10 things I want my boys to know

Before you read this please know I have finished drinking an entire bottle of "skinny girl margarita" while writing this. It has been a lonnnnggg week! i am sure i will proof read this in the morning and be embarrassed by the grammar errors in the blog post!!....eeekk!

I am apologizing now for it taking me forever to post anything on my blog. Life seemed to have got the best of me lately. Between sick babies, stomach flu for my husband and myself, and some sad news our family was hit with the blog has been last on my list. I am vowing now to post extra these next couple of weeks to make up for it:) You may notice that I have changed my past blog posts to the initials of my children. I am feeling a little to in the open with people knowing their first name and last from my blog site, so from here on out my husband will be know as "Mr." my oldest little boy as "M" my oldest daughter of the triplets will be referred as"AG" then my sweet boy of the triplets will be called "LC" and lastly my sweet daughter who is the youngest triplet will be known as "AC"
So here i am finally doing my 10 things I want my boys to know! My M and L are so different that I thought I would have to make 2 different list for them but the more I thought about it no matter if one is the type to jump off the roof like M or the type to sit sweetly in my lap and read a book it is still the same things I would like them to grow up knowing. so here it is..........

1. Be your brother's best friend. He is going to be the one who may have to bail you out of jail one day. I am sure he is the only one who will keep it a secret from me and trust me if this ever happens you don't want me to find out because no matter how old you are this will not be a good for your health.

2. Your dad is a superhero. He may not wear a cape or have tool belt filled with an arsenal of weapons to fight off bad guys but he can load for 4 kids in car seats in under 5minutes, but he can settle this crazy momma down by reminding me of the bigger picture (usually by reminding that dirt is indeed edible for children) and mostly he has enough room in his heart to love the 5 of us more than I believed was possible.

3. Take risks. As much as I would like you to think things through and weigh the risks of a situation there are moments I you want to be impulsive. Those moments do not exist where heights, drinking, tattoos, or women are concerned. I know that it is easier to stick with what you know but you find growth in your self by reaching outside your comfort zone. This risk taking has it limits, note #1 on this list; so if you are taking risk try and remember that someone may have to bail the other out of jail.

4. Be a guy's guy and a feminist at the same time. I know that doesn't make sense but i swear in my mind it does. yes, I want you to watch football with the guys and be able to BS with the guys on the golf course. In that same moment I want you to be able to have sense of women empowerment. You have 2 amazing sisters and mom who isn't half bad who are if you can believe this...women! so proudly hold your sign for equal rights, equal pay, and shorter lines in women's public bathrooms.

5. Get dirty. Play in the mud, splash in puddles, get dirt under your nails (just please wash them ASAP so I don't get crazy about how dirty you really are). Help your momma break out of her girlie shell and make me realize that it is OK to be dirty. I know this is something that I have a hard time dealing with but M you have shown me the fun in jumping in puddles in Target's parking lot and that how adorable a little boy's face can be with just the right amount of sweat and dirt on it. These are those moments where my heart melts at the sight of my sweet boys' face when you are doing what you do best, getting dirty!

6. Be a gentleman. I know in high school it will be uncool to open doors for girls and to use please and thanks you's but please know that one of the first things I thought when I was having sons is that I always envisioned these boys/men who were such gentleman. One of the things that made me fall in love with your dad was the way he spoke to other woman, using please and thank you in all of his conversations, the way he pulled my chair out at dinners and how he opened the car door for me made me fall madly, deeply in love with him. trust me chicks dig the small stuff!

7. Don't whine. I am not talking about you as a small child, even though I would love if you whined less for fruit snacks, juice boxes and toys from target. I know that all children whine no matter if they are boys or girls. though one maybe whining for barbies and the other for batman (and that doesn't mean that girls want barbies and boys want batman, i am pretty sure my girls would be just as happy with batman dolls as they would be with barbie dolls). Remember when you are whining about school, work, or life in general that there is someone who has less than you and that there is others whose life would be so full with all that you have. you have a family that loves you deeply, an education that is free and apart of your everyday, and a society where you are free to have your own thoughts and beliefs. Don't take any of that for granted and be prepared for me to remind you of those less fortunate when you come "whining" to me.

8. Be kind to others. I know I have posted something similar in your sisters' "10 things i want my daughters to know." Nothing will make me more proud than to see or hear about you being kind to others. Please don't let other boys talk you into being less than the person we raised you to be. Your father and I both know how kind hearted the 2 of you are and we want others to see that too. Know that when someone asks what your best features are, make kindness the first one.

