Christmas festivities continued. . .

Christmas Day

• Ruby tried to wake up around 4:00 AM, then Alex at 5:00, probably because of excitement and anticipation of what Santa left for them. As we rocked them and put them back to sleep, we tried to avert their eyes from the stash. They went back to sleep, and Bennett woke up at 6:30. Then I had to keep him distracted, until finally everyone was up around 7:00 and the fun began!
• The boys went immediately to their trucks, and then inside the tent, laughing and playing just as I had always imagined it. I don’t know who was more giddy though, the babies or the parents.
• Ruby went straight to her new doll and said “Bebay” so sweetly, as if she knew right away that it was hers forever. She now sleeps with it (and doesn’t forget to bring it with her when I take her out of her crib) and said “Bebay” over and over and over again while she’s holding it. (The boys sometimes want to hold the dolly, but they let Ruby play with the trucks to make it fair.)

• They all love the instruments and are thinking about starting up a band.
• As soon as the kids got bored with the toys in the packages, we took them out of the packages and the fun began all over again. They loved everything Santa brought them! But the foam blocks, that the kids later showed us how fun they are to take huge bites out of (which we suspected, but gave them a whirl anyway), were put away for later.
• The Riberias came up around 8:00 for pull-a-parts, and Strata. Everything tasted so good, and brought back memories of Christmas mornings past. And it’s so great to have family here to make it even more fun and festive.
• The Ribs. went back down to their apartment for their presents, and KC and I enjoyed some present opening together while the babies were asleep. It was a nice to spend that time together talking about the things we got for each other, and there were even a few surprises (hint: what is a girl’s best friend?) We chuckled at the contents of our stockings we filled for each other. Both set of parents were very generous by giving us cash, among other things, that will be put to great use. Camille had our family in the Robinson gift-giving rotation, and gave each of the babies an adorable pair of shoes. Ruby looks hilarious toddling around in them. And the tradition continues with the Calendar Melody and I put together for all the Grahams. I’m very excited to try my hand at sewing with my new sewing machine (I bought a pretty basic one during the Target Black Friday sales, to see if I was any good at it. In a few years, I might upgrade, but this will definitely due for now.) We were very blessed with a bounteous Christmas this year.
• We finally changed out of our pajamas, and got ready for the day around noon, when the Milnes came over to play. The brought the makings for scones, and her famous 12 layer jello. We ate, talked, played games, and watched crazy babies play. A fun-filled afternoon.
• We were so full from the Milnes’ delicious treats (thanks again guys!), and tired from the day’s events, that we decided to hold off on the steak dinner we had planned for the evening until the next day. Elise and Jeff also had plans to go to his aunt’s house. Everyone cleared out around 5 or so.
• After KC and I put the kids to bed at 6:30, we did a little clean-up, turned on Christmas Vacation (thanks for the Netflix tip Jonny), and watched and laughed as we ate pistachios, clementines, and chocolate. Sounds like a good dinner to me.
• 8:00. That’s when I went to bed. I couldn’t keep my eyes open, as much as I wanted to see Clark Griswold get that bonus. It’s a good thing though, because the babies wanted to wake up a lot in the night. Must’ve been all the excitement from the day, or maybe it’s the silly colds they have AGAIN! Don’t worry, we didn’t let that ruin our fun Christmas memories.

All in all, Christmas was wonderful and magical and memorable. I’m so happy to get to share it with my children. Doesn’t it feel like Christmas was a month ago, rather than just four days?! Time to take down the decorations, and pack up the Christmas movies and CDs. Oh, and don’t worry, we did get around to that steak dinner on Sunday. I’m sure it tasted much better than it would’ve, had I made it when I was half asleep, and hardly hungry. Next up. . .New Years!

The Stockings were hung. . .

To prevent myself from getting too wordy, I’ll give you some bullets of how the wondrous Christmas weekend went down.

