Has it been a year already?

I can't believe it has been since Aug. 3rd that I have posted. I guess I have been busy being a mom to 4 very active children. Brooke and Ryan are both walking now with Gaby not far behind. They are getting in to everything. It's been fun but I'll be happy when the colds and teething take a little time off.

We are so excited and shocked that the babies birthday is 3 weeks away. I thought Ashlyn's first year went quickly. In honor of this special occasion we are throwing a party for anyone who would like to come. We are having an open house type celebration on Sunday, Nov. 11, from 2-4 pm at the Corona community center. Everyone is welcome. We are serving cake and ice cream. I plan to put it in the paper also but wanted to give you all a heads up. We are not sending invitations because we want to invite everyone but don't want to send out 350 invitations. We hope to see you there.

I wanted to remember the highlights of this year, so here is a year in review.

Help Wanted.

Since the 4 to 2 ratio of babies to adults has increased our work load tremendously, we've enlisted in some paid help. Her ad said "Will work for Oreos" so we just couldn't pass up the opportunity.She actually did this all by herself...............and bunny must have been satisfied, we didn't hear a peep out of her.These are some photos of the girls in the pool. Gaby loves it the most, she splashes up a storm and likes to be on her belly and swim. Ryan also got to swim but since we only had the pink bikini he went skinny dipping. I think I have given him enough ammunition for future therapy without posting photos of his bare butt.So instead here is my little boy standing. Who taught him to do that, already, anyway?As you can see, Brooke is almost baring her butt (and other things) also. The suit is one Ashlyn wore last year and a bit too big for either of the girls.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I mailed out photo's just like the one in the right corner (family photo in the hammock) to everyone on our Christmas list, yesterday. If you don't get one in the next couple of weeks, we probably don't have your address. If you would like one please get your address to us and I'll try to get it to you as soon as I can. Since it took me almost 3 months to send these you might get it by Christmas.

You gonna eat that?

Oh the joys of learning to self feed!! I seem to be the only one with enough patience to allow the babies to start experimenting with food. I'll admit it does take a lot of extra work but I am looking at the big picture here. The sooner they can eat by themselves the sooner I can eat my own meal, by myself, without having to feed someone else.
I've learned a few tricks along the way. One is that the bath tub is the easiest place to wash 3 highchair trays at once. The second is to strip the babies before giving them something messy. Especially if I plan to bathe them anyway. The babies love the teething biscuits but they are a rare treat. I think you can see why.
This is Brooke eating cheerios without making the slightest mess.

This is Brooke with mashed potatoes in her ear.Ryan's first taste of chocolate chip cookie. It's one of the food groups, right?If only I could find a way to bathe the babies and wash the dishes all together.I couldn't get a picture of Brooke in the ducky bathtub. Sorry Brooke, I'll do it next time. She was trying so hard to stand up in it that I couldn't reach for my camera.If you think bathing is fun, check out the after party. They are all getting lots of hair. Brooke even had her first hair cut. I'll post pictures of it soon. Ryan has been standing without assistance now, for a few seconds. He practices all the time. Gaby is crawling pretty good now and has started pulling up onto her knees at furniture.

Thank you.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to all those who have helped make our lives easier. First of all, I'd like to thank my mom. In my last post, when I said it was a typical day in our house, I neglected to mention my mom is usually there helping me. She actually quit her job, once the babies were born, to come and help me. Without her, I would either have nothing but gray hair, or none at all. I would probably have sold the kids on EBay by now. I would also like to thank my dad for being Grandpa and for all the times he's been there for us.

Thank you to the rest of my siblings and their families. Rick, Miriam, Bennett, and Elisabeth, for all the times they've come to play with the kids. Cory, for emotional support over the phone and keeping us in his prayers. Brenden, Heather, Josh, and Nathan for also playing with the kids. Patrick, Jamie, and Abigail for sending a big box of diapers when the babies were born and for working on our van (Ashlyn still talks about Abigail since she was last here for a visit). Sarah, Dave, Morgan, Nicholas, and Kayla for all the playtime with the kids.

Thank you to Vicky and Raymond for being Grandma and Grandpa. Vicky has spent many hours babysitting, cooking, and cleaning for us and Raymond comes along most times to help hold the babies. The kids always get excited when they see them.