9. Remember where you came from. Remember that you came from a family that is full of love. Remember how much I love your father and you kids and how you all are the most important thing to me. When life or work is getting to you know that family is where you will find your happiness. Family is the group of people who are here for you no matter what whether you have failed at work, a relationship, or whatever else remember how blessed you are to have such wonder grandparents. amazing cousins, (really good looking aunts and uncle....haha!) and beautiful siblings who love you more than anything.

10. Most importantly, know that I adore you. You are the sun to my cloudy days LC. You are the laughter I find on a sad day M. You are my heart. I have such pride that you are my sons. I look at you with such love that there are moments that tears fill my eyes. You both know how to melt my heart with a smile and you have your mother wrapped around your little finger. I am not sure what I have done so right to deserve you boys but I am pretty sure someone in heaven got their calculations off because I am not sure I deserve to the mother to such amazing boys. I love you M and LC.

  

10 things I want my daughters to know

I was spending some time on pinterest the other day and I found a blog where someone had written the 25 things they want their daughter to know, so that inspired me so here is my take on the 10 things I want my daughters to know.....

                                                    1. Be your sister's best friend
For she is the only one who will truly understand when you say "my mom is soooo strange." Remember how blessed you are to have each other and when the day comes that you are fighting over a headband that you both want to wear to school know that i will take that headband and chuck it in the yard.

                                                    2. Know how to shop the sales rack.
Trust me when I say you can rock a dress from forever 21 thats was $10 with the same grace as a dress you can when you buy one at Nordstroms. When the day comes and you are an adult and can purchase your own clothing from Nordstroms or where ever else remember if you feel the need to share that you bought it nordstorms you will look and sound pathetic and shallow. Trust me no designer clothing can make you a good person.

                             3.  Having a mom who is a hairstylist does not always work to your advantage.
Manicures and monthly trims you can have on an unlimited bases, hair color-no! Just because my job revolves around woman (myself included) coloring their hair I will not put any color in your hair till you are 15! no highlights 1 or 100, no streaks of color, no taking your natural blond hair to a chocolate brown till you 15. You have the rest of your life to color your hair and I will not allow you to start as child, no matter what.

                                                        
                                                             4. Enjoy dancing and do it often
Music and dancing is wonderful for the mind and spirit, whether it is the song you dance to with a boy for the first time or the song you dance to at your wedding with your father embrace that moment. Music and dancing can make any day better and help you forget your troubles, unless your dancing involves a pole whether you are trying to reenact a Miley Cyrus music video or looking into career choices know that at that time you are in a shit ton of trouble because your mother will be pulling you off the pole by your hair no matter how old you are.
                                                 
                                                         5. Teach your brothers to dance.
They both are going to need your guidance in so many ways growing up. They are lucky to have you both to teach them how to dance even when they say they aren't listening or they don't care, they do, trust me. Many men would love to of had sisters who could of taught them some moves so they wouldn't look like they have 2 left feet on the dance floor. Your brothers are going to need your guidance growing up whether is it what is appropriate to wear on a first date, to what wedding ring to pick for your future sister in law. enjoy these moments with them, and try to keep the giggles to minimum. No boy likes to be laughed at when they dance...or when they are buying a wedding ring.

6. I will be your friend but I am your mother first.

Please know that you can tell me anything (and know that even if you tell me not to tell your father I will be telling him because we are on the same team me and him). I will wipe your eyes at your first heartbreak and I will cheer you up after "your most embarrassing day" (trust me you will have many more embarrassing days as an adult than you do as an adolescent). Though I will be there for all those moments that does not mean I will be partying with you, wearing your jeans, or allowing you to drink in my home underage because I am your mother not your friend.

                                                     7. Marry someone like your father
He is one of the best out there and I am so lucky to be his bride. I know you will grow up hearing me complain about how he didn't take garbage out or how he left his dirty shoes in the kitchen but just know that my love for him is a powerful thing. Remember he is the first man to dance with you, hold when you are crying, and make you laugh uncontrollably. The day you marry is going to be a tough one for him. so squeeze him tight at the alter when he "gives you away."

