Poor Rachel

Today the girls turned 14 months. All three of them. You know that and I know that but most people don't know that. Recently I have been asked if I have twins and a singleton. When I give them a confused look I get "well, that one looks different" or "she's too small to be the same age".

While it is true, that she's smaller then the other two and that Alyssa and Julianna look more alike they are not older then Rachel. Alyssa is actually younger.

So, I was already pretty frustrated when I got to Giant and discovered that my new awesome triple-wide stroller is too big to fit through the front door. I had to unload all three girls, corral them, fold down the stroller and try to get them in the front door. Thankfully someone took pity on me and helped me in. Then I had to reload them all and make my way to the pharmacy to fill a RX. Of course, I'm running out of time - I have to be to the kids school in 30 minutes plus get some groceries. Not going well.

"Oh my goodness, look at this!" An older lady stops by the stroller. Nothing new, happens everywhere. I smile, what can I do? I'm kind of stuck in line.

"So, what do we have here? Two boys and a girl?" The lady is looking up and down the triple wide stroller. They are ALL wearing identical pink shoes and identical pink and green striped shirt (I meant to take a picture but forgot). Most of me is wondering which one is the girl.

"No, they're all girls." This is why triplet moms need to practice that fake smile. Probably moms of all special needs kids or any other human being that attracts attention for any reason.

"They're not twins are they?"

What?!

"They're triplets."

"Oh, but that one looks so different." Thank God Rachel has no idea people are talking about her.

"Yes, she does." What else do I say? I've had people question us severely as to why Rachel looks different and how she could be so much smaller. Kirk says I should start saying "You're right! She must not be a triplet, she's too small!" I should of said, "No, they're not triplets I had one every five months for 15 months." I wonder how long it would take her to figure out that math (and biology).

The lady's friend walks up, stops, looks over the stroller, asks, "Is it hard to have three at once?"

"Um, yes." Again, what the heck do I say?

I got stopped no less than 6 more times before I tried to make my exit from Giant. I go through the self-serve because it's the only one big enough for my stroller. No one helps. The lady manning the self-serve aisle sees me try to exit (hey, maybe these doors are wider) and says, "I don't think you'll fit." Does she offer to help? No. Thank God, a very tall man knew how to dismantle the doors so that the sliding doors open out and I could fit through.

To say all this, I'm no longer shopping at Giant. At Harris Teeter, I can get in right away, they have cookies out front and people trip over themselves to offer help. I swear they do. I get help out to my car, people grabbing milk for me, surely someone would've helped me that works there if there was a door issue.

Happy 14 months to the girls. And I still miss my mom who has been gone a year tomorrow from her "help-with-the-triplets" post. Bummer but I have managed to survive thanks to the help and support of quite a few others.

As for milestones, Rachel and Julianna are waving quite well. Rachel was actually quite sweet in the store waving at everybody - this is unusual for her because she is usually anti-social and very into mom or dad. As the self-dubbed "princess" Alyssa has a harder wave to learn and hasn't worked on that yet.

They have all left crawling behind and are walking/running everywhere they go. More pictures soon.

Don't Look Down!!

This awesome photo was done by my husband in photoshop. The tutorial was published in Photoshop Creative which is sold at Borders bookstores everywhere. Doesn't he do a great job??

On a weird note this my 200th post. How weird is that?? When Kirk first brought the idea up for a blog I had no idea what I would write about or when or who would read it. Now it is a daily part of my life and the only way I or the girls will remember my pregnancy and their early years. Go figure.

2nd Blog

I mentioned that I was beginning another blog for writing and I have currently posted the Prologue as well as chapters 1 and 2. Please feel free to check it out and read as you'd like. My goal is to update with a chapter a week so that by the end of the year I should have a complete book. Since I have already completed 2 novels I have a pretty good idea as to how but I also know that life gets busy with triplets, a graduate course and a writing course.

This is my way of making me write and I hope that you make me stick to it!! I won't keep up without people reading so please read and please comment and yes, I will figure out a way to copywrite. Not that I even think I'm that good but you never know.

Link again: Dorinda Writes

Check This Out...