Thank you to Lance's siblings and their families. Marcie, Ed, Lorranda, David, Austin, Tyler, Dillon, Sarah, and Ellie for all the babysitting and clothes for the kids. Kelly, Donna, Keeran, and Jack for the gifts they've given the kids. Rita for babysitting and for the gifts she's given (we still owe you a thank you card for the Dora book and cute jeans you sent to Ashlyn, she loves them).

Thank you to the secret diaper gnomes from Duluth, MN. They have been sending us money and coupons for diapers since the babies were born. It has been very much appreciated. Diapers ain't cheap.

Thank you to Lance's extended family for everything they've done. Mike and Mary Koski for all the baby furniture and kids toys they've donated. Mike and Jill Koski for the huge supply of diapers, tons of toys, jogger stroller, tricycle and there is probably more that I can't think of right now. Brian and Dolora Musech for outfitting our children in camo (makes daddy so proud) and for the big box of rechargeable batteries and charger. Also, thanks Brian for making sure Lance still makes time for hunting (though it's been hard to let him go, he does need a little time off). Scott, Annette, Sam, Chris, Thomas, and Carly Allen for babysitting (they even spent the night to take care of our 3 newborns). Mary Chapin, Linda Roberts, and Ellen Hudson for all the bargain garage sale finds. Roger and Debbie Anderson and their daughter Tina, for all the clothes and baby items they donated. Jean and Howard Quade for all the babysitting and things you've done for us. Dene for the never ending supply of clothes and all the baby furniture (our kids would be naked most of the time if it weren't for you).

Thank you to my extended family for everything they've done for us. I have so many Aunts, Uncles, and cousins that have helped us out. Also, while growing up, I loved spending time with my grandma, Verla Miller, and now I get to see my kids spending time with her, and they love her too.

Thank you to our many friends and family for being our support and for thinking of us. You've made our lives a lot easier and so much more fun.

Thank you to all the medical staff that helped to bring our children into this world (and have done their best to keep us sane). Dr. Peter Reynen and the staff at Milbank Medical Center and Milbank Area Hospital, Dr. Kevin Benson and the staff at Prairie Lakes Hospital, Dr. Jeffery Boyle and the staff at Sanford, and especially Dr. Keith Hansen and his staff for helping us get pregnant in the first place. You may notice I created a link to his site (Sanford Women's Health) for anyone looking for help with infertility. He and his staff are wonderful.

I'm sure there are people I've forgotten. If you don't see your name, please don't feel unappreciated. It's 10:30 pm and my brain is getting tired.

A day in the life with (almost) 8 month old triplets and a 2 year old.

I thought I'd show you why I haven't posted in a month. Here is an example of a usual day in our house.

0600 -- wake up to the sound of Ryan shrieking and possibly, babbling from the girls. Also Ashlyn could be reading herself a book in her bed or climbing into bed with me and saying "Hi mommy".

0640 -- I make 3 bottles containing 6-8 oz of formula. The babies finally learned how to hold their own bottles about a month ago. I cried..........not because it meant they were growing up, but because until now, we were feeding each baby, one at a time, and it took forever. Although I miss the bonding, this way I can eat my own breakfast while I'm sitting in the recliner watching them. Before they could hold their own bottles, I was lucky to get anything to eat until they were back down for a nap.

0700 -- 4 diaper changes. There is usually at least one with a bonus (aka- poop).

Steps to changing an 8 month old or a toddler:

Step one -- smell baby's butt to see if they stink.

Step two -- pinch babies diaper to see approximately how many more ounces of pee it can hold. If either the diaper stinks or feels like the maximum pee load has been reached, proceed to step three. If neither applies, place baby back in escape mode and grab next baby.

Step three -- lay baby on it's back and remove soiled diaper. If this diaper contains only pee, use approximately 1 wipe. If this diaper contains a bonus, use approximately 18 wipes (7 to clean the bottom and peri area, 3 to wipe your fingers after you've stuck them in poo 3 times, 5 to wipe the floor after the discarded diaper got picked up by another baby who thought it looked edible, and 3 more to wipe your fingers again after you've cleaned up the floor. Then sanitize and proceed to step four.

Step four -- retrieve the bare butt that has now crawled half way to the kitchen.