                                                                  8. Make me proud 
If you want to make me proud it will have nothing to do with how you look, what score you got on a test, or your amazing dance moves. The proudest you can make me is when I find out from someone that you were kind to someone less fortuante, whether you asked "the new girl" to sit with you at lunch or helped a lost puppy find their owner, moments like those my heart will want to expolde with pride at beautiful person I call "my daughter"

                                                                   9. Don't break my heart, please.
There is going many moments in your life that I will break your heart and most of them will include not having a cell phone at 10 or a brand new car at 16. Please know that the only time when you will break my heart is when I find out from someone that you were cruel to someone less foruante than you. I will want to cry if I find out you were unkind to the new girl at school or that you neglected someone who needed your help. I hope that you are aware that I will be so dissappointed by your actions because I know you are a kind and sweet girl and I myself know the feeling of being that new girl. Oh Lord help you when this day comes because you will be spending many days in your room alone (because your grounding will be sereve) hating me for your pushiment but really you will be realizing you have dissapointed yourself.

                                                                 10. I will always love you.
Remember when I am telling you no that I love you. When I say no you cannot have those designer jeans, no you cannot have purple streaks in your hair when you are 11, no cannot have a keg at your highschool graduation for your friends, that I am saying no to because I love you.ok, I will say it one more time so you hear it again, "I am telling you no because I love you." I know you will not see it at the time but one day you will. One day I hope you are blessed with a beautiful daughter(s) like I have been so you can feel the love I have for you.

AG and AC you make me a better friend, sister, mother, and wife everyday because the image you see of me is the most important. I love you both so much


ohh and p.s. the first time you have a hangover while under my roof  I will not be leaving a glass of water and an aspirin on your nightstand and leaving you alone for the day, you will be getting up bright and early and washing and waxing all the cars in the driveway.

love you,
your mom



I will be doing a 10 things I want my sons to know also. I will try and not make 8 out of 10 of them about peeing in the toilet and not near, by it, or around it.

Silly Random Things

A fellow blogger and good friend Jamie tagged me in her blog recently in one of her post called "silly random things." Jamie is a fantastic mom to an adorable 19 month old daughter and I enjoy reading her blog so much. I am so grateful for this new but old friendship I have with her (we actually went to high school together), so if you are ever looking to read a great blog check hers out at http://thedorseyfamily-jamie.blogspot.com/

My 11 Random Things:

1. I am writing this at 3:18am because I can't sleep

2. I love party planning and usually begin planning my kiddos birthday parties about 4 months prior

3. I am the oldest of 4 girls

4. Nick and I planned on only having 2 children.

5. I cannot stand a dirty kitchen sink

6. I absolutely love my job as a hairstylist and I look so forward to my time at work.

7. I cannot wait to be an aunt to my sister's children.

8. I met my husband at a 21 and up concert and I wasn't 21. He didn't know that that night when he asked for my phone number at the end of the concert!

9. I have taught myself how to sew and I enjoy creating something out of nothing.

10. I found out I was pregnant with triplets at 2:30am in the ER.

11. I am looking forward to having a girls night party at my house next month sometime and having a medium come to the party (yes, someone who speaks to the dead).

11 Tagged Questions Combined :)

1. City girl or country girl? Somewhere in between. I love the city but I am looking forward to retiring with Nick and building our dream home at the farm, as we call it. "The Farm" is really just 230 acres that Nick's family owns out near Union but it is beautiful with open fields and lots of little lakes on the property.
2. What made you fall in love with your husband? There isn't one particular reason but I knew I was going to fall in love with him after our first date. He had taken me to dinner at around 7ish and we laughed and talked all night till we realized that the wait staff was vacuuming around us. We were having such a great time that we didn't realize it was 12:30am and the restaurant was closing!

3. Do blondes or brunettes have more fun? hmmm...I would have to say blonde for me

4. If you had to live in one place for the rest of your life, where would it be? Where ever Nick and my kids are.

5. What super power would you like to have? To freeze time (note prior post)! I would love the power to make money grow on trees too that would be a fabulous power!
6. If you could only wear one thing/outfit everyday what would it be? a long maxi dress. I live in them in the summer, they are the most comfortable thing, it is almost like wearing a nightgown in public....note to reader: I do not own any night gowns! pajamas yes. night gowns no.
7. What is your favorite pair of shoes you own? one of my 4 different styles of UGG boots. If you asked Nick what is his least favorite pair of shoes I own he would say one of my 4 different styles of UGG boots. 
8. Sweet or Salty? Salt followed by something sweet
9. Favorite holiday & why? I love Christmas time because it is a month of fun events and parties!

