Back to Work

So, after 7 months of "slacking" I am back to work taking care of a friend's girls during the day :) We are having a fun summer so far and I just wanted to share photos of my "new" crew (feels like I have 2 sets of triplet girls with poor Caleb in the middle!).

From left to right - top row: Kaitlyn, Julia and Allyson
Bottom row: Rachel, Julianna and Alyssa (sound similar?!)
Caleb is by himself on the right :( He needs some sympathy!



During the day the girls often come in to play with "themselves". We joke because of all the similar names and the girls like to play with their counterparts. They are in charge of the baby with the most similar name :) Kaitlyn is the exception so she is paired with Rachel.

Kaitlyn and Rachel:



Julia and Julianna:



Allyson and Alyssa:



And just some fun pictures of our day. We're on a pretty tight schedule (self-imposed but it keeps me sane) but we do get to let loose sometimes!




The 4th girl is Kaitlyn's friend Emery:

Pool Party

Today was Savannah's birthday party (a church friend of Kaitlyn's) and I packed up my 5 plus Allyson and Julia and went to the pool for the first time this summer. The girls had their first experience in the water and as you will see their reactions varied. We had a great time and we hope that Savannah has a very happy 7th birthday!

Sugar and Spice

And everything not so nice has come out of my girls in the last week. So, everyone knows that last week the girls were sick but what I feel that I must share now is that somehow this has changed their bodies. I don't know what happened - freak of nature maybe - but ever since I have spent every day changing the girls clothes with every diaper change. I can't expain it but all of a sudden a diaper is not enough to hold in what these girls can put out. Every outfit, every time. Even the carseats and my friend's floor - dripped through the carseat and got onto her floor. That was Alyssa. It took two other moms to change Julianna today after her turn. I don't think I'll be invited back :)

So, I'm just wondering if somehow they got the saying wrong for girls because I haven't noticed any sugar or spice. What happened to my babies??!!

Friday will be their first day in a pool (unless they don't let us in for our pooping problem...) so I'll have a happier post then but for today I'm going crazy. I'm very tired of screaming girls and poopy diapers. Who signed me up for this job anyway??

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband :) And also to my dad who I consider to be the best dad in the world! Love you both.

7 Months Old Today!

This is a 7 month picture of me and the girls (L to R: Alyssa, Rachel, Julianna). It's a little different from our first photos 7 months ago! I can't believe how far we've come.

Things I've learned in 7 Months:

- it's surprisingly easy to tune out a lot of crying - "what did you hear something? Nope, not me!"

- it's surprisingly easy to make a schedule and stick with it - surprisingly it's also very hard to figure out your day when you're off that schedule

- it's easier to go out in public with the babies then for one of us to stay home and deal with thier screaming (so maybe I'm not as good as tuning them out as I'd like to be...).

(Here I must add a notice to everyone: we are not going out in public to try and show off or to make you feel better or worse about your life. It's just our best survival tactic for both of us to date. I'm also aware that other people have twins, triplets and wow, even more than us. I don't need to be reminded - again, I'm not trying to one up you because I had more kids at once than you - this is just my life!)

- entertainers don't entertain very long and no amount of toys is enough - they're bored of all of them in about 20 mintues - now what? We go out! (See above note)

- triplets are a good excuse for anything. "Hey, you're late!" "Yep, I have triplets." "What's with the tummy pooch?" "I have triplets." "Do you need help?" "I have triplets." :) Get the point?!

- our biggest survival secret besides leaving the house is the snugli - Kirk has a double one and without it I don't think I would be sane. Of course, if you ask my friends they already know I'm not!

- while it is really easy to love each of my 5 kids seperately and entirely I still feel guilty about stupid little things - Caleb is the only boy, did I hold each girl enough today? Does said baby feel left out because she's actually being good today? I know it doesn't matter but it's a mom thing!!

- to quote a line from "Jon and Kate plus 8" : "It's a crazy life but it's our life." To add my own sentiment - "I love it!" (if you have cable I encourage you to watch this show - makes us laugh every time and it's great to see someone with more kids at once than us!)