Step five -- replace baby on it's back and hold it's arms down with your feet.

Step six -- put a clean diaper under baby's butt and apply cream if needed.

Step seven -- shoo away other 2 babies and toddler who have come to investigate and are trying to grab the butt cream.

Step eight -- remove pinned baby's mouth from your toes and insert binky.

Step nine -- strap diaper tightly and place baby back into escape mode. Then grab baby number 2 and return to step 1.

0830 -- Nap time!!! Not for me, for the babies. While the babies are napping, I get Ashlyn dressed and feed her breakfast, then load the dishwasher. We only have a small, portable dishwasher so I have to load it several times to keep up with the bottles and dishes but it sure beats washing everything by hand.

0930 -- Breakfast for the babies who have just woke up from their nap. I mix 1 cup of dry baby oatmeal with 8 oz of formula then defrost 5 cubes of homemade pureed fruit cubes. I started making my own baby food a couple of weeks ago and though it sounds hard, it's really easy and we save a lot on our grocery bill. I add the fruit to the oatmeal and feed all 3 babies at once. It's like playing a game of jab and duck. Jab in the baby food and duck before it hits you in the eye. Cereal is followed by drinks. No, I'm not talking about margaritas, but don't think the thought hasn't crossed my mind. The babies get sips of water with a tiny bit of baby juice added to try and teach them how to use a cup.

0945 -- Babies go into the exersaucers (one of the best inventions since the disposable diaper) and I clean up 3 highchairs and unload the dishwasher and reload. Then a coffee break for me while I watch the babies try to catapult themselves out of the exersaucers. Except Gabriella, she likes to sway back and forth.

1015 -- It's diaper duty again. Repeat step 1-9.

1030 -- Put the babies on the floor and close the gate while I put in a load of laundry and fold the ones in the dryer from last night, or maybe last week.

1045 -- Get babies dressed. I love summer because getting them dressed usually means taking off their PJs and letting them wear the onesies underneath.

1115 -- Whoo hoo!!! It's nap time again. We have started putting Brooke down in the pack and play in our bedroom because otherwise she plays this really annoying game. She stands up in the crib and cries because she can't get back down. You heard me right, we have an almost 8 month old (who is a preemie) who stands already, and she's been doing it for at least a week. Today Ryan started it also. "Look out mama, soon we'll be running".

1130 -- Lunch time for mommy and Ashlyn. Tell me this, how can you have a toddler who rarely had hot dogs, and used to love all healthy things like broccoli, carrots, and even spinach, all of a sudden, when you say we are having mac and cheese and hot dogs for lunch say "yay, my favorite!!" I think they add a little nicotine to those things to make kids addicted. Little does she know that I added pureed mixed vegetables to the mac and cheese.

1200 -- Ashlyn takes a nap and I add more to the dishwasher and start it again. I throw leftover mac and cheese and more mixed vegetables into the blender and puree, then pour it into ice cube trays for future baby food.

1230 -- Sit down with my second cup of coffee to watch Bold and the Beautiful. I know, watching soaps is like having your brain sucked out with a Black and Decker, one half hour at a time, but a girl's gotta have one guilty pleasure. Plus, since my brain was replaced by packing peanuts when I gave birth to the triplets, I don't give much thought to losing aptitude.

1300 -- Babies are awake!! Don bibs and place on boppy pillows (another great invention). Insert bottle. While babies are content and half way to a milk induced coma, I wash another load of laundry and pick up the floor. Most often, picking up the floor also includes picking up escaping babies and returning them to the boppy pillows to finish their bottles. (Note to self: formula laced with rum speeds up milk induced coma).

1330 -- Play with babies on the floor. PS ~ This is not the only time I play with the babies. I try to turn everything we do into a game. We sing lots of silly songs. It makes life interesting for Ashlyn and also myself. Life shouldn't have to feel like work, especially when you don't get paid.

1415 -- Lunch for the babies. Today they had the pureed mac and cheese and for dessert, a graham cracker. They are learning how to feed themselves.

1445 -- Babies go down for another nap and I clean graham cracker goo off of 3 high chairs. Then I throw another load of laundry into the washer and fold the previous load. It may get put away. It may spend weeks (months) in a laundry basket.