10. Where is your dream vacation? Going to Italy
11. What is your favorite pass time? I enjoy sewing because I love to make something that is cute, trendy, and one of a kind. I am starting my first sewing lessons this coming Tuesday. I can't wait, all of the instructors look like one of the golden girls so I know it is going to be a good time! I enjoy reading, I just finished the book Bossypants  by Tina Fey and it was a great book. I love taking pictures and have a groupon for a photography class that I really need to go amd take but one of my favorite pass times recently is this blog. I have always enjoyed writing and this blog has reminded me of my love for it.

So fun... remember if you want to answer the questions... GO FOR IT! Consider yourself, tagged!

Freezing time

Ohh if I could only freeze time......This picture of my M is the image I am going to see when he starts kindergarten, jr. high, high school, college, and most importantly the day he gets married. During all of these times I will be asking myself  "where did the time go?" So please if any of you have a time freezing machine out there that you could loan me that would be great, I promise to return it in good shape. M is growing up so fast on me (and getting sassier by the minute...can boys be called sassy? well if he doesn't kill me when he is older for posting pictures of him in his underwear he surely will for me calling him "sassy"). Though M can try my patience sometimes he can also turn a normal Friday afternoon into a lifelong memory. I hope M can look at this picture 20 years from now and understand how much I love him, even though I don't think he will understand it till he has his own baby in his arms how much I feel for him. So when the day comes for him to drive his first car, pick up his first date, and to tell his mother he has met "the one" and he looks at me and says "mom, don't cry" I hope he understands that this picture is what I see when I close my eyes not the man that will be standing in front of me.

I love you M...ohh I mean Batman

Doll beds

Wednesday was a cold rainy day so I dropped M off at school and then headed to Hobby Lobby. My in laws got me a very very very nice sewing machine for Christmas and I have been wanting to sit down and use it finally!  I spent about 2 hours walking through the store childless (yay me!) because Mr. was off and was home with "the littles" (we are trying to stop calling them "the babies"). I saw that the satin fabric was only 2.99 a yard and that's when the inspiration hit me, batman and robin capes for the boys! As I was googling on my phone "what color is robin's cape?"...it is yellow just in case you ever need to know...I then realized the girls needed something too. If there is one thing I have learned with multiples is if you do for one you must do for all. Mr. had made these adorable doll beds for the girls American girl doll Bitty babies for Christmas and I still needed to make the bedding. I found some adorable fabric and trim in two different colors so that way they were a little different. here is the final result-

Sorry the picture is blurry. I used my Iphone since Nick had my SLR camera at work with him.

I found the plans on this amazing website, http://ana-white.com/2010/11/doll-farmhouse-bed

The website has very simple and easy projects for all kinds of things. Nick finished both beds in about a hour. He spent $27 at home depot for all the materials he needed for BOTH beds. I spent about $20 on fabric, thread, and trim for both blankets and pillows. Not bad in comparison to what it would of cost to order to beds from American Girl.

For the blankets all you need is 2 different fabrics 1/2 yard each

1 yard of trim

I used a sewing machine but I am sure you could hand sew it too if you needed to. It took me about 15 minutes to do the whole blanket with my machine

I swear it was this easy!

So I turned the fabric inside out and i tucked the trim in the middle, pinned it all, and then sewed the edges.

So when you turn it around it looks like this! This isn't actually the one I had sewn it is just some left over fabric and trim that I used for these pictures since I didn't think about taking pictures as I was going. The trim on the ones I made went the entire length of the blanket on 3 sides.

I made all the pillows with left over fabric. You can make the blankets as long or as short as you want them. I made mine a little long so I could fold over the top side when it was laying on the bed and I still had enough left over for pillows!

Let me know if you have any questions!

                                                          This picture is a little better

  