Christmas Eve

• I woke up before the kids! How’s that for a great start to the day? I used that hour to watch a Christmas movie all by myself. Time well spent, I say.
• Ebelskivers made by the Ribeiras. This was my first time eating the blessed things. And I can’t forget the buttermilk syrup. Wow.
• Food prep., last minute errands, and good naps (before which there was hysterical laughter coming from behind the door).
• Decorated gingerbread people to look like ourselves with the Calls. They invited us over, and it was a vey festive way to spend the afternoon. The babies loved exploring/making messes/getting into things. Their kids were so cute, practically glowing with excitement.
• We gave the babies their fist taste of eggnog, and I am happy to report that they LOVED it!
• Opened Christmas PJs from my parents. Cozy slippers for me, pin-striped pants for KC, and lots of things for the babies. My mom gave the boys this hilarious long-john type pjs. We had a good laugh over those . Ruby looked so elegant and pretty in her little night gown. She and Penny looked so darling, matching each other . We them changed them into what they would actually sleep in. The fleece pant sets made them look so grown up (and Alex is in blue again-sorry). Then it was off to bed with them.
• Ate FONDUE! Delicious, delicious fondue. We enjoyed a leisurely dinner, complete with festive nog (eggnog+sprite), and ate until we were sick, as per tradition.
• We ventured downstairs for the Christmas Eve movie, usually in the theater, but that wasn’t happening this year. But who needs a theater when you have a sister downstairs with a big TV, and Inception on DVD? And the Riberias hadn’t seen it yet, so it was extra exciting.
• Set up the Christmas haul , took lots of pictures, couldn’t believe Christmas was almost here, went to bed around 11:30 (not bad, eh?)

That’s enough for now. I almost love Christmas Eve more that Christmas Day itself. And this one was especially nice because it just felt like the whole day went according to plan, and who doesn’t love that? More to come. . .

Glory to the Newborn King!

A wonderful time was had by all in our house on this Christmas day! We may be exhausted, and the house may be disastrous, but we are happy, and thankful. I have had sweet Baby Jesus on my mind all day as I watched my babies scurry around the house. What a blessed cause for celebration, the birth of our gracious Savior. (KC and me in the live nativity at the DC temple in 2007. . .I think)

Of course I have way too many details and pictures to share, but I just wanted to leave you with this message today. Merry Christmas, and good night.

It was time.

My little Alex needed a haircut. Parts in the back were just getting too long for me. And as much as I loved his little wispy curls, they were usually just a fuzzy mess. The top, when uncombed (which, c’mon, is pretty much all the time) was nearly running into his eyes. It’s not like he was in dire need of a haircut or anything, it just needed a little cleaning up. So I strapped him in his booster, let him play with a comb (which he basically demanded), and with a constant supply of veggie straws, we had the job done within 10 minutes. He was a bit squirmy, so it’s not perfect, but I want him to keep his baby look anyway. I didn’t want to go too short, or too even, so think this is just right for now. Bennett’s isn’t as long as Alex’s was, so he can wait on a trim. But now we are faced with the occasion conflict of telling the two apart on first glance, since the hair was always a dead giveaway. Of course, we can always tell who’s who within a few seconds, but sometimes when they are wearing the same thing, I have to take a second look, and that bit of hair really made a difference. Good thing Alex is a pound or so ahead of Bennett, or else we’d really be in trouble.

So, I consider this a big day, giving my oldest son his first of many haircuts. I wasn’t overly-emotional about it or anything, but it was a little tender. I don’t like that they are growing up so fast. But I do love how they make me laugh more and more everyday, so I guess I’ll be okay.

Some before shots:

A few little snips:

And we’re done:

These two were my little dust mops afterward. (Note to self, lock the extras in the playroom during haircuts.) Btw, Ruby thinks it’s the best thing ever to sit on anything that isn’t the floor. The ottoman lid, a placemat, a cardboard box, the little red floor chair, and in this case, her booster seat. We find her on these things several times a day. Funny girl.

Of course, I kept the first few snips and bagged and labeled them for his little keepsake box.

I realize I was a little picture happy during the small event, but what else is new?

*Please remember to look at the post below, and refer to it anytime if needed.

