"Triplets! You don't see that everyday."

That was a quote from a fellow passenger and the reaction from almost everyone we came in contact with at the airport. The questions, comments, stares, and smiles were continuous throughout our travels. The babies did wonderfully on the flight with a few sleepy whines before drifting off to sleep. They definitely made more friends than enemies on our flight. One of the flight attendants even asked if she could take Ruby for a walk through the plane. (I just told her to not let anyone touch her.) We could see Ruby making friends all the way up in first class. And it helped that we were sitting on the very last row so everyone in line for the bathrooms couldn't help but smile and talk to the babies, only to have them smile and talk back. Quite the little performers we've got here. It's funny how when people realize that they aren't singletons, or twins, but triplets their faces light up and they just have to know more. Some questions get a little on the personal side, but we usually have a tactful answer ready for them. There is almost always a story about someone they know who has multiples, usually twins, and they are always full or warnings about the future. Ha! Like I haven't thought of that. Everyone was so nice and friendly. The babies were angels. It was a great flight.

So we're settled in here. KC had to leave on Tuesday so we enjoyed having him here for a couple days. We got to be a part of my niece Penny's blessing. It was so fun to have everyone together. Crazy, but fun. Penny, who I just met for the first time, it such a gorgeous little baby. It was only a short time ago that my babies were even smaller than that, and it baffles my mind. They are quite large now and noticeably so. It makes me so happy to see how big and healthy and happy my babies are. You'd never guess they were preemies.

Speaking of smaller baby times, I keep having flashbacks of last time I was here at Christmas. How things have changed! I was remembering how hard the babies were and how many people it took to keep them consoled around the clock. The willingness of all those who took time to help with my then chaotic life will never be forgotten. Friends and relatives I hadn't talked to for years came out of the wood works to take day shifts and night shifts to be a baby holder/feeder, or so I could have a moment of freedom, or sleep for those few glorious hours. And of course both of our families were always there for me whenever I needed them. It really was a hard hard time, but it's because of all these people that I was able to remember it with fondness also. And I think my babies are better babies because of all the love they get from everyone in their lives. It almost makes me feel guilty having to take people away from what they had going on in their lives, but it was for the babies' well being and I will always tell the babies how loved they were and how many people cared.

Now, even though we don't need anyone staying up until all hours of the night, we are still the recipients of help by others. People have generously donated pack and plays, car seats, and Bumbos among other things. I was a little bit of a minimalist when I packed for this trip as opposed to the last one. I just wanted things to be easier this time around and our traveling and visiting experience has truly been a breeze so far. And can I just say how happy I am that the babies have been sleeping so well, especially under the jet lag and off schedule circumstances. They didn't get anything but short catnaps all of Saturday and most of Sunday, but have taken great naps and 12 hours nights just fine most of the time since things have settled. And since they aren't tiny, fragile, RSV-threatened newborns anymore, and it's not the dead of winter, we can go places with them. (They all fit in the back of my mom's car. Ha!) Like to KC's parents' house for Michelle's birthday dinner last Sunday. Despite the babies being pretty tired, they were still happy to entertain us all with their happy faces, and cute little words and giggles.

That's it for now. Pictures and videos to come. I'm so glad we're here.

Busy Packing

I’ll leave this with you until the next time I post, whenever that may be.

When they get a little fussy or bored, we can rely on this little game to keep them happy for quite a while. Maybe it reminds them of what it was like inside the womb. It does look a bit like my belly did when they all were acting up in there. Oh, and they were wearing pants, they just wanted to take them off for a little while.

And this is what happens when certain people (Bennett) didn’t get a very good nap. He falls asleep during his last bottle almost every night. Must be a morning person like his mommy.

Wish us luck on our very early (nonstop, thank goodness) flight tomorrow. Kids just require so much stuff! I hope we make it in one, or I guess six pieces.

Azalea Goldmine.

The Azaleas at the National Arboretum are really something to look forward to. There are reasons to go there year round but this is an annual event that must not be missed. There is only a short window of time that they are in bloom. On a beautiful day last week we took the kiddos to see all the amazing colors (and I’m glad we did since it’s been pretty cold ever since). We’re fortunate that it’s so close to us, only a few minutes away. The babies just loved all the colors and feeling the dirt on their feet for the first time. They also made friends with all the nice people that wanted to say hi. I remember walking through the Azalea Garden last year when I was only in my first trimester being so overwhelmed with happiness as I walked alone walking in all the beauty. Look how much has changed since then. I was so happy to share this little goldmine with my babies.

Well, that’s enough out of me. I’ll let the pictures say the rest. Though, the pictures don’t do these gorgeous blossoms justice. 

I guess we wore most of them out.

A good day.

Sometimes you just have days that are fun, you know? Like last Saturday. Let me recall:

-Pilates with mom in the morning. It hurts so good.

-After a good morning nap fed the babies and left them with KC so mom and I could get out of the house.

-Met up with Cami and crew (who are visiting their old stomping grounds-hooray!) at a great book store.

-Ate at Chipotle with Cami and crew. Oh that pork is good.

-Mom and I stopped at Trader Joe's and couldn't help but buy way too much.

-Came home to KC feeding all the darling little ones. (I meant to be back for the next feeding but we got held up. But now that I know he can do it on his own, I might just have to get out more often on the weekends. Ha!)

-Played with the sweeties. Always a good addition to a good day.

-Put them down for a nap. Also an important part of a good day.

-Went to the library with mom and checked out more movies than we can watch before we leave next weekend. But we'll try.

-Took the babies on a great walk after trying avocados for the first time (they liked it). It was little cold so we bundled the up in pjs and blankets and all enjoyed the brisk evening.

