Happy Halloween 2011

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...

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...

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

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

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!

You're all set. Happy Blogging!

Breastfeeding Triplets

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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...

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

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!!!