I've mentioned these bows before and now the girls on their website. Yea!! And I think it's the best picture there but I'm a little bias.

No Slippy Hair Clippy

Daily Struggle

Every day I spend my time struggling with whether or not to let the girls play by themselves and cry or if I should stay with them and make sure they are fine (crying still ensues). When all three are crying at my leg, do I leave them and walk away or do I pick one up at a time? Or two at a time? But then I leave one or two out and they are still screaming and I am out of hands. At what point do I really start disciplining?

Having just one at a time meant that one could get all my attention and I could pick them up as needed. Of course, I discipline and they still cried it out at times but not at this age - at least I don't remember that!!

At dinner we have this issue where we must feed the girls to get them to stop screaming while we make dinner but by the time we are ready to sit down and eat they are done and begin screaming in their highchairs. So, we can listen to them scream in their chairs or let them down to scream at our feet. Kirk got video of this one night but I seriously doubt anyone would like to see it! So, of course I struggle with this too.

As I ponder what to do I am also considering all the things that I was not told before I had triplets. I know there are books on the subject of things that you need to know before having a child but so far I have not come across a book on what to expect when having triplets.

A few things you probably wouldn't find in a book about having triplets but probably should:

- the biggest shock by far is that you must know how to blog. If you are unfamiliar with this form of technology then how will you keep your friends and family informed? How will you remember your children's growing up years since obviously you won't have enough time to write it down anywhere else?

- you have to be able to understand a number of strange acronyms - quick what's a MOM? No, not a mom but a MOM (Mother of Multiples). What's an HOM? High order multiples of course. VHOM - well, you get the idea.

- if you find yourself pregnant with multiples you should quickly begin pasting a smile on your face and nodding. "You're having triplets?" Smile and nod. "You have your hands full!" Smile and nod. You will find yourself doing this more often then most other things pregnancy books will have you concerned with.

- you must remember basic biology even if you failed it in high school. What are fraternal twins? What are identical twins? Are triplets actually twins? (no) Can you have triplets "naturally"? (yes) You must also understand what "natural" is.

- none of your appliances will ever be big enough, set money aside to replace all these things - water heater, washer/dryer, dishwasher, fridge, add an extra freezer.

- you will be tripping over kids stuff for the rest of your life - organize in advance - I mean like now even before you have one kid let alone three!! If I could go back I would certainly have started with a better organizational system but alas, I am left struggling to keep up with everything on a daily basis. Fortunately, my husband is forgiving - you should find a forgiving husband too :)

- free time is extremely hard to come by - take advantage of bed rest (if I could go back and tell myself one thing - it would've been this - that hospital stay does eventually end!!) - so, with all my free time I will go write a book and let all the triplet moms in on my vast knowledge!!

Hey, at least I can laugh even when I'm struggling!! It's a gift :)

Is It Spring?

So, I know it's technically January but oh my word it's so nice out. More like a cruel joke because we know it's going to get colder again. I do love winter though so it's okay - I'd like a good snow :) But until then we will enjoy the weather and let the girls out for a walk. And today was the first time ever they walked on grass. A big first!! Woo hoo :) So, forgive me for yet another video (no sound - on my camera again)

Before the "big" walk - still love this stroller!! FYI: Alyssa's in the middle to keep Julianna and Rachel from fighting. She's not as grabby :) In Harris Teeter the other night they each had a cookie - I'm shopping and I hear Alyssa crying behind me - I turn around and Julianna has two cookies and she's eating both. That would be the only negative to this stroller...



Caleb after a block - his leg hurt. Yea, right - he just wanted daddy to carry him.



Julianna's in love - she walked everywhere - have to watch that one and the street!



Rachel had no idea what to do - didn't walk, just crawled - too funny :)



And Alyssa. Well, everyone who knows her knows she's the princess and princesses don't really walk outside and get their feet dirty! I snapped this picture as she was walking to me to pick her up - she would NOT touch that tree. In contrast notice Rachel (above) pratically eating the dirt!



And another video - sorry, it's too fun. I mean it was their first walk in the grass! Sorry about the slight glare. Take notice again of Alyssa's princess like quality - she just sat there!!

