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.

Red, White, and Blue.

I would like to dedicate this to all the veterans and active service men and women of our country. Especially to my brother, Cory, who is my hero. Thank you for making our country what it is today. Without your dedication, and hard work, who knows what we would be facing each day. Your an inspiration to those of us who've only seen war on our television screens. You are in my heart and on my mind today. God bless you!!

Ah, sleep.........it's a beautiful thing.

It's surprising how much difference a little sleep can make. Last night I had the first solid night of sleep I've had in a long time. I feel so great that I feel like dancing.

I actually exercised this morning, which I haven't done in weeks. Getting dressed in the morning has been the extent of my daily workout lately. To be honest I haven't even done that very much lately(thank you to whomever decided pajama pants and fluffy slippers can be stylish). I have been struggling with sleep for many years now and since having children it has gotten worse. When my body says "ok, it's time to go to bed" my brain says "wait, there is so much to think about, worry about, ponder, question, debate, explore, and plan". Though I have used this time to my advantage a few times it's mostly a hindrance to my well being. If you've ever noticed me behaving a bit strange( more so than usual) it can probably be attributed to lack of sleep.

This past, glorious, night of sleep can be attributed to many things. My kids are almost over their colds so they're sleeping better, Lance has been helping out more often lately(refer to post below, if you haven't already), and drugs. Yes, Tom Cruise, sometimes drugs can be good. Speaking as a health professional, sometimes drugs are very good.I won't disclose what these particular medications are(unless the drug companies decided to send a couple of bucks my way for promoting their product) but I will assure you that they are prescription and I am being monitored by my doctor. I realize that meds will not solve everyones problems and that they are not a cure all. Normally, I hate taking medications, but sometimes they are needed and I hope I feel this good tomorrow.

I have been a bit stressed lately, what with having 4 children, 2 and under. It hasn't been easy. After wanting to be a mom for my whole life and my dreams finally coming true, all at once, there is a lot of work involved. There is also a lot of worrying. I should be enjoying every minute of this. I have always loved babies and I now I have 4 of them. Plus they are adorable and their smiles make me melt. There have been times when I have thought my life couldn't get any better. But there have also been times when I could have walked out the door and not looked back, for at least a couple of hours.

For now I feel good and I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. Until the next wave of stress and anxiety hits me. I'm sure every person who reads this can relate in some way. I hope you can find peace, as well. Even for a moment.

An Ode to My Husband.

With Father's Day just around the corner, I'd like to take this time to appreciate the father of my children. He may not be a perfect man but then again, who is? The man that he is, can best be defined as hardworking, honest(most of the time), loyal, a wonderful playmate(for the kids that is), funny(at least I think so), trustworthy(the only person I know that will not tell a soul if I confide in him), dependable(the first person I call when I need help), silly(oh, the stories I could tell), cheerful(not many people love to laugh as much as he does), devoted(any of his family and friends can tell you about some way that he has helped them out and that they can always count on him), and the list could go on and on.

This is the man that gave me reason to get up every morning, for the 8 years that we struggled with infertility. He drove me to 3 different states for countless appointments, gave me hundreds of injections(he may have enjoyed that part), let me cry on his shoulder when times where the roughest, and didn't give up when we thought there was no hope.

He held my hand through the delivery of all 4 of our children. He spent 3 days and 3 nights, pushing with his fist as hard as he could on the small of my back, during back labor with Ashlyn. He cooked and cleaned for me, while working full time, during my bedrest with the triplets. He watched over our tiny newborn babies in the NICU when I was too exhausted to get out of bed after the delivery.

He has taught Ashlyn some of really important things. Things like sitting back and enjoying the view.

Snow is cold but it's also fun.
That shampoo can be more than just a cleaning product.
That a deer head can make a good wall ornament(in your basement, that is).

That it's not the size of fish you caught that matters, but how much fun you had catching it.He is the parent that teaches the kids that life isn't always scary. That fun can be found in the simplest things. He is the Ying to my Yang. I've heard that people are attracted to their opposite because it gives their children balance. If I would say "no, it's too dangerous", he would say "come on, lets run". Though our parenting styles are completely different, we have the same goal. To see our kids grow up happy and healthy.



So thank you Lance for giving me our children and for helping to make them who they are.

What I learned on Mother's Day.

I will be the first one to admit that I am a perfectionist. How can I just come right out and admit that?? Well the first thing you'll notice about a perfectionist is that they, at all times, want to appear perfect. The second thing you'll notice is that they like to brag about it. Today I learned a very valuable lesson which I hope to not forget any time soon.

Today was Mother's Day and it really was a beautiful day. Lance and I decided (ok I decided and he didn't disagree.......very much) a couple of months ago to have the babies baptised on Mother's Day, by the same person who baptised myself and Ashlyn 2 years ago. To make this work we had to get everyone dressed, pack up the van, and drive a half hour to be the church by 10:45 AM.

