What I'm Tired Of And The Flip Side

As the girls approach 16 months (in 3 days can you believe it?) I've been thinking about what I'm really tired of experiencing.

So here's my not-so-comprehensive list of the things that I'm ready to be done with:

- my pants doubling as a snot rag or tissue
- babies crying at my leg and being unable to move without stepping on one of them
- feeling like I should be done with all the tears and yet I hear screaming all the time.
- my lap never being big enough to hold all three girls at once
- the girls fighting over me and other things - pushing, shoving, screaming - it's awful
- the temper tantrums when someone doesn't get her way - I know these won't go away for a LONG time if ever but I'm already tired of it
- knowing that I can't make them all happy at once - if I hold one the other one is happy, if I put one down for another that one screams too - I can't win
- always carrying a toddler - my arms are killing me - these girls are HEAVY!! (except Rachel who's still a peanut)
- trying to do anything at all while the girls are awake - it's basically impossible - computer, dishes, vacuuming, etc.
- cleaning high chair trays - right now we don't have any other options so I have to suffer through but yikes, it's getting old!
- feeling like my house has just survived a tornado every day
- my new and bigger food bills - and sadly, the fact that right now I have only scratched the surface of the cost of feeding five kids
- the constant questions (okay this is a big kid thing), "what's a tornado?", "does it hurt people?", "is this a penny?", "can I waste it at Old Navy?", "can I have that?", "can I have that?", "and that?", "what did you get me?", "can I have a snack?"

And the flip side - the things that I love and am not tired of:

- the girl's smiles and laughs - makes all of the above worth it
- listening to them giggle and talk to each other every night after we shut the door and turn the lights off - Kaitlyn is jealous of their constant "sleepovers"
- taking pictures and video of them
- dressing them in cute outfits
- giving them sippy cups - I don't miss the bottles at all!
- giving the girls milk - I will NEVER complain about the price of milk - after the cost of formula the cost of milk is nothing
- listening to the girls talk and watching them learn - it's quite adorable
- hearing their tiny footsteps in the house
- cuddling with any and all of my kids
- the unique experience of raising multiples - I feel truly blessed to have the chance to enjoy three kids at one time
- the older two kids playing together - making up games together and reading to each other - I love happy sibling interaction
- the knowledge that all the things I'm tired of will soon be a thing of the past and they will be grown in no time at all
- the sheer love and joy I feel for all of my kids

That's my list 16 months in the making. I wonder what it will look like in another 16 months. Those of you with older triplets are smiling because you know what I still have to look forward to. So with that in mind please pray that every day I remember what I'm not tired of rather then getting bogged down with the things I wish would go away!