Sounds of Triplets

I've been having fun with Kirk's camera and the fact that it actually records sounds. So, I took some fun video of the girls the other day and finally got them to upload (bigger files takes more time!) so here they are to share. I hope I'm not overdoing the video thing :)

I had to get video of Julianna playing - she cracks herself up. Be sure to watch for Julianna and Alyssa playing together - it's adorable! Plus, the sounds of baby laughter. Sorry their noses are runny :)



And this is Julianna talking on the phone - sooo adorable! Notice Rachel attempting to take it away :)



And as promised, some video of Rachel making her annoying crying sound. At least I tried. She starts out so unhappy I'm thinking this is it! Everyone will see how fussy Rachel is but then she shows us all it's just an act...

What??!!

As I set up my blog mostly to share pictures with family and friends I am not as embedded in the blogger "world" as some. I post to keep my parents up to date and put up fun things and pictures. Apparantly that is enough to get a blog-type chain letter :) I don't think that I will die a horrible death in the next week if I don't do it but none the less I have chosen to participate though I think I will only tag 4 people instead of 5 and it's possible they may not participate. Not my fault :) So, thanks to Misty and Cherie I am "it".

Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.


Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog. or

Share the 5 top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list. or

Share 5 things you never pictured being in your future when your were 25 years old.

Tag a minimum of 5, maximum of 10 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

The tagees have a choice of which they want to do.

5 random and/or weird facts about myself:

1. I've written 2 novels but haven't gotten the nerve to submit either for publication.

2. I am addicted to clothes - mostly kids clothes - I just loving dressing all 5 of them!!

3. Part of me wants more kids - how weird is that? I mean I already have 5!! And that is exactly 5 more then I ever thought I would have.

4. I am totally addicted to all kinds of crime shows - all of them (I hate reality TV - I want something well written - kind of follows #1 and the whole writing thing)

5. At the end of this month I begin taking a Master's course in Criminal Profiling which is the beginning of my journey to a Master's in Forensic Psychology (either that or a really good novel). This course is being added to my writing course that I am now halfway done with. Yes, I'm crazy!!

So, there you have it 5 random things about me that you probably never wanted to know anyway!!

I will add that I am beginning a new blog: www.dorindawrites.blogspot.com - this is probably #6 on the list :) Basically I'm going to post my novel there one chapter at a time and hopefully one week at a time. Chapter 1 isn't there yet but will be this week so check in if you're interested in fiction at all!! Keep in mind it is my first draft and will need tons of revisions. Feel free to make comments especially if I've gotten some facts wrong.

Also, I must apologize but I only have 4 people to tag instead of the required minimum of 5 - again, I know of no severe consequences so don't feel bad if you don't feel like doing it!

So, Mandi, Ute, Kristy and Sally you are now "it"!! Have fun :)

Better Late Then Never...

I am fully aware that Christmas is almost two weeks ago and I promised pictures of the kids playing on their toys but I never really got around to posting it. So, better late then never...

Caleb's biggest gift was a big hit - the Fisher Price Smart Cycle - notice Alyssa enjoying the TV - she's watching Caleb's game from her new chair :)



Go Caleb! You're doing great!



Here's Alyssa on her chair. She likes to sit on it and it's very cute - also by Fisher Price :)



And the girls like to do this all the time - I think Rachel's bound to be a tomboy - motorcycles and 4-wheelers??



More pictures and video soon! I'm still playing catch-up and the house is not yet organized but we did take down the Christmas tree and decorations today. Christmas is officially over :(

If I Had Quads...

It's been a while since I took pictures of my girls and their best friend Lauren. Surprisingly Lauren is just 10 months but in this video she looks like she is the same age. So, this is what it would be like if I had quads... Not a lot different really :) (Any quad mom reading this is balking right now!!)

And, yes, the girls have enough toys. This is even after we tried to clean up. Actually Julianna and Rachel are playing in a toy I had put to the side so they wouldn't play in it (and to free up some space) but yet, they got into it anyway!! And this would be an example of why my house is always a disaster.

