Me: Guess!
Mom: Ianchito?
Me: NOPE!
Mom: Sofi, Sofi!
Me: Yep!
Mom: Well, they aren't Ike's though.
Me: Yes they are!
Mom: No...they are TURKEYS!

AHHHHH HHAAAAA!!! My mom is a hoot! So, now Gabi's teeth are lovingly called "Ike's" & Sofi & Ian's teeth will be called "turkeys" since they are coming in the week of Thanksgiving!

Don't even ask for pics of their teeth yet b/c they are still right at the gum line. I'm going to have to wait for them to get a bit bigger. Not only that but Sofi's smile isn't quite as wide as Gabi or Ian's.

We have also been enjoying both my grandmothers. We are very lucky to still have them with us. Mamama is 90 & Oma is 85. I'm glad they are both able to enjoy the triplets. They were here yesterday all day long & I don't know who enjoyed who more, the great grandmas to the babies or the babies having all that 1 on 1 attention!

Here are both Oma & Mamama enjoying Gabi & Ian.


Oma saying hello to Gabi.

Mamama holding Ian. Behind her is my mom holding Sofi.

I had to take a picture of all 3 babies & their handmade sweaters from my tia Graciela! Quedaron perfectos! GRACIAS!


Well, chances of me getting on before Thanksgiving & writing is slim b/c I am going to be visiting another triplet mommy tomorrow & then having Turkey Day here at the house w/ Bill, Donna, & a couple of friends (Jeff & Julie). We will be giving the kids their 1st piece of meat on Thursday so there will be plenty of pics!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We have our children to be thankful for along w/ family & friends. We have had a wonderful year...thank you GOD!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'!

That is what my kids are doing! They aren't crawling but man, can they roll all over the place! I'm not talking rolling over from front to back or back to front...I'm talking rolling from 1 side of the room to the other & every which way in between! It is all about getting that toy furthest away from them. I like seeing them move but am in no hurry for them to start crawling. Let's hope they just go from rolling to walking. In the picture below Ian was tired & resting on his octopus before continuing to roll around.


We also have a special visitor in town, my grandmother from Argentina! She is almost 90 yrs old & took a 12 hr flight from Buenos Aires to come meet her great grandchildren. Mind you, they are #'s 14, 15, & 16 but they are the only triplets in the bunch! Today was the 1st day they met & the babies LOVE her! I didn't get a chance to take too many photos but this is one of them.


As any grandmother, she came bearing gifts. She knitted a huge blanket for each of them & matching beanies for their little heads. My aunt, Graciela, knit them all a sweater. I can't wait to dress them tomorrow & take pics!

The kids have also discovered that they don't always have to suck on their soothies but rather they can chew on them & stick them in their mouths in odd ways. It is so funny to watch them play w/ those things! I am going to say that they are by far their favorite things to chew/play with. Today Sofi was putting the soothie in her mouth & then Gabi would copy her so I snapped some pictures.




I have also started to brush Gabi's 2 teeth. She really likes it! I don't know if it is the toothpaste that came w/ it or if it feels good, probably a combination of both but when she sees the brush, she opens wide! This is the 1st time I brushed them & had Todd take a picture.



I think that is it for now! OHHHH...I got my 1st diaper cake order. I'm so excited! I can't wait to post pics of it on my other blog!

Still having napping issues...GRRRRR!

Well, what can I say? I've tried everything I know how to get these kids to nap & it just isn't working so now I am beginning to wonder short of revamping the whole schedule what else I can try. I've just come to accept that every day is a new day & that while I shower every morning, I may have a baby that cries until I get out. I've gotten passed being frustrated or asking why b/c the truth is that no one can tell me exactly why Ian isn't napping. Sure, we can make the regular assumptions of teething, learning new skills, etc but really no one knows 100% the reason why. Every day I put them down in hopes that today they will sleep in their crib. If they don't, they don't & we try the swing. If the swing doesn't work then I'm out of options. That is all this momma has up her sleeve. I'm ok though b/c one day it will get better. I'm willing to hear any suggestions.