Getting to Know AC

My AC there is so much I could say about her. She has the biggest personality I have ever seen in such a little body. She is our free spirited child and a constant contradiction. She loves her dress up clothes and is borderline obsessed with shoes but she can hang with the boys when it comes to playing cars and wrestling all while wearing plastic heels and a tutu. Miss AC was a dream NICU baby, if there is such a thing, she just sailed through her 6 week stay. She progressed so well and even got to be my first baby home. Even though she was only home one day before her sister I think I have about 100 more pictures of her than her siblings because I couldn't believe I finally had a baby home. I kept putting her in her crib, swing, bouncy seat all while snapping pictures of her every movement. Before she came home I had a hard time even walking past the babies bedroom while they were in the NICU. I know that seems strange to some as I remember friends saying to me during their stay at the hospital that they were in the best place for them right now. I get that. I understand that yes these 3lb and 2 lb babies cannot come home at birth. I get that. I knew this is what happens with triplets. they are born early and there isn't anything normal about your pregnancy, birth, or their infancy. It didn't matter. My heart still didn't understand the logic. My brain understood that of course these babies born 10 weeks early cannot come home with their mother but again my heart didn't. Hell my hormones didn't get the message. I read somewhere that after a mother delivers the placenta there is a release of hormones in her body that causes her to have that feeling to nurture this little being and that that high that you feel as you hold your baby is not only the excitement to see this little creature but a chemical reaction. This is where I as a mother whose babies were withheld from her after delivery starts to feel disoriented and confused. All of those books and all of the preparation I thought I had done in hopes that when the delivery of my angels came that I would be able to hold it together flew out the window. I forgot every last bit of that as I laid in recovery by myself. I had told Mr. to leave and go to the NICU with the babies because I wanted to know everything that was going on with them, so off he went and there I laid....alone...empty. This large round belly that I complained constantly about was now hollow and missing the kicks and stretches of those 6 arms and legs. I have never felt so alone in all my life. Looking back I wished I would of had a better plan laid out for myself. I wish I would of asked for my family or someone to stay with me but at the time "I" never crossed my mind...
This is why I need to thank Audrey for coming home first, thank you my sweet little girl for being the first one to fill that empty crib, thank you for being so strong in the NICU so I could see you sleeping in the backseat of the car in your infant carseat. Thank you for finally letting me be one of the many mothers I watched for weeks leaving the hospital with their balloons, flowers, and most importantly their newborns. Thank you Audrey for ending my nightly ritual of tears over my empty house without my babies. Thank you AC for being you.
Audrey is the girl that I wish I was and I admire her so much. She is so tough and strong but so gentle and girly. Around AC first birthday she would be doting on her baby dolls so softly all while sporting 2 black eyes. That image is what I think of when I describe this enchanting little girl. She is going to be able to hang with her brothers all while being her sister's best friend. She is so smart and can follow any sequence you give her which well help her in dance class and when it comes time to build a fort, as i am sure she will do both, and probably on the same day. I cannot wait to watch this amazing little person grow into the women she is going to be, I am truly blessed to be her mother and how God choose me for the job I will never know. He has blessed me with days of wonder and amazement as I watch this beautiful girl grow. What an amazing gift she is to our family she reminds us that there isn't limits to what a girl can do.


Tiny Audrey with her daddy
Audrey loves her sleep

I love this picture at Audrey's baptism with her Godmother, my baby sister Andi

My Audrey loves being all dressed up cute and sassy and then...

she is also rough and tumble with 2 blacks eyes 3 days later

My sweet Audrey

M singing red solo cup!!

                                          need a laugh?


M stayed the night at his grandma christine's house and this is the video she sent me on my phone-it is very funny! M is singing red solo cup by Toby Keith. the funniest part about M's video is the the part where in toby Keith's song where he says "your not just a cup your my friend" well Mason says "your not just a cup your my life"...hope you all enjoy! I love my little man!

here is the video link of m
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMVVqoURQN0

