It’s all a blur.

That is usually my response when people ask how the first year of parenting triplets has been. Most days just ran together, making it hard to distinguish one day from the next. I honestly can’t believe how quickly a year can pass you by, when each day can seem so long. I am always amazed at how perfectly healthy and happy my once-tiny babies now are. It’s almost like they wanted to prove to everyone that they would be just fine, despite they early arrival.  The road we took to get these babies in our lives will never be lost on me. Of course, there are hard days that I have felt stretched so thin I could hardly think straight. But I have still been able to see why God has given me such a wonderful task. I think the kids and I will learn a lot from each other in the years to come. And since I have a tendency to ramble, I’m going to stop right there and get to the fun stuff.

We had a GREAT party! Their birthday was on Sunday, September 12th, so we had  the party on the Saturday prior. My goal was to create as little stress as possible. I made a  small cake for them (carrot so it could be their dinner at the same time (j/k , it just sounded good)), ordered a big cake from Costco for the guests, and also had animal crackers, fruits snacks, grapes, and homemade root beer. We blew up the pool, and had a sprinkler going for the kids. The weather was perfect, being warm enough for the pool, and cool enough for lounging outside (except for those annoying mosquitoes that were eating us alive.) My mom was here, of course, and we had invited KC’s parents a couple months ago, and were so delighted that they could make it. We also invited a few of our closest friends and their families. We knew the babies wouldn’t know who came or not, but I needed my support group there with me to celebrate this big event. We’ve had A LOT of help with the babies, that is for sure, and I wanted this to be a little thank you as well. We wish that our family and friends that are far away could’ve celebrated with us too. The babies will always be reminded of the many people that love them.

Instead of making three cakes, I just made one, decorated three different ways.  As we were all singing Happy Birthday, it really finally dawned on me that I was singing it to my children. I couldn’t help but get a tiny bit choked up, but not noticeable enough to make things awkward at the party, so don’t worry. They were appropriately messy after their first big piece of birthday cake.

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The babies splashed around in the pool for a while, and then decided they had had enough of this party business, and wanted to go relax inside where that could crawl around and play with their toys. The babies got a nice bath, chaperoned by Grandma Robinson, were changed into their snuggly pjs, and KC’s parents were kind enough to look after them inside while we stayed outside with our friends for little while, but we did get visits from the babies now and then. And even though I said presents weren’t necessary, people were so kind to bring them anyway. These are some lucky babies I have.  It was a great night for me. I felt so close to everyone there, and so happy to be celebrating such an event.

After everyone left, we fed the tired birthday babies, and put them to bed. I think we were all pretty beat. We cleaned up, ate our dinner, and all retired ourselves. A very successful, memorable day.

On Sunday, their actual birthday, I woke up so excited to celebrate some more. It was almost like Christmas to me. We had a lot more presents to give them, and I couldn’t wait to see how they liked them. I was so happy to see their sweet faces when they woke up, and to tell them happy birthday. We pulled out a few fun new things in the morning, which kept them pretty busy. After church I showed them the big pool of play balls we got for them. It wasn’t as well received by Alex as the other two, but I think it will grow on him. They like to play with the balls, even if they don’t always want to play in them yet.

After a good nap, the party continued. KC’s parents were staying in a nearby hotel (which was very kind of them, as the house is quite crowded these days) so we took advantage of the hotel pool. The babies have never been in a real pool before, and after the initial caution wore off, they LOVED it! They were kicking and splashing like crazy. It was so fun to see their faces enjoying it so much. 

We came home, got dry, and had more cake after dinner (only because I had leftover carrot cake batter that I made into a bundt.) So we thought we might as well sing again, and let them eat more cake. But this time I cut it into bit sized pieces, and gave them considerably less, but they loved it all the same. We had a few more gifts to open, which the babies really enjoyed (and since the new toys and books keep them so busy, they make me happy too). And then the very tired babies went to bed after another long, celebratory day.   

And that is where the birthday celebrations end. It only took me a week to record it. Geez. I have to say, when we put them to bed, I was feeling a little down that the celebrating was over. Kind of how it feels after my birthday or Christmas. But I know there are a lot of birthday yet to enjoy, so my post-birthday blues didn’t last long.

I suppose I could do a little list of all the thing the babies are doing at this pivotal time in their lives, but then this post would be even longer, so I’ll spare you. They are just adorable, hilarious, smart little people, and they amaze me every day. It’s been the most wonderful, crazy, heart-wrenching, sweet, happiest, most stressful, hardest, joyous time of my life. And I know there is even more fun to be had.  I still can’t believe they are mine. Here’s a little walk down memory lane.  

Alex

Bennett 

Ruby

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall.

There is just nothing like that first batch of brisk mornings when you can smell the fall in the air. Something just comes over me, and makes me want to make every day festive, whether it’s meeting friends at the park, walking to a farmers market, or just eating outdoors. (I’m also was incredibly tired of my summer clothes, and can’t wait to wear my new boots and sweaters that have been waiting patiently for me.) Bring it on! 