Speaking of which - here are my new year's resolutions (3 days late - I'm behind already!)

1. Spend less - this is my biggest focus
2. Become more organized - I think this is on my list every year but hopefully #1 will help with #2 - it's an all over thing
3. Work on my novel - I'd like to say finish it but come on, I have to think seriously!!

Best Kind of Calendar

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Caught Being Silly

As the year is coming to a close I wanted to share a few pictures of the girls from different days over the last month or so when I caught them being a little goofy or I just found them in random places. Sometimes I dare to leave them alone for a while (so I can go to the bathroom or brush my teeth - you know, the little things!) and when I come back to find them again they are doing something crazy. Like the time Caleb left the garage door open and I found all three of them in the garage! They had each gotten down the two steps and onto the hard cement floor and they were heading towards the wood pile. Turn my back for a second... Anyway, I hope you get a little laugh.

In case you're wondering - they are eating cheerios out of the play table. No, the cheerios didn't stay in there long. The first thing Alyssa did was rub her hands in them and shake them all out. But there were enough left on the bottom for the three of them to share and I just had to snap some pictures - such a riot!

I Have A Moonbounce In My Living Room

And other Christmas stories by Dorinda Nelson

So, I kind of guessed what my brother and sister-in-law had mailed us and it was a moonbounce! Being from Florida they thought we could set it up outside and let the kids play but what they failed to realize is that it's about 30 degrees up here and no kids are playing outside especially when there's (sadly) no snow.

Here's some photos of our moonbounce blown up in the middle of the living room. The thing is so big that it touches the couch and that's where the opening is so it makes it interesting for the kids to get in and out but at least the babies aren't falling on the floor :)

Kaitlyn and Alyssa:



Alyssa being goofy:



Rachel was so excited to "fall" out of the moonbounce on to the couch:



How the living room looks when the thing is blown up: (It's massize and no, it won't be staying in the living room for long - in the summer it will be fun to use outside and the kids are looking forward to that.)



And I had to include some video of the triplets bouncing. Partly because it's cute but mostly because I know my brother and sister-in-law would love to see it. Enjoy!



As for the rest of Christmas it went very well. I wrapped presents for what felt like a week in advance and then as is our tradition we put all the gifts under the tree on Christmas Eve so that on Christmas morning the kids wake up and find their pile of gifts.

With just "one" Christmas - in other words, no seperate one for grandparents or other relatives the kids got a load of gifts under the tree. Plus, I wrap things seperately - every book, game, etc. so that they have more to open. Christmas morning only lasts so long!



Just before the unwrapping started:



Kaitlyn got some Littlest Pet Shop - her favorite.



Caleb got some "boy" toys:



Kaitlyn got a new chair for her room - not on her list but she loves it and she needed it - now she has a place to sit and read all those new books...



One of Caleb's most desirable gifts! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa :)



As for the triplets, they didn't seem to care a lot for Christmas. They were very interested in their toys especially when daddy was putting them together but I didn't get any pictures of them - oops!! I will attempt to take some with their new toys in the days to come. They each got a little Fisher Price chair and I'm hoping to actually get them sitting down in it but my house has been overrun for the past few days and is a disaster so once I climb out of the mess I'm in I will focus on other things like pictures :)

And in other good news, I got Kirk a new digital camera and it records sound so now I'll actually be able to record things like Rachel's annoying grunting sounds and the girl's crying. See all that you have to look forward to!

Merry Christmas one last time.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

And all through the house, lots of creatures are stirring, mostly the cat. That and mom and dad attemtpting to get ready for the big day tomorrow. Our first "real" Christmas with five kids. Last year didn't quite count. Although my mom was here last year and that was so nice. This year it's "just" the seven of us :)

After much debate and trial over lots of strollers we finally got a new one and it's a triple-wide jogging stroller. This thing is great! It turns easily, has a huge basket it in the bottom and the girls are all up "front" so there's no complaining on their end about that. The downside is that it is too wide to fit into most doors and is almost too big for the back of our van. Another reason we could use a bigger vehicle but that is a whole other debate!

So, for me, Christmas came a bit early:



I think the girls like it too:



And Kaitlyn singing tonight at church at our Christmas Eve service - so beautiful!