Getting to Know LC

My LC, is the sunshine to my stormy days. He will look at me with his sweet little smile and run to me from across the room to give me a kiss and a hug. I melt as if I am seeing the look of love for the first time. The times where my house is a mess, i am mess, the kids are mess, and i am feeling fairly crappy about the mother I was to my kiddos for the day, LC just looks at me with such admiration that imminently I am pushed to do better before the day ends. He is one of the gentlest souls I have ever met, maybe because since conception he has shared his space with 2 pretty bossy girls that have made him the easy going, laid-back little boy he is.
LC was born my smallest weighing in at 2lbs 12oz. He was tucked under my right rib for most of my pregnancy and starting at about 25 weeks the girls started pushing hard on him causing his placenta to not get as much nutrition as them (see i told you they were bossy!) which caused him to weigh so little. I think he learned how to please women starting in the womb because he has since day one been a little charmer. Since he was an infant if he saw anyone (though mostly women) he would bat his long lashes and show those dimples as if he was trying to win homecoming king. I remember one night that i was sleeping in the babies NICU room overnight when they were about 4 weeks old, LC would not stop crying. It was about 3am and he had just finished eating, i had changed his diaper, and his nurse and I ran down a list of maybe this or that trying to figure out what was up with him. Finally I decided to move one of the recliners in the room over to his isolette and I picked him up, he was still crying, and I unbuttoned my shirt a little and laid him directly on my chest skin to skin, then all of a sudden.....silence! That was all he wanted, he knew his momma was there and he wanted some snuggle time. As I sat there in the recliner I talked to him about our family, smelling his hair, and crying to myself as I thought how I just wanted to pack him up from there and show him our house, his room, the dogs and his big brother that I was telling him about. This is the time that Luke and my special little bond began. Luke and I have something very special. I have 4 very different special relationships with my kids. They are 4 very different special people and the 4 of them need a different kind of mother. I try and give that to them but the thing that is different with Luke is that the mother he needs is the mother that I always thought I would be. M needs a mother who is a little sterner at times than i like to be or else he would survive on a diet of cupcakes and bacon. AG needs a mother who talks to her in full detail of what i am doing and what i would like her to do. AC needs a mother who gives her space and allows her to be our free spirit child and will not push her to give hugs to everyone. Now LC needs a mother that he can look at, run to and give a big hug and kiss to when he is in the middle of playing and allow him to go back to playing. He needs a mother that will give him pans and spoons to play with happily on the kitchen floor as she makes dinner. He needs dicispline with a soft touch. He needs a reminder that he cannot play in the toilet, he needs someone to remind his sister to not to beat him in the head with toys, he needs MY love and for me to be happy because he shines even brighter on days where his mommy smiles all day.
LC just has this charm that makes women dote on him. I don't know how many people have told me "boy, he is going to get away with anything with those dimples." I will never forget the day Nick and I came to NICU get LC and bring him home! Our wonderful, amazing, sweet (and so many other great synonyms for kind) nurse Chelle was cradling Luke in her arms as she typed on the computer. She didn't see Mr. and I walking down the hall but we saw her as she brushed his cheek and spoke sweetly to him. That's when I think he learned the power he had with women....and Chelle if you are reading this know that image of you holding my little boy with such love as you did that day will never leave me. I am so thankful for you and Stephanie and so so so many other amazing nurses at St. John's (or Mercy as it is now called). I hope you girls know how thankful we past, present, or future NICU moms are of you all, you give our babies love when their mommies are not there, you bathe them when we can't get out of our hospital bed, you wish them goodnight when we are crying in our selves to sleep, so once again thank you!!
LC teaches me how to smile more. He reminds me too that a smile to someone who is having a bad is mood altering and trust me he does this to me throughout my day.

Tiny LC
coming home day
             Jan 2012

10 on the 10

I borrowed this idea from another blogger, http://dr-momma.blogspot.com/, I decided to take 10 pictures today at 10 mintues into the hour. Nick and I were actually off today (a saturday) together which happens once every couple of months. We all hung out as a family and made a big breakfast, cleaned house, and naps for everyone but momma and Mason. The kids then got to go to grandma and papa Homeyer's for the night so Nick and I could have a date night which was overdue. We both have been working opposite schedules so I felt like our date should of began with "hi, my name is Erica, nice to meet you!" enough about date night back to the pictures. ENJOY!


8:10am- While I was making breakfast, and Daddy and Mason still sleeping, the babies decided that the bulk package of toilet paper was the thing to climb on. They were bound and determined to all 3 get on the package at the same time.

9:10 I found Addie playing in mason's room alone. Mason had no idea she was in there and had he known he probably would of kicked her out. I laughed when I took this picture because she so innocent, as if she was saying "Me? No I wasn't doing anything"

10:10am NAPTIME! One of my favorite parts of the day!! I enjoy the babies morning naptime because I can get so much done during this time. My handsome little boy, Luke was so happy about naptime, then again he is pretty happy all the time:)

11:10 I decided it was time to re-do the labels on the kids toy bins. I started doing this a couple of months ago and it has helped so much with Mason's ability to clean up. He knows were everything goes and will even correct me if I put something in the wrong bin.

12:10 Mason helped me finish up some laundry. Laundry and multiples go hand in hand. I usually do 2 loads a day to keep up but today I washed everyone's sheets and comforters too. Whew...sometimes I swear days off are busier than my days at work. I love this picture of Mason, he isn't the best at folding but he is good at keeping me company and can always make me laugh during this special times.