Built By Adoption

Adoption will always be close to my heart. It is an amazing process that has touched, and will touch, many lives. That is why I was more than willing let you know about a couple that is hoping to add to their family though adoption. This is Rebecca, Adam, and Madeleine. Rebecca is the sister of one of my best friends here in Maryland. They come from a wonderful family, with strong values. Any baby to enter this family would be getting the best love and care anyone could ask for. They adopted darling Madeleine a few years ago, so they know first-hand what a blessing this process can be.

They have a blog , which also has a link to their LDS Family Services profile, both of which, I must say, are beautiful:

http://adamrebeccaadoption.blogspot.com/

Anytime I see a couple like this, so ready and willing to welcome a child into their lives, I relive that time when my arms were so ready for my own. I couldn’t help but pass the word along to all of you, to keep them in mind when you hear about anybody that is looking for a good home for their baby. Thanks everyone!

The party’s on, the spirit’s up. . .

When there wasn’t any talk about a friend Christmas party this year, Elise and I decided to co-host one at our house. We sent the evite expecting about half of the 30ish people to come. We were more than thrilled to find out that nearly everybody on the list was able to make it! I guess everyone was as in need of Christmas cheer as I was. It seems like this year, there’s hardly been time to listen to Christmas music, and I didn’t even get to attend the ward Christmas party, so I really needed this party to bring that Christmasy feeling.

Planning and preparing for a party when you have kids is quite different than when you don’t. A couple years ago, if you’ll recall, we had a similar Christmas party at our house, and it was all I really had to think about, since we didn’t have kids yet. This year, I had to fit in the preparations around the babies’ schedule. There is only so much you can do when the kids are awake. But somehow, the day was not rushed at all, the kids loved the new living room set-up, keeping them occupied and happy, leaving me free to prepare as needed. They were delightful little children all day. And since it was Saturday, KC was home to play, which kept me in a good, festive mood. Oh, and I got a nap. Bonus.

We made it more of an adult party this year, unlike last time. Sometimes it’s fun doing it earlier and involving kids, but I knew it wouldn’t be so fun for me if my kids were awake to destroy everything, and constantly demanding my attention, so adults-only it was, with the exception of a few cute babies. It was pretty low-maintenance, only planning a couple of games, including a classic White Elephant/Yankee Swap. There are always a couple hot items. This year the poinsettias, a jumbo bag of peanut butter m&ms, and an Atari game. Yeah, the guys were having a good time with that one.

A lot of our friends have moved out of the ward, but are still in the area, so it was sort of a reunion for all of us to see each other, and catch up on the latest. When you live away from you family, your friends become a kind of family, so it was so great to be with so many people we have grown to know so well.

All the food was great, the company was even better, and the best part for me, besides hanging out with my awesome friends, was that the babies, though practically in the middle of the party with their room being so close to the action, slept through the entire thing. I was so proud of my little ones, since I was a little apprehensive about how they would react to the inevitable noise. But I put my worries about that to the side and let myself enjoy the party. They also slept though the entire night (they are still a little messed up from all the sicknesses so this is exciting) which was greatly appreciated, since we didn’t actually get to sleep until after 12:30.

It may have taken us about three days to get the kitchen cleaned and all the dishes done, and the furniture is still all against the wall, which the kids love.  It was just a great way to embrace and enjoy the season. We’re simply having a wonderful Christmas time.

 

‘Twas the Sunday before Christmas. . .

I’m a little bit in denial about Christmas being less than a week away. When I realized that yesterday was the the last Sunday before Christmas, I got a little sad. I love this time of year, and feel like it’s passed me by much too quickly. One thing that did lift my spirits though, was that I got to put the babies in their Christmas attire. I was almost impossible to get a picture of them all together, but I did my best. Of course the pictures had to include what they chose to play with at that moment, but I don’t mind, cause they were happy.

Ruby looked like a little Christmas fairy in her poofy dress (thanks Grandma Robinson). And miraculously, I was able to snap a few shots with her headband on. She got very frustrated when she’d try to crawl, since the dress didn’t allow for that. But her classic scoot was awesome with her full skirt bouncing up and down with her. It was also pretty amusing to see her walk on the wood floor in her tights, poor girl. I couldn’t stop taking picture of my baby girl.