Milestones to Date:

- Alyssa can roll over both ways but not in succession
- Julianna can roll everywhere and can rock on all fours
- Rachel can roll over and rock on all fours - we are getting close to crawling
- They have one tooth between the 3 of them
- They do not eat food very well, still. Alyssa like stuff like breadsticks and crackers - the other two don't care
- No one can sit up but they are all trying

Mom's Milestones:

- Joined a moms of multiples club although my club could also be renamed mom of twins club... Oh well, I'll just hope for more triplets
- Joined a writer's club
- Almost finished reading my first novel in 7 months. This is a big step for me and my reading buddies will be happy although they both read much faster than me...

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday to Daddy from Kaitlyn, Caleb, Julianna, Rachel and Alyssa and of course, Mommy. While I had hoped to put some cute pictures of the kids up for him we have been unable to take any due to everyone being sick. The kids all seem to be doing better and only Caleb has thrown up today. Now we just need Kaitlyn to want to eat!

All 6 of us love Daddy very much and are so thankful that we can celebrate his birthday with him today. We'll be celebrating more this weekend when we can also say Happy Father's Day :)

A Day For The Record Books

If our house doesn't land in the Guiness Book of World Records for most vomit in a household I don't want to be near the one that does!! My day begins just fine other than me breaking out in hives - again - it's been going on for over 2 weeks and I have no idea what I'm allergic to. So, I finally call the doctor to make an appointment because I'm just going crazy.

The girls were cranky yesterday but that's not unusual. This morning they got up at 9:30 (they've been sleeping better lately) and they all ate their breakfast just fine. I put Julianna in the jumper after she was done and she just jumps everywhere - so cute - thus the video yesterday - makes me laugh every time. Then she stops and throws up everywhere. This didn't strike me as odd because the girls sometimes spit up. So, the girls play but seem cranky and tired so my friend, Barb, and I put them down for a nap while all the other kids play. Kaitlyn is telling me she's sick but she says that a lot.

Yep, you got it, she throws up too. And has been throwing up since. When the girls get up from their nap we make them bottles again but Julianna has thrown up in her crib and is dry heaving on herself in her "highchair". Then after they eat, Alyssa throws up everywhere too. I can't believe it! Three puking kids.

But, it gets better, the girls nap for 3 hours because they are sick and exhausted. At their "dinner" bottle they all eat okay but Alyssa is still feeling sick and she's dry heaving and then after dinner throws up on the floor, on herself and on me. While the girls are screaming Rachel decides she can't be left out and she too throws up everywhere.

I have never seen anything so crazy. Oh, yea, and it's raining and we lose electricity for a bit. Thankfully not long.

Anyway, that has been my day and it isn't over yet. Right now I'm just hoping they sleep tonight without throwing up on themselves! Kaitlyn included in that.

P.S. I did make it to the doctor and he gave me some steroids to get rid of the hives. Still have no idea what I could be allergic to but hopefully this will help.

P.P.S. Make that 5 vomiting kids. Not to be left out Caleb joined his sisters a little after 10 this evening. Thank God for washing machines because every cover and bedsheet is in there and I'd be surprised if we got any sleep tonight. Happy Birthday to Kirk!! He turns 32 tomorrow and if there's no post it's because he and/or I are throwing up :) We are terrible with holidays! Look back at Christmas - I was sick then...

Because This Makes Me Laugh...

I thought it would make you laugh too.



Doesn't the cat look intrigued?





All for your personal enjoyment. Sometimes the girls make me laugh so I just had to share. What you can't see in this photo is that Alyssa is screaming her head off. Sometimes it pays to see the other side of things :)

Toothless No More!

It's official - we have a tooth. Well, Julianna has a tooth and she's the first. Her bottom tooth has finally broken through. I'm honestly surprised it's her the way Alyssa has been gnawing on any finger or toy she can grab hold of but it seems that in all things Julianna is the first. Stay tuned to see if the trend continues...