1:10pm The babies finishing up lunch. They had a late lunch since slept till 12:30-yay me!!!

2:10 the kiddos all playing downstairs. I love that girls are so into playing cars with their big brother

3:10pm- The 4 monkeys, as i like to call them, all sitting in their chairs watching cartoons and having a snack down stairs.

4:10 pm- packing things for the kids to go to grandma and papa's for the night. Clothes for 4, pajamas for 4, shoes for 4, sippy cups for 4, diapers for 3, and blankets for the babies makes for 2 large bags to take overnight.

5:10 Last picture! Nick and I were all ready to go and so were the babies. I don't have to many pictures with the babies because I am always behide the camera. I swear one of these days we will be able to get a picture of all 4 looking at the camera at the same time...one day.

I still have Luke and Audrey's "get to know..." post coming!!

Getting to Know AG

So now it is AG's time for everyone to get to know this sweet soon-to-be 18 month old. My AG was known as "BABY A" for 30weeks (well really less when you figure i found that there was even a baby B and baby C in there with her around 7 weeks). She was my first born of the triplets and the only one in the group who has their own "birth minute." When I was laying on the table awaiting their arrival i remember trying to explain to Mr. that he shouldn't be worried if he didn't hear the babies cry, because unlike him i had read all the multiples/what to expect when you are having a litter/preemie books. I knew that 30week baby's lungs were still in the early stages of development. i knew that there was a possibility that when the doctors yelled out the time of delivery it may not be followed by the sound of a crying baby. When the doctors yelled "baby A 12:47" and this sweet, meek, kitten like cry was heard i lost it on the table. This also was soon followed by one of the hardest things i ever had to witness (please know that i am aware that things could have been much worst and I am thankful they were not and i am also aware that there are more terrible things to witness than this but this is "my worst") as my baby was then handed directly to a nurse as she ran to another room to intubate. Here I am celebrating the joy of delivering my first daughter as i try to deal with the fact that i haven't even seen her yet all while my other child is being born (Luke)....talk about a rollarcoaster! This is why when I am out at the zoo or target with my kiddos and someone says "ohh you are brave"...me? here picking up lipstick, socks, toddler underwear, and diapers...brave? no! the day I delivered them and had to keep myself strong and in the moment so i could "enjoy" Luke's arrival as Addison left the operating room, now that is when I was brave.

God gave me a great gift that afternoon, when he gave me this sweet, gentle, easy-going, sometime dramatic, little girl. My AG as been our "easy baby" since day one. Mr. and I would look at her some evenings absolutely exhausted and in clothing that may or may not have been on our bodies for over 24hours, and wonder what would it have been like if she had been our first baby? We could of taken long car rides through the country while she slept soundly in the car, we could of gone out to dinner with a baby who laughed and smiled at everyone who crossed her path, heck at 9months old she probably could of stayed home by herself while nick and i enjoyed a night out together only for us to come home and find the dogs fed and the house clean (i promise this is a joke i do not promote leaving your baby at home by themselves but if you leave them alone with your brother-in-law you are pretty much doing the same thing...ha!). With all this being said our sweet Addison has a bit of a "mean streak" at times, like when she realized that these pearly whites things in her mouth are not only for enjoying a teething biscuit but also for leaving 4 perfect marks on her brother LC. Our little miss congeniality also was the first to realize that when you hit your brother LC (my poor LC) in the head with your child size metal pots and pans it make an interesting sound, a sound that she felt the need to master anytime her brother was playing nicely by himself. AG is my "mother hen" of the group. She returns toys nicely to her siblings when they are crying, she loves to help wash everyone's hair in the bath, and one of her favorite mommy and me times is when she sits next to me as we fold laundry together. She is her mommy's shadow and I love it. She LOVES books and could sit on anyone's lap for hours on end if they would continue reading to her. There are moments when I have caught her hugging her sister in the middle of playing and my heart swells with pride as i think to myself "that's my sweet daughter." My life in so many ways changed that Wednesday afternoon she was born and not only because she shared a birthday with her brother and sister but because now my heart was full with such admiration and love for this beautiful girl who is kinder than me on my best days and reminds me to hug my sisters more.