The boys were pretty studly in their sweaters I found to match the dress, not that it’s hard to find clothes that are red, white, and black this time of year. I love my little Christmasy clan.

We decided to go to the Washington DC Temple to enjoy the Festival of Lights. The kids were alright when we were inside looking at all the Christmas trees, but they were a little chilly outside. Ruby made it know that she had had enough. It was fun all the same. Last year, we just enjoyed a drive-thru version, so at least this year we got to get out of the car. Such a great way enjoy a Sunday evening.

NICU Party Time

We had the pleasure of attending a NICU holiday party on Sunday. I was debating whether to go or not, with Ruby sporting a scary-looking case of hives, and the boys on antibiotics. But since no one was contagious anymore, I thought we’d regret it if we didn’t even make an appearance, even if it was a short one.  We went made the very familiar drive to the hospital, and joined the party in the auditorium. After we were warmly greeted, they gave a darling little shirt that said NICU Graduate to each of the babies. We had fun chatting with the nurses and doctors who took such great care of my now-chubby babies, and they were amazed and grateful at how perfectly they have grown. I couldn’t’ stop saying thank you to everyone for all they’ve done. It was a great reunion.

I was introduced to another mom of triplets. Hers were still in the NICU, but would be going home shortly. She was a darling, petite girl, and I nearly fainted when she told me she made it to her scheduled c-section at almost 35 weeks, and with hardly any bed rest. Yikes! I guess some bodies are built different than others, but I was part amazed, part jealous, and part sorry for her. I mean, I would’ve loved to make it longer in the pregnancy so that my babies had the best chance possible at being healthy, but what could I have done differently? I feel like the doctors and I did everything possible to get the babies as much gestating as we could. And now that I see how everything has turned out, how could I have wanted anything different? They are wonderful, amazing, perfectly healthy children. I suppose that supermom has accomplished something that is rather brag-worthy, but I have an end result that I couldn’t be happier about.

We talked and talked. She asked me questions, I gave her answers. But the very first thing she asked was, “So do you have a life?!” And I assured her that she will, after a certain about of craziness, that is.  And of course, my biggest piece of advice when asked was to start a sleep schedule ASAP! They don’t even know how that will change their lives. I wrote my name, number, email address, and blog on a napkin and gave it to the proud parents, telling them to call me at any time with any question. Not that I’m an expert by any means, but you certainly learn a lot in the first year. I have had a source to turn to that was really a life saver, so I hope they don’t hesitate to call if needed. We could’ve talk for hours. It’s amazing how a little thing like having triplets can form this instant bond with someone you just met.

Seeing them really brought me back. I couldn’t help but feel anxious for them as I walked away, knowing full well what they were about to encounter.  As much as I miss my sweet, tiny babies, I am so in love with the big, silly ones I have now. And since I didn’t get one picture of that evening, what with trying to eat, catch up with old friends, and hold wild babies, so I’ll just show you what else we’ve been up to.

Ruby is walking around like it’s nobody’s business. Her brothers on the other hand. . .

Everyone’s obsessed with books.

Sweet girl recovering from hives. It was pretty scary-looking, covering every inch of her porcelain skin, but she was pretty much her happy self for those few sad days. We’re glad to have the old Ruby back now.

We had a fun weekend with the Robinsons here to entertain the babies. The kids certainly missed all that attention when they left. I Don’t know how you grandparents plan you trips so well to help with sick babies, but I was very glad to have the extra hands with my constantly fussy Bennett recovering from and ear infection. Thanks guys!

The babies enjoyed looking at the first snow of the season today. It wasn’t a lot, but it was white, and quite festive.

Here’s a little conversation I had with the kiddies today. Quite the chatterboxes these days. And the boys have this strange fascination with sneezing lately.

I don’t want to say this out loud cause I feel like I’ll  jinx it, so I’ll just whisper it to you: Everyone is looking and feeling better around here, and I am extremely relieved. They still cling to me at times, but over all, things are looking up. That was a long few weeks. I don’t know if it’s better when they stagger their illnesses, or get it all over with in one week. Both sound horrible to me. Oh well, I’m happy to have healthy kids, and that we are all getting more rest around here. We might just live in a bubble for the next few months.