All the kids:



With all the kids dressed in their Christmas picture best I tried getting some pictures but once again, it is a huge chore to get all 5 kids to sit still and cooperate. I got a good pictures of Alyssa though:



More pictures tomorrow! I hope you all have a wonderful day...

School Christmas Party

After last night's "big" extravaganza today at school was essentially a play day or the school class parties where you give gifts to the class and the teacher.

I do need to add that Caleb piped up during last night's program with "Are we done yet?" (yes, right in the middle). He also asked me after it was over if we had any money. When I asked why he said he wanted to buy some cookies. He's so cute. Everyone brought cookies to share - they were free.

Then this morning when I got him up for the party he told me that his favorite time at school are party days and days where he does a play and just has to sit there for a short time :) He cracks me up all the time even though he's very serious in all he does and so matter-of-fact. It isn't any kid that can actually take the attention away from his triplet sisters!

So, here are some pictures from today. All the classrooms decorated their doors for the holiday based on a different country. They were then "judged" this morning. Kaitlyn's class had Germany and won "most informative" - yea, because it was covered in facts about Germany and not much else :) Caleb's class got "most original" or something like that. His teacher did a great job and had her three kids lay down and traced them.

Joseph and an Angel

Also known as Caleb and Kaitlyn. Tonight was the kids Christmas program at school and although it was very short the kids were adorable. Trust me on this even though you'll notice in the pictures that Caleb would NOT smile. That's just him.

My angel Kaitlyn before the big play:



And this is Caleb in his awesome Joseph costume (a very nice robe from Target - did they have those in Bethlehem??!!)



Performing



Two "Angels"



Mary and Joseph - aaaahh!!



The whole crew (like I said - it's a small school but the kids love it)



And just what were the triplets doing while the play was going on? Funny you should ask - I caught a bit on "video" (my camera has no sound - sorry). At least you can tell that they are walking quite a bit better :)

6 Days Till Christmas

So, my idea was to try and take a picture of the girls playing somewhere near the tree but if the video wasn't on they were crying and if it was they would only look that way and not at me.

The girls love to climb up on the fireplace and shake the doors. Julianna is the loudest but Rachel does her share. Here she wanted to play but couldn't help herself - she had to watch the video too. This one is a new one - we opened our present from Grandpa and Grandma early :)



Will anybody look at me? The gift behind them is from their Uncle Daniel and soon-to-be Aunt Kim. What in the heck did they ship to us? It's as heavy as it is big. Stay tuned for Christmas Day.



And without the video... They're staring at Daddy trying to figure out whether or not they should laugh or cry.

Pray For This Family

In the triplet world we often know people through e-mail or blogs and not always in person. As such, when I was on bedrest last year I met a friend in Alabama. Her triplets were born a few weeks earlier then mine. Other then one of them staying in the hospital for two months they were all heatlthy and are now home and fine.

Recently she e-mailed me to pray for a family that is friends with someone in her church. I'd like you all to check out your story and remember this family in your prayers.

Kelli became spontaneously pregnant with identical quadruplet girls. Unfortunately due to complications she gave birth to these girls at just 24 weeks. Baby A, B and D did not survive. Only Baby C, Callie is still alive. Please check out their story and remember them in your prayers. Even though I don't know them they are in my thoughts:

http://meddersfamily.googlepages.com/home

You Know You Blog Too Much When...

Anyone who blogs just a little can relate to the small amount of stress that occurs when you need to come up with a new blog entry. This was happening to me the other day so I thought I'd pass along a few thoughts.

You Know You Blog Too Much When...

- you spend your day coming up with catchy blog titles ("My Day" can only be used so often)

- you don't actually go to the zoo or the museum or even Disney World to enjoy it - it makes a really good blog entry

- on the same token, pictures are more like "photo-ops" to be added to the blog and spice up the story

- a bad day isn't really a bad day - it's just another good blog entry

- your kid's childhood is basically just the blog - you have no other pictures (or baby books) to prove they exist

- you create situations at home or while out to make the blog more interesting

- you force your kids to be funny (or just walk) so you can capture it on video - for the blog of course

- some of your friends don't really exist except in the comment section (and we feel very lonely when we don't get comments!!)