I've read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child & am familiar w/ the methodology but it doesn't seem to work w/ my babies. I've changed their schedule a bit but not too much in fear of messing up their nights which they have continued to sleep through w/ no issues. I have 1 last idea that I am trying & that is moving up their feeding times by 30 minutes to see if I can get them down for a nap just a bit sooner in the morning, by 8:30. If that doesn't work, then I'm really done...LOL!

Ok, let's talk about the fun stuff! We had a photo shoot w/ a fantastic photographer, Amber Walters. She is amazing & made our 1st shoot a memorable. Thank God the babies were cooperative & happy. We will be getting the whole disk of pics on Thursday but here are the 5 preview pics we have so far...





If you are in the San Antonio/Austin area, definitely look her up for a session! She also has a wonderful website & blog.

http://aleighphotography.blogspot.com/
www.aleighphotography.com

The kids are babbling away & it is so funny to listen to them "talk". They even have conversations between themselves. It happened today for the 1st time. Ian & Sofi were looking at each other while they were playing on the floor & then all the sudden they started talking to one another. I'm talking full out conversation! Ian would talk & then Sofi would, then Ian...then Sofi. It was hilarious!

Another big milestone is that all 3 babies are now sitting unassisted longer than just a few seconds. Gabi has been doing this for a bit longer but Sofi & Ian have joined her. It is so cute to see them trying to balance!

One last thing...they have learned how to get the pacis in & out of their mouths. They constantly take it out & put it back in like they are big kids. Ian is still not in to the paci thing much nor does he suck his thumb. He is just as content w/o so we don't force it on him or even try to give it to him b/c we know he won't take it. It's funny to know the girls go to bed w/ it in their mouths, then it falls out but when we go get them in the morning, they have it in their mouths again. FUNNY! As a matter of fact, the other day I was feeding the trio & had given a spoonful to Sofi, then Ian & by the time I got to Gabi, she had put her paci in her mouth as if to tell me that I was taking too long! I laughed so hard! These are the priceless moments!

100,000 HITS, THANK YOU!!!!

I can't believe it! I've gotten 100,000 hits since I started this blog almost 11 months ago. Where has the time gone? That is like 10,000 hits a month! I'm amazed & thankful for the support we have recieved since we found out we were having triplets last September. Sometimes it is the little things that count the most & other times it is the boxes of diapers that are delivered at our door that put a huge smile on my face & make me thankful for our family & friends. Without them, we would not have made it this far w/ our sanity intact. My parents (Rodolfo & Poppy), Todd's parents (Bill & Donna), my brother & his girlfriend (Ian & Jesse), Julie, Jeff, Stacey, our neighbors Jane, Steve & their beautiful daughter Kate (helped me this summer & still comes over after school to help), Leslie (even though she lives a 1,000 miles away), all the moms from my local M.O.M. group & Space City Triplets, & anyone else I have missed...THANK YOU! Each & every one of you have made this possible.

Now, besides all that mushy stuff, we have some very active kids lately. The napping situation hasn't exactly worked itself out completely but it is getting better. I have come to rely on the swings a little to help. Listen, ya gotta do what ya gotta do! They need sleep, Mommy needs her sanity & have time to complete some daily chores so if the swings have to be used, then so be it! Honestly, it was something I never wanted to do but when you have 2 crying babies that are exhausted & freaked out about being alone in their cribs, then you will try ANYTHING. I'm not too excited about it b/c I really want them to nap the whole time in their cribs BUT the end result is babies that aren't well rested & if you have more than 1 baby, you know how important it is to have happy babies. Shoot, even w/ 1 baby, you know what I am talking about. Just imagine 3 babies having a meltdown...ACK! Sofi is still quite the champ & will fall asleep in her crib w/ no problems & stay that way for a couple of hours, easily.

Here are Gabi & Ian swinging away...we had a visitor, Maybel Jr (a monkey that is being mailed around the country/world from my Just Mommies online community).



The kids are growing so quickly. It is hard to believe that they were born so small & didn't do much in the way of moving. Now they are all wiggle worms & love to play!
This is Ianchito playing in the jumparoo w/ Maybel Jr.

Here we have Gabi on her tummy, something she is just now starting to really enjoy.

Sofi is enjoying the exersaucer & Maybel Jr. I love the expression on her face!