Here is a little catch up of the few fun things while the babies were in recovery (and I am happy to report they are all back to their happy, normal-breathing selves. Phew!)

Play groups take on a whole new meaning to me now. Before the kids came along, I would join my friends a play group for fun, but now that I have kids at home, seeing my girlfriends on a pretty regular basis is almost a necessity. Of course having my mom around, and soon my sister too, it’s not as bad as when I’m home alone with the kids all day, but we girls still need to get together for the occasional chat session. We try to meet at the park now and then, and the babies love it too. We just have to watch close because those darn acorns are just so enticing.   

Maybe it was because they were finally feeling better, or maybe they were still feeling sick, but something was going on one night when everyone turned little loopy. Three naked, crazy babies is quite a sight to be seen.

 

Mom and Dad said they had a wonderful time at the Jefferson Memorial while he was here. I was a little embarrassed to say I hadn’t been there in all the time I’ve lived here. The Sunday that the babies were still a little under the weather, we didn’t want to infect anyone at church, but still needed to get out of the house. We decided to take the short drive there and enjoy the gorgeous weather with a picnic. It was beautiful. The babies even had their pictures take by complete strangers. And we discovered that they LOVE hummus. I guess our adult picnic looked better than their blueberry pancake pieces.

 

And YES the babies DID turn ONE YEAR OLD ON SUNDAY! Of course, that post will take some time. There are hundreds of pictures to sort through (aren’t you all excited?!) and many thoughts to put together, but it’s up next so stay tuned!

My Happy Wheezer.

So, I will now continue on with our sickness adventures. On Friday Ruby looked a lot better, but the boys still sounded terrible, wheezing so loudly. I didn’t like that at all, so as soon as they were taking calls, I contacted the pediatrician and told them the haps. They told me to bring all three in immediately, which I did. The babies were acting fine and happy, so I didn’t think we needed to rush, but I followed instructions and mom and I made our way to the office.

When the doctor saw them, she said that Ruby was fine, but the boys were definitely wheezing, and she could see that their lungs were retracting a little, and wanted to treat them with a nebulizer. The thought of trying to hold a mask on the boys’ faces for 10 minutes sounded nearly impossible (little did I know what was to come). They let us take off the masks and just hold the medicinal mist in the faces, which wasn’t so bad. It was a little tricky when Ruby started to get bored, but I’ve learned a lot about multi-tasking this past year, so we made it. The doctor cleared Alex, saying he sounded better, but she was still concerned about Bennett. We started another round, and this time the mask had to go on, which he didn’t like at all. He started in the stroller to give my tired arms a break, but soon settled down for a moment, stopped trying to rip off the mask, and even smiled a little. Mom took the other two for a walk, and I snuggled my little boy as he inhaled the medicine. Again, the doctor listened and still didn’t like what she heard. She could see that he was happy, so she knew he wasn’t struggling too much, but wanted to fix it before it got worse. She calls babies like this Happy Wheezers. She gave us a nebulizer to use at home, but also wanted him to go to the ER so get a more intense treatment. So, I dropped off mom and the others, and off to the hospital we went, after picking up a bottle for him, and a sandwich for me. Thankfully he slept through all the driving, the poor exhausted boy

Luckily when you have a wheezing baby, and your doctor calls in advance, and it’s not after hours, you get in pretty quickly (relatively speaking). So we made it to our curtained area and got checked out. They still saw the retractions and decided to do a heavy-duty nebulizer treatment. Ugh. But this time it had to run for an entire hour. (And I thought 10 minutes was bad. Ha.) The doctor said we’d be on our way as soon as it was over.

I wasn’t sure what was in store as we began. It seemed like he was curious as first, but as I kept him close to me, keeping his usually-busy hands away from the mask, he knew it wasn’t fun anymore. He’d scream for a while, then just give up and go limp, sometimes looking up at me with his sad eyes wondering why I was doing such a mean thing to him. I hadn’t slept well at all the night before, due to all the wakefulness from my sick babies, so I was rather exhausted myself. I pulled every trick I had from my bag, feeling not at all prepared. He loved looking at books, scrolling through the pictures and videos on the camera, and the doctor even offered to take one of us both. He also loved when I brushed his hair with a soft baby brush. When the hour (or more) was finally over, Bennett was so happy, and jittery from the meds. But he was also tired, he wouldn’t even hold his bottle. We were both relieved and ready to get home.  But there was a shift change, so we had to wait another hour, or so it seemed, to be seen. The new doctor said he was still sounding pretty bad. I almost cried when she said we’d have to repeat the treatment. I really didn’t think either of us could do it again. We just decided to get it over with, and luckily this one wasn’t as long, only about 30-40 minutes. He went through the same cycle: scream (to the point of sweating, and turning almost purple), become too tired to move, try to take it off, scream. . . We were definitely spent. He was so happy to have that thing off his little face. (The toothbrush is a new favorite toy.)