- you e-mail yourself blog ideas for later so you don't forget or write your ideas down somewhere else to have on hand for an "off" day

- you stress over how often to blog - is every day too much? every other day? do people want to read it that often? if you get a good post how long do you wait before doing another - after all you want everyone to read it right?

And, yes, I have been blogging too much :)

"Portraits" of 13 Month Old Triplets

Julianna Mabel Nelson: Still has a scar on her forehead and is still the most crazy of the three. She is hugely attached to a few people and if they don't give her the full attention she wants she will lose it (definitely includes mom) Her emotions are a roller coaster - if she likes something she will grin from ear to ear and bounce and giggle - quite adorable. If she doesn't like it then we know immediately with a temper tantrum. The good part is that she's getting more cuddly by the day - there's nothing better then when she lays her head down on my shoulder. Who can pass on that??!!




Food: likes bananas and waffles and pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches and lasagna but LOVES milk - whether a bottle or sippy cup she loves to drink.

Teeth: Still has eight.

Walking: She's making progress but really loves to use a walker of any kind. However she is the most determined, when she falls down she pushes herself right back up. She's always throwing herself into the next thing. Headstrong and first - I thought she'd be the first to walk but I was quite wrong on that.



Rachel Gabrielle Nelson: She seems to be the most complex and definitely the most cranky. When she is content she can sit and play quietly and make herself giggle with a toy. She is the one who lets us know it's time to eat and time to take a nap. She really likes her mom but not enough to cuddle except when we're watching TV and she'll let herself lay back on me to look up and watch. She still prefers to be held looking out. I would have to say she's the daredevil of the group and would love to throw herself off just about everything she can find. I think she'll be my gymnast :) She's my morning person - I know she's always up the earliest but she sleeps the best during the day.



Food: She LOVES food - can't shovel it in fast enough but she hates to drink. She'll eat just about anything I eat but if she doesn't like it you can bet it's getting chucked over the side of her highchair. This is usually her milk after her first sip (unless it's in her bottle) - once her cup is gone if she gets thirsty she just steals from Alyssa. Why not?

Teeth: Still has four. Even though she was the last to get teeth I now can't remember those toothless smiles...

Walking: She's really good. She's too small to be walking but she does it anyway.



Alyssa Elaine Nelson: Strangely the quietest and loudest all at the same time. She is generally the most content and the most cuddly but when she is upset she can wake the dead. She requires the least amount of sleep and lets me know it every day. The funnest time is to watch her sit and read a book - the others do too but she seems to examine every page. When the TV comes on she is the most attentive and doesn't move a muscle until the video is over. She could be held and carried by anybody. So far she's also the only one that dances and makes funny moves. We have a special little kiss where I will lean my head into her and she will lean into me and we just touch heads and cuddle. So cute. She also loves to stick out her tongue as she's working on something. I'll work on getting a picture of that!



Food: She's not the best eater but not the worst :) She picks things apart carefully and her mouth is never stuffed. She has her likes and if she doesn't like it she will eat around it. She loves Yogos. They all like real food such as lasagna and enchiladas which is unusual since the older two don't. As for drink, Alyssa does okay - again, in between but she's not the middle triplet!

Teeth: Alyssa now has 6 teeth!! Three on top and three on bottom but the newest two do not line up which I find kind of funny. Top right and bottom left :)

Walking: Also doing a great job - she'll be running soon. She enjoys climbing up the blocks and sliding down them head first.

And that is how I see the girls at 13 months. Someday I'll get to use this blog as a reference for myself and remember how they were. Maybe they'll read it and laugh at how they were then. I'm not sure but right now I'm celebrating the fact that I have survived a month longer than a year.

Sometimes life ends at that "big" moment - the wedding day, the birthday whatever. I forget there is life beyond. Now I have proof that I can survive past a year! Here's to another month.

(Pictures courtesty of Baby Faith video in the car - yep, they work great there too! Julianna throws a fit when we turn the car off.)