This is how I saw my baby for the first time. I thought she was beautiful!
  One of the best days of my life, the day AG left the NICU

                  Happy Girl                        

                AG with her triplets

Getting to know M

Sometimes it is hard to be the big brother of triplets and well today was one of those days. Poor M would set up his toys and one of the 3 baby godzillas would come crashing through and knocking everything down in their path. Then later in the day mason was sitting nicely in his chair enjoying a snack and all 3 of the babies come crowding around him trying to steal his snack (even though they all had their own snack in their hand). Days like this I feel bad for my first born, and I just tell him "sometimes it is hard to be a big brother." He will never have the the title of being one of "the triplets" and there is going to be times that he is thankful he isn't but i know there will be moments where he may feel left out also. I worry about my children not feeling special whether it is mason not being a part of a multiple birth or AG, LC, and AC not feeling like an individual because they all share a birthday (and in LC and AC case a birth minute). So i am going to take the time to give you a peak into the different personalitlies of my children over the next few days. m and I sat down for interview tonight and here is how it went!

I call M over to my desk and ask him to sit with me. He walks over wearing his normal uniform these days of batman underwear and his batman belt. Yes that is it. He responds with "ok are we going to look at toys on the puter" I tell him no Christmas is over we are no longer looking at toys online to add to our christmas list. he replies with "no then i dont want to look at the puter then" there is a few moments of trying to convince him to sit with me and finally after a bribe of 6 mini marsh mellows i get him to sit down with me. here we go...
M, what is your favorite part of being 3 years old?
being big and having big muscles. yes he is flexing at this time

What is your favorite color?
Sour apple. do you mean green? yeah that too. obvisolously you eat way to much candy when you are now naming your colors by flavors. your parents sound like they are really into nutrition.

what is something you like to do with mommy?
going to target. that's my boy!

What is something you like to do with Daddy?
Wrestle and cutting the grass

What is something you like to do with your brother and sisters?
playing batman. AG likes to be joker. what about AC and LC? umm AC is robin and LC is the penguin.

what is your favorite food?
Cupcakes

What do you want to be when you grow up?
a daddy. ohh this is how this little boy melts my heart

M then decides he is bored with my questions and asked me if we can do this later. I tell him of course we can, so i will ask him more questions tomorrow and see what else I get out of him.

My M has taught me so much in his short 3 years. He taught me how to put someones needs completely in front of mine and made me understand the phrase "i would jump in front of a moving train for you" (because i would without hesitation). M also showed me that not all children are "people pleasers." He has from day one been very independent and assertive. Just because he knows how to do a trick of some sort that does not mean he is going to perform it on command. He has a personality sometimes that is well beyond his years and many times nick and i have said that we are not sure that we believe in reincarnation but if we did we would know he has done this all before. God gave us this beautiful wild child first knowing that our experience with this sometimes "difficult" little boy would make our life so filled with laughter and acceptance. Laughter at the things that come of his mouth at times and acceptance that sometimes no matter how you raise your children they have a personality of their own and that doesn't make them disobedient it just makes them unique. I have realized with raising my 4 children very close in age, that all children need different kinds of parenting. 2 of my children at times can be little bit more on the challenging side then my other 2; with that being said if either of my "easier" children were my first born would mean that i was a better parent because they are so well behaved in comparison to my other strong willed children? does that makes sense? i am not sure it does when i am typing but in my head it does. Now when i see a child who is laid back and obedient i don't necessary think "wow they must be awesome parents (not that they aren't) to have their child sit so nicely on their lap and behave" i now know that just because a child is a little on the wild side that doesn't mean that the parent isn't a great parent. I know this because i have raised all of my children with the same do's and don'ts and I have 2 who follow them to a T and 2 who like to push the boundaries a little. I almost don't fear for my strong willed children like I do for my other 2 when it comes to being bullied or pushed around. I know that my strong willed children can stick up for themselves where my other 2  i worry about them when they are school age because of their need to please. With all this being said the lesson I have learned with having all these babies is that i no longer judge anyones style of parenting. Whether you live on a strict schedule like we do with the babies or you have a no schedule like we did when Mason was a baby, to whether you allow your child to sleep in your bed at times (like we did with mason) or if you vow your little one will never sleep outside of their room like we do with the triplets, it doesn't matter because how you choose to raise your children it is YOUR decision and i wish at times I wasn't as judgemental as i was on others styles of parenting. It amazes me how these crazy monkeys continue to make me a better person.


M from baby bump to little man!



I am in my first trimester here with M
 
About 3 hours before i delivered my little man
  Gosh he was a cute baby!!

M on his 3rd birthday. Where did the time go?