The kids are big enough to really interact w/ this Baby Einstein toy. I put them all down there together & they rolled around for a good hour while I pumped!

This picture is priceless! We have these mini-afghans that were made by Carol (a friend of Donna's) that we have pinned against the wall & over their crib. Well, Sofi decided she was a bit chilly & covered herself w/ it. She couldn't have been more content or asleep!

Divine Diaper Cakes...it is official!

I am now in business for myself! I have officially started Divine Diaper Cakes. Please check out my new blog, http://divinediapercakes.blogspot.com. If you are in the Houston area & would like to order, I have set up a new email address for you to contact me at.

I have to admit I am a bit nervous. I have never had my own business before. I hope this is the start of something bigger. I am quite creative & have made many things that people keep telling me I need to sell to others. It's not like I have all the extra time in the world w/ 3 7.5 mth old triplets to care for so I am taking it 1 step at a time. I definitely have the time to get diaper cakes rolling out!

I know this blog is suppose to be about the kids but I want to share some things I have made in the past that has spurred this interest. It all started w/ my best friend's wedding. She asked me to make her invitations. That was the beginning. Then I made everything for our wedding from the invitations to the floral arrangements to the bouquet to the center pieces...EVERYTHING!

This is the program & the invitation.



This is a dry floral arrangement. I think I made 4 total.



These are the corsages I made.





I have made so many things over the years & I really enjoy it. I have dabbles in sewing & hope to start that again once the kids get a little older. Most of this stuff, I try & am able to do such as the flowers w/ not much effort. I guess it is my "gift". I hope that I can expand the diaper cake business one day to include a few other things such as invitations (I love creating those) & wine bottle labels (another passion of mine).

Please spread the word! It would be great to get business moving along & help Todd w/ the bills or extras we need for the kids.

At least we are covered for the flu!

Today we went in for our 2nd flu shot. Infants need 2 flu shots w/i a month of each other. The kids were troopers! No one cried!!! The nurse walked out of there bragging that none of the babies made a peep! Yep, those are *MY* kiddos! Poor things hadn't had a nap either. As a matter of fact, they have been in a rather pleasant mood. Maybe it was the change in scenery?

While we were there, I decided to go ahead & have them weighed. May as well, right? Here are their weights...

Gabi ~ 16lb 12oz, 37th%
Sofi ~ 16lb, 23rd%
Ian ~ 15lb, 14oz, 5th%

Boy, we can't shake that 5th% w/ Ian no matter how hard we try! The good thing is that they are healthy. I still wish we were getting those RSV shots. Oh well, can't knock them for thinking the babies are "too healthy". It's all that breast milk they have been getting! This is more motivation for me to keep pumping/BFing through their 1st birthday b/c they will receive antibodies from me to help protect them against RSV. Mama will do what Mama has got to do to protect her babies. Only 4 mths & 3 wks left & then life will be different.

This weekend I actually got to spend some time w/ another mommy (Susan) that is about to have triplets. It was great to be able to talk to someone that is where I have been & to also get out of the house for a while. I am excited for her & hope that we have a budding friendship. I can't wait to meet her trio! I was also able to pay it forward, not nearly the amount that we received but I will be working on that. It is amazing how many people rally to your help & I hope I can pass that along to another mommy.

On a side note, I am trying to make some extra cash on the side & have begun to make diaper cakes. If you are in the Houston area & need a diaper cake, please think about me! Here are 2 pictures of 2 different cakes, same colors but different.




As always, I am including pics of my adorable kids!

Ian seemed very interested in the computer so Todd sat w/ him & let him "discover" it a bit. I love this picture b/c he seems to be saying, "Dad, what is this all about?"


Here is Sofi & all of her glory...she LOVES her left foot & insists on holding it while she eats!


I couldn't resist capturing this moment. Gabi had fallen asleep in Todd's arms & so he put his head down on the pillow & fell asleep w/ her.

Happy Halloween (napping issues included)!!!