1600 -- Babies are awake. Diapers are changed again and back into the exersaucers while I start making supper.

1700 -- Babies are fed supper. Lance is home now and he fed them peas and a few cheerios.

1730 -- Supper for us. We had tacos.

1800 -- I Clean up and Lance packs up the leftovers. After almost 11 years of marriage, I still insist that he does this. Call me difficult, but if I spend all the time making the meal, the least he can do is help by putting it away. Thanks Lance.

1830 -- Lance makes 3 more bottles and hands them to the babies.

1845 -- Together, we change all 4 kids diapers and put on jammies.

1900 -- A little quite play time, in our house, that usually means screaming and laughter is only heard by our nearest neighbors, and not the ones 3 miles down the road.

1930 -- Put babies to bed.

1935 -- Shrieking is heard. Go back into the nursery and pick up Ryan's binky off the floor. Then lay him, from the squatting position, back onto his back, and give him his blanky. Tell him good night.

1937 -- Investigate sobs from the nursery and find Brooke standing, once again in her crib and can't get back down. Lay her down and give her back her blanky. Pat her back and say good night.

1942 -- Give all babies a dose of Motrin (and a thimble of whiskey) and lay them all down....again....and say good night. The Motrin isn't in the usual bedtime routine but all 4 of our children happen to be teething at the moment. When all else fails, drug 'em.

2030 -- Ashlyn goes to bed, but only after a drink of milk, brushing her teeth (when we remember) and reading a book (either we read one to her or she takes one to bed with her).

2100 -- Mommy time: Peace and quite, a healthy snack like yogurt, almonds, or cereal (cookies, ice cream, or cake) and if Lance goes to bed, the remote without a fight.

2200 -- Bed time for me, if there is nothing better on TV.

Tonight it is a little past my bed time because I got caught up in updating this blog. Tomorrow I have to work, so I better get going. Just a little more info about the kids.

Ashlyn has gotten some time with us, away from the babies, lately. We went to the park a couple of times, and the zoo. She is developing more mommy instincts daily. She comforts them when they cry, especially when she was the one to make them cry. She likes to hold their bottle for them, and then take it away to wipe their face with their bib...every 35 seconds. Her latest thing is trying to pick them up. Tonight she was caught trying to pick Ryan up by his head.

Gabriella started rolling over and gets up on her hands and knees once in a while. Though she is the least mobile she is the fastest one to develop speech. She started saying her consonants a couple of weeks ago. Ma ma, Ga ga, Ba ba and Da da. We feel so bad for her because she watches the other babies crawling around and swims for all she is worth but doesn't get anywhere. She loves to sway and her favorite game is to stand on your lap and hold your thumbs and rock backward and forward. If you try and take your hand away she yells at you. She has one tooth on the bottom and the other just broke the skin.

Ryan is crawling all over the place. Like I said he just started pulling himself up to furniture today. He loves to eat and is still the biggest of the 3. He has taken to shrieking an ear splitting scream both to show excitement and anger. He is the one that tries to roll over and crawl no matter what he happens to be doing. If he is drinking a bottle he drops it and rolls over, then cries because he doesn't have it. He even rolls over and crawls in the bathtub. He says Ma ma and just started saying Da da yesterday. His first tooth is just starting to come through.

Brooke still army crawls and has explored every inch of our house except the basement. For being the littlest she makes darn sure that she does everything first and the fastest. She likes to crawl right over top of the other 2 babies and it really ticks them off. She spends most of her day pulling herself up at either the baby gate, Ashlyn's Dora folding chair, or her crib. She has 2 teeth on the bottom and the top 2 are coming in. Her hair is so cute right now. She still has long baby hair, but where she rubbed off most of her hair on her bumper pad in her crib, she has this stuff that sticks straight out. It looks like we buzzed it about 2 months ago. She likes to smile and laugh a lot but she has been showing stranger anxiety the most lately.

A few of my favorite photos.

Ashlyn eating one of her favorites. "Chwaket cake". Gabriella wearing a pretty sundress on the one warm day we had this past week.Ryan with his buddy, Mason Rondeau. He is the son of Sam and Jen. They are good friends of ours that live in Shakopee, MN. Mason was born at the end of December.

A quiet moment with Brooke. If only I had more days like this.