My perfectionistic self decided that not only could it be done but it could be done, well. Our perfect children would look perfect, as would I and so I set out to find the perfect outfits for the perfect price (meaning cheap). It wasn't easy but I did it. Then to make things easier for the morning of the baptism, I packed the diaper bag, you guessed it, perfectly. I made a list, I checked it twice. Everything we could possibly need to care for 3 infants and a toddler for approximately 2.5 hours (in case the sermon ran long) plus an afternoon at Grandma's house.

At approximately 6:30 am I woke up to feed the first baby and then proceeded to shower, dress, eat, get Ashlyn dressed, fix her hair, fix my hair, change diapers, undress babies, dress babies, strap them into car seats, pack them into the car with Ashlyn, and I think you get the picture. Lance did help a little, ok more than a little. My goal was to leave at 9:30 am. To my surprise we actually did! We made it to the church by 10 am so that we could dress the babies (who were wearing only onsies so that their perfect outfits wouldn't get messy on the way) and to be seated in our pew before the service began.

I took Ryan out of his carseat and started looking for his perfect outfit. Where is it?? I could have cried. All of the perfect outfits were still hanging on the kitchen chair, back at home, where I'd hung them so carefully this morning. At least the babies were all wearing white onsies. So I shrugged and said "Oh well".

The service started and was going well for about 5 minutes. I knew Ashlyn would get bored but I didn't count on her being replaced by psycho-child. She was up, she was down, she was sideways, she whined, she screamed, she talked louder than a whisper, she wanted to go outside, no inside, upstairs, no downstairs. OK so she's 2. I guess I can't expect her to be perfect in church especially when she was hungry, tired, bored, and battling a cold.

After all that I just gave up. I had a meltdown and a half, and then was just too tired to complain anymore about how my perfect day was ruined.

Now it is the end of the day and as I think back, I realize something. Does it really matter that they didn't get to wear their perfect outfits?? No. Does it matter that people saw that my 2 year old isn't perfect?? No. I could even sit and list a few more things that, in my mind, were not perfect enough.

Do you want to know what does matter?? I was lucky enough to carry Gabriella, Ryan, and Brooke to 35 weeks and they are healthy and beautiful. I was given Ashlyn after 8 years of wanting a baby desperately. I am a mom because of them. My babies were all baptised today, which brings them one step closer to knowing the God that I know. My 80 something Grandmother got to see her granddaughter, who shares her middle name, be baptised today. I got to spend time with my mom and mother-in-law, sitting around the kitchen table gossiping over coffee. These are the things that I will remember.

You want to know what I learned today?? If you stress about the small stuff, you miss out on the really big stuff.

But I did dress the babies up in their perfect outfits when we got home and took their picture. That way I can still say "Here you are in the outfits you wore on the day that you were baptised".

"This is SNOT what I signed up for"

Our house can be described as happily chaotic on most days of the week, deliriously joyful on some, and downright disastrous on a few. These past 2 weeks we've seen a few more of those days since our family caught a bug. And I don't mean we're keeping a beetle in a jar with holes in the lid. As you can see from the picture, our sense of humor remains in tact.

I have spent days and nights with a sick baby, while I myself was sick, in the past. Until now I had never spent endless days and endless nights with 4 babies, all of them sick. Wait, since Lance is also sick, make that 5 babies. (Girls, you know what I'm talking about.) I don't even want to discuss all the snot I've extracted in the past 2 weeks. And of course when they have legs to assist them in escape, it's never as simple as gently dabbing at the copious amounts of green goo hanging off of their face. You have to run after them, tackle them, and then while your begging them to "hold still, we're almost done" they start screaming and crying which only increases the amount of snot that has to be wiped. I don't know why but Ashlyn only gets the blowing part right when she doesn't have a tissue under her nose. If you put a tissue up to her face, she won't blow. As soon as she steals a tissue out of the box, when your not looking, she holds it 6 inches from her face and blows snot like she's getting paid for it. But we are on the mend. The bug is almost gone. We actually fared pretty well. Only a few nights of little sleep which is nothing new for an insomniac like me.

During all the dosing of medication we discovered that Brooke has her first tooth. The second is also nearly through. She has been showing it off quite frequently. If she recognizes you and likes you, she will bust out into the cutest little grin. If she doesn't like you, or if you dare approach her with a towel on your head, she will bust out in something other than a grin. Very loudly.

So now that the babies are 6 months (I know, can you believe it?) and since Brooke was trying her hardest to eat every bite of my meal one evening, we started them on solids. We've decided for now it's best to feed them one at a time. I attempted to feed Ryan and Gaby at the same time just once and each one cried every time I gave the other a bite.