Well, taking the kids out for their 1st Halloween was not an easy feat! 1st, it was 2 against 3, something I think we will probably be dealing w/ for quite some time...like the rest of our lives! The ducky costumes were adorable yet short lived. The kids didn't like being in them very much, especially the hat part. We were able to get a few pictures but boy was that ever a task! Notice there is only 1 where they all have their shoes on. You should have seen Todd & I running around like chickens w/ their heads cut off trying to get those darn booties on! We were going to keep them dressed up for our evening walk but that didn't work out so we had a backup plan. All in all, we hope next year is a bit easier! **Please keep reading...napping issues at the bottom!




This is me w/ the trio after our 1 hr long walk around the subdivision! Yes, I matched the kids!

In other news, we DID NOT get the RSV shots so we are asking that you really be conscious of your health before coming over b/c we now have NO protection from the virus. The insurance company said that our babies were "too healthy". While that is music to our ears, it is also preventing us from getting those antibodies needed to help stave off the virus or at least buffer the effects. What a double edged sword! We are very greatful that our babies are so healthy & that I am able to stay home w/ them as opposed to dealing w/ daycare germs so we know that we are a step ahead in many ways. I was just hoping...

Gabi is now sitting on her own. I was able to get a picture. Doesn't she look like a big girl? Sofi & Ian are sitting but not for long periods of time like Gabi. I will get a picture of them soon enough!

Here is a funny series of photos I captured the other morning. Sofi seems to like to take things from her siblings...toys, pacis, what ever they have, she wants. In this case, it was Ianchito's blankie. This 1st picture I caught her red-handed!

Ianchito looks like he is trying to say, "HEY! That's MY blankie!" His face is priceless & says it all!

In this 1 Sofi seems to be looking at the camera & saying, "Me? I'm innocent! If the blankie don't fit...acquit!"


I think we have also beat daylight savings time by having pushed back their last bottle by 15 minutes every day this week. Last night was the toughest b/c they went to 7:45, 45 minutes later than they are use to but I have been buffering that by making their 4pm bottle later also. The last 15 minutes were the hardest but we made it & the kids didn't wake up until 7:15 this morning so it is working! By Sunday we will have them back on track w/ an hour difference. Today, rather than getting their bottles at 8, 12, 4, & 7 they will get them closer to 9, 1, 5, & 8 but that will only be for today.

Let me also delve in to what I have been having a MAJOR issue with b/c I know there are many triplet mommies out there that are reading this that aren't quite where we are yet & many that have surpassed this issue w/ success. For the past 2 weeks, since dropping their 5th bottle, we have had MAJOR napping issues. I think that there is also another culprit or 2 that has been helping make naptime disasterous...teething & separation anxiety. All 3 babies are teething, the worst w/ Gabi being over so far. Ian has major separation anxiety issues as does Gabi when she wakes up & realizes I'm not there BUT it is getting better. 2 weeks of HELL...trust me when I say that. There isn't a magic solution. I tried EVERYTHING & ANYTHING under the sun to help my little babies out but it didn't work. We had many a day where 1 or 2 of them didn't sleep a wink & were crankmeisters, driving mommy to the brink of insanity. I am going to admit, I contemplated jumping out the window (*wink, wink), or running to the desert & dealing w/ immense thirst b/c ANYTHING was better than dealing w/ crying, cranky, unhappy, sleep-deprived babies! I cried w/ them, screamed w/ them & loved them all the same. I was a cranky woman to my wonderful hubby (sorry Todd...thank you for dealing w/ me). I couldn't get anything done in the house b/c I had a baby attached to the hip.

There was no end in sight until Thursday afternoon when we had a break through. After only 10 minutes of blood curdling screaming from Ian & Gabi, there was silence!
I couldn't believe it so I went upstairs & peeked in. Gabi was asleep & Ian was on his tummy (yes, I had a heart attack) & was out like a light! I went downstairs & did a happy dance in the kitchen & was praising God over & over again! Of course, I was weary so I kept the cooking vent on high & the tv up loud so I couldn't hear them if they started to cry. Yes, I checked on them every 10 minutes b/c I was worried about Ian on his tummy. It is the constant crying that can drive a person insane!

Yesterday was a great nap day. PRAISE THE LORD! I hope today goes as well & we have left that whole issue behind for now. Mommy needs her sanity!