After several hours in the ER, they finally let us go, with a few prescriptions (not including two from my regular pediatrician), an inhaler, and all kinds of nebulizer equipment. She told me to go ahead and treat Alex too, since they are identical. I was tired, and happy to go home, and so was Bennett. He fell asleep as soon as we hit the road.

So, we begin a new adventure with asthma thrown into craziness.  We’ve been doing treatments every 4-6 hours for both the boys until they are over this sickness (though not during the night), which is much easier in the comfort of your own home than in a boring ER cubical. They are still both pretty wheezy, and all three are coughing like chain smokers, but I feel like we are in the home stretch. I understand that asthma is a pretty common problem, and not always serious, but it’s new to me, and slightly overwhelming. But if it will keep my kiddos happy and healthy, I’ll do whatever is required of me. (My other Happy Wheezer.)

Three colds, One mom

It’s inevitable. When one gets sick, they all get sick. There’s really no point in trying to avoid it, so I just go about my day as normal and let them share spoons, toys, and bottles. Might as well get it over with. We’ve had such great luck with sicknesses when it comes to these babies, so I can’t complain too much, but when there are three colds to nurse, it’s just a little tricky. I should've known when Ruby was getting cozy the other day with another baby sporting a drippy nose, that we’d have it soon enough. I love cuddling my sick/clingy/needy babies, but it’s hard when there is more than one begging for your undivided attention (thank goodness Nana is here, though sometimes only mommy will do). Wiping constantly runny noses is like an Olympic event, trying to catch them all before it gets everywhere, or wrestling them while trying to chip away at what has built up over night. Lately we have been giving them two baths a day, morning and night, not only because they have become the messiest little eaters (why do kids love to spit food into their hands and then rub it in their hair?), but I also think it helps clear out their sinuses and gently clean off those encrusted faces. And they love the water, so win, win. (Ruby has a raspy voice lately, which is the cutest and so sad at the same time.)

And of course it happened right when they were in a very good sleep routine, taking two great naps, and going to bed without a complaint. We have had some very wakeful nights and naptimes, and I just can’t help but bend the rules a little when I hear the pitiful coughing and labored breathing coming from the nursery. I have to admit I like the excuse for a little extra snuggling.

They have been incredibly sweet under the circumstances. They continue to laugh, play, clap, scoot, crawl, and eat well. My brain just starts to rattle a little when they all start that chalkboard-scratching, monotone whine that just won’t quite not matter what show, toy, or food you use to distract them. Oh well. This should be over in a couple days, I hope. I already have a mental list of everything that needs to be sterilized and washed when this has all blown over. Then I can rest easy. And TGIF! We have Daddy for the whole (long) weekend!

(Update: The above topic just got a lot more complicated, but this draft was already written and I don’t feel like changing it, so it is to be continued. . .)

I might as well show you some (A LOT) more pictures, while you’re here.

My dad came to visit last weekend. He entertained the babies and us while he was here, and we miss him. He went on lots of errands with us, which is a huge help when you have lots of big babies to lift ( Of course one or two of us couldn’t stayed home with the kids, but what is the fun of that?). An extra set of arms really makes a difference.

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A (Love those top teeth.)

Shopping (this was at Trader Joes.)

The Mall (where the babies were very happy to eat some little bites of cinnamon soft pretzels from Papa.)

The main event for Dad coming was the huge Glenn Beck Restoring Honor Rally on the National Mall. Mom wrote all about their experience here. It sounded inspiring, and rejuvenating. SO many people showed up for such a good cause. I’m so glad they were able go and support.

Other miscellaneous happenings:

Ruby is climbing up on anything she can reach these days, which is very hazardous, but cute too, of course. When she wants something, she’ll find a way to get it. My sweet baby girl looks so old.

Alex is constantly clapping. And he graduated from just doing the motion, to actually making the cutest little clapping sounds with hit fat little hands.

The Tweedles again. Identical, for sure.

Alex made such a mess, I just gave up and put the bowl on his head. Two can play at this game. I don’t think he liked it very much.

This is dangerous, as it’s hard to keep an eye on everyone to make sure, ahem, messes are prevented (Ruby got too far away to avoid that, and was soon sitting in a big puddle after this picture was taken.) But how could I resist getting some quick shots of these chubby cheeks?

They all are in a book-loving stage. It’s so fun to see them turn the pages and smile at the pictures. Bennett is the bookworm here.

Bennett wanted to make a fashion statement, and turn his hat to the side, so we did the same for Alex.

Alex really knows how to relax while shopping. Looks cozy.

This probably could’ve been broken down into several different posts, but oh well. I’ve been slacking on the blogging job, and just wanted to catch up.

I probably won’t get to documenting all their milestones equally on the blog, but I hope I at least give each of them equal face time as they learn different things at their own paces. It’s a lot of work to keep up with three rapidly changing individuals. Hopefully I can stay on top of it!