And The School Year Ends...

Wow! This has been a very crazy, busy week. It was Kaitlyn's last week of first grade and after the mess of the past 6 weeks I'm glad to see it go even though I can't believe I now have a 2nd grader.

Last Friday Kaitlyn's school put on a musical and the kids did a great job. Kaitlyn was a little nervous at first but as always she sang her heart out and had a great time:



It was an American musical.



And yesterday was Kaitlyn's last official day so the school had their awards day and Kaitlyn was officially made a 2nd grader and given some awards for being an outstanding student. Afterwards I took Kaitlyn and Caleb to play mini-golf with her "old" teacher.

Kaitlyn accepting her awards.



Kaitlyn's idea of mini-golfing - go as fast as you can and slide the ball into the hole.



Caleb's idea of mini-golfing - carry the ball to the hole, put it down next to the hole, roll it in and yell "I got a score." I have no idea what that means but he seemed to enjoy it.



Looks like perfect form!



Kaitlyn and Mrs. G



Kaitlyn and some of her school friends.

5 Mobile Kids = Massive Chaos

It's official Alyssa is mobile as well. Yesterday for the first time she rolled from her back to her front and today she did it over and over. And Julianna is rolling everywhere. She can make it from side of the room to the other and then she gets stuck and smiles at me. So adorable. Rachel still gets stuck. She looks like Tom Cruise from Mission Impossible - she tries to keep her arms and legs off the floor. She is in amazing shape!

Today is a special day. On the calendar in Kirk's office is last June - it's a dry erase board and I am very behind. On June 5th of last year I have marked "Sono - see babies!" I can't believe it but a year ago today we our 12 week scan to see the babies and I just remember being so nervous that one of them wouldn't be there and I was so relieved when we saw all three heart beats and all the babies just moving around. They were so tiny and we had no idea if they were boys or girls - we just wanted them to be healthy but even if they weren't we just wanted them alive and here to hold and love. And then we had a small scare that maybe Rachel might have Down's but now we all know she doesn't.

And a year ago tomorrow Kirk set up this blog for me to record for everyone my amazing pregnancy. I am shocked that so many people check us out every week to see how our family is and what the babies are up to. Please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think from time to time :)

For everyone's enjoyment here's my new comment for June 5th, 2007 : Video: See Babies Move: Five Mobile Kids! And stay tuned for the sisterly love at the end.

Alive But Just Barely...

Okay, so it wasn't quite that dramatic but it could have been. It has been one crazy week. Kaitlyn has had a large number of end of school year activities including Field Day and celebrating the summer birthday's in her class and a musical on Friday night.

To top it off we had a yard sale today (we made enough to feed the girls for another 2 weeks!) and then tonight had some friends over for dinner. Well, so as not to bore our friends we almost burned the house down. No lie. Kirk was outside grilling - everyone was out there with him but me and the propane tank springs a leak and then ignites. The grill caught on fire! I mean, big fire.

My friend grabbed all the kids and ran to safety (save one baby who her husband quickly rescued). My husband, meanwhile is trying to put out a huge fire. He runs inside, grabs the fire extinguisher and sprays the whole grill. I thought it was done but the thing just starts shooting flames again. We were very close to calling the fire department. Now wouldn't that have been fun?

Fortunately, Kirk was able to grab the entire grill and basically throw it off the deck (we have a wooden deck - if that had caught fire all bets on the house still standing would've been lost). The thing is still in flames so Kirk grabs the hose and begins to pour water all over it. Thankfully he was able to put out the fire with only a singed arm to show for it. No deep burns, no hurt children or adults and we only had to grill our hotdogs inside on a grill pan rather than outside on the grill.

So, today I am just happy to report that we are all alive! And the girls have all found their toes - so cute. Oh, we have also come up with new nicknames. Due to Rachel's increasingly fussy state we are adding: Cranky, Cuddly and Cute to Leaky, Little and Loud. I know, seems unfair but Rachel is really cranky! Alyssa is really cuddly and well, Julianna is pretty cute :)