Gabriella is showing her sophisticated look. Don't you just want to kiss her??

"OK Dad, I'm ready to go to work!!" "Wait, now where did I leave my pants???"

"The binky fairy came, too bad I didn't have my gun"

It has been a pretty difficult week for Ashlyn. We decided that since she is 2 now, it was high time she gave up her binkies. We told her that the binky fairy would come and take all her binkies to give to a baby because she was a big girl now and didn't need them anymore. Then the fairy would leave her a present. She was really excited when she opened the drawer and saw the new frog bath toy and candy. Everything went great the first day and we were thinking things went way more smoothly than we had ever thought. Boy were we wrong. Every day was progressively worse until the 4th day. Since then, she hasn't asked for it once and goes to bed now without difficulty. She even started sleeping in her toddler bed, which she refused to do until now. I think the whole process was more heartbreaking for me than it was for her. My baby is hitting some major milestones which are taking her further and further away from me. In the end I know it is the best for her and I know that it is not my job to be her best friend or give her everything she wants. A parents job is to raise their child to be a healthy, well adjusted, individual. I hope one day she will be able to say we did that.

Snuggle up for a bedtime story. This is one of our favorite times of the day. Everyone in their jammies. We are so lucky that our kids all go to bed easily and sleep through the night (most of the time). I remember when Lance and I decided to start trying for a baby and we went to our family physician to make sure we were really ready. We told him we couldn't imagine our lives without kids and he jokingly said "kids are great................when they're asleep". I have to agree with him. Don't misunderstand me, I love my kids with all my heart and would readily give my life for any one of them. But nothing beats seeing your children all curled up, in bed, asleep. They look so peaceful. It makes you feel like a good parent and that you've accomplished something.

Ryan, Brooke and Gabriella with the blankets I started when I was pregnant but my back hurt to much to finish them then.

Brooke and Ryan have started rolling over but Gaby is way too interested in the ceiling to even try yet. They will be 6 months old on May 8th.

Go Ashlyn......it's your birthday!!

Ashlyn will be turning 2 on April 2nd. Yes, it is her golden birthday.

These are before and after photos from one of her parties. Thanks everyone, for making it so much fun!!

I'd like to know who coined the phrase "terrible twos". Have there actually been children who were angels one day and woke up on their 2nd birthday wearing horns and a red cape? I can't speak for other parents but my child has been going on 2 for a while now. Just when I thought she was the model child with her good manners and happy demeanor. Suddenly the word no entered her vocabulary. And she learned to whine. She no longer wants to bathe, get dressed, eat, brush her teeth, or go to bed unless fruit snacks are involved. She either wants to go with us when we choose to leave her behind or stay home when we want to take her with. She can do the "wet noodle maneuver" or the "stiff as a board" depending on whether your trying to pick her up or put her down . On a really good day she can throw herself backward and not crack her head open (at least she hasn't yet).

Actually, we can't complain too much. Over all she really is pretty good. We'll keep her.

Rub-a-dub-dub 3 babies in the tub.

The babies will be 5 months old on Easter!! I can hardly believe it. They are really getting big. Ryan is over 14 lbs now. Gabriella is 13 and a half. Brooke is still the peanut and weighs in at 12 lbs 9 oz.

For what she lacks in size Brooke makes up for in energy. If you put her in a bouncy seat she tries to sit up and hangs from the straps to grab her toes. If you sit her on your lap she waves her arms around and likes to stand as much as she can. She is still very smiley and it doesn't take much to make her laugh. She has lost a lot of her hair but she still has one lock that comes down on her forhead, or sticks straight up, depending on the day.




It's funny how you can tell someone's personality from the time they are infants. I hate to say it, and I apologize in advance to Gaby if she reads this some day, but we really named her appropriately. We didn't know anything about these babies when we named them but maybe she decided she should live up to her name. She will babble (and sometimes very loudly) from sun up to sun down. She has even, on occasion, been heard babbling in the middle of the night. She has become very shy of strangers lately. It's almost funny to watch her pucker her little bottom lip and then start to wail.

Ryan is such a relaxed, easy going, little guy. He smiles so easily and loves to laugh. He can fall asleep anywhere and is usually very easy to please. He is a a big flirt. He will sit and wait for any of the 3 girls to look his way and then he grins and squirms. They of course ignore him, poor guy. His hair is really coming in blonde. It looks just like Lance's when he was a baby. It's almost white, it's so light. He still has daddy's big blue eyes too.

These pictures were all taken after their bath a few days ago. Ryan is the one in blue, Gaby is the middle one, and Brooke is the one on top. I have a ton of pictures I would like to download but it's hard to find the time. I've moved my computer to the basement so now it's my place for quiet time. I've found it to be even more enjoyable if I turn on some music to drown out the toddler pounding on the door. Earplugs work also.