-6:30 bedtime! Need I say more?

-Delicious Salmon dinner. Perfect spring meal.

-Girlfriends over for a long overdue girls night. Caramel corn, warm chocolate chip cookies, Wackee Six, talking for hours. I missed my girls.

So there you go. Other days aren't necessarily bad, but this one was just packed with fun making it stand out a little. Kind of exhausting, but worth it.

Camera happy

Seriously, how can any parent not take a million pictures of their kids? And what am I supposed to do, just leave them in folders collecting dust? I have many pictures I want to post, so maybe I'll just do a series of slide shows. But I'll start you off with few cuties I took today. It looks like the boys have a tee time to get to. 
Walks: I love taking walks with the babies, and on the weekends, KC joins us too. Our neighborhood is gorgeous, especially in the spring with colorful blossoms everywhere and everything turning so green. You’ll see that one day the only way to get a picture of us was to take it in the reflection of our door. We also love to stop and see Jan and the kids when they are home. It funny to notice how many cars slow down as they are passing us. I’m trying to get all the walks I can in before it gets too hot. These babies are getting too heavy to push/carry in Maryland heat. Though I am loving the workout.

Eating: They are really progressing when it comes to holding bottles, and eating solids. They were eating prunes in some of these pictures. Just fyi, if you feed your baby prunes to get the obvious desired result, you’ll definitely get what you are asking for.  They were a mess to make, a mess to eat, and a mess to clean up when. . .well just be prepared to change a lot of diapers.  And you can also easily tell my the pictures who our messiest eater it (Bennett).

 

Cuteness: I think this is self-explanatory.

Babies are so easy to please.

For instance:

Bennett and Alex both giggled while their little baby bottoms were being wiped. Funny how they used to hate this part of the day.

Ruby kept laughing when I was scraping food off her funny face while eating solids. Though there is never much to scrape since she is such an efficient eater.

And silly Alex, after a pretty good burp, let out the funniest little chuckle. It must have tickled as it vibrated.

I wish I could find even the most mundane things so amusing. Of course, they aren't always this easily entertained, and sometimes won't fall for any of my tricks. Hopefully by then it's nap time.

Flying Solo

For the past week or so, I’ve been on my own until KC gets home.  As fun as it is to have family around to keep us company, the babies and I are having a BLAST together. They keep me busy and entertained every moment they are awake (and also very relieved every blissful moment they are asleep-let’s be honest.) With naps enforced and nighttime sleep continuing successfully, this is totally a doable job. I definitely crash at the end of the day, but that’s what every mom does, right?

We haven’t been completely alone though. On Thursday we were delighted and honored to have my Grandma, and a good portion of her siblings visit since they were in DC visiting my great uncle Dell and his wife while on a mission here.  We played with the babies for a little while before naptime, put them down and didn’t even hear a peep. We then enjoyed some great conversation over a big platter of catered sandwiches and key lime pie. I was also presented with a couple pairs of symbolic dangly earrings, and some cache valley cheese. What a treat it was to have my great relatives take time out of their busy schedules to come see us. I know that many of the prayers that were said for these babies came from them and it showed as they gave so much love to the babies while they were here. They are welcome any time. I was sad to see them go. And of course many of them wanted a picture with all three.    

I also ventured out on my own to meet up with some friends at the park yesterday. It was a little breezy, a welcomed change from the humid and hot days we’ve been having. So after a good nap and bottles, we bundled up and set out. This was my first solo trip anywhere with all three of them. It was liberating. Getting them in and out of the car (plus all the gear they require) is quite a workout. But we made it intact. It was great to play with friends again! We had to take a picture of the pile of babies we had with us, and a couple more even showed up as we were leaving. I’ve been to the park many times with my friends when I didn’t have kids and it definitely feels different now that I’m a mom. In a good way, of course. My friends were great to hold any of them if they got fussy while my hands were full. But I’m pleased to say that they were little angels most of the time. I only planned on staying about an hour to get home in time for naps. And Alex sure let me know when his happy time was up. Molly helped me load the car, and as soon as we were on our way the little fella conked right out.  I’d say our first trip together was a success and we’d be happy to meet the friends at the park any time (if they have a good nap, that is).        

We also had some very kind friends offer to babysit while we had a little date night. Nicole and Zach are awesome, and they brought a couple young women to help as well. We enjoyed ourselves as we leisurely ate dinner and talked. I feel like so many meals are rushed with kids, so it was nice to just take our time (though I’ll admit I missed the babies like crazy). We got home early enough to hang out with our kind babysitters before they had to go home. It was great to catch up with my friends. It’s been a while since my life has felt this normal and I’m enjoying it immensely.

So even though it’s possible to to this by myself, I am very much looking forward to my mom joining the party this coming Wednesday! The extra hands will be great, and I love having someone to share those funny baby moments with. She is also going to help us tote these sweeties back to Utah for a fun month-long trip. We can’t wait to see everyone again!

So life is good, the babies are adorable, and I’m loving being a mom. Sometimes during the day when things get a little crazy and everyone wants me at once, I try to see those moments as opportunities to get creative. I pile all the babies on me and sing, or just talk to them. They are so unbelievably sweet all looking up at my so intently as I  feel so many little  hands and arms wrapped around whatever they can get a hold of. I could live those moments over and over and never get tired of them. I still can’t believe I’m a mother. Will it ever feel real?

It’s video time again.

Enough of that dumb hacker business. And don’t worry everyone. I changed my password the second I saw what was going on early this morning. Sorry about it.  All is taken care of after some cyber- clean up. Phew!

Now, on to more fun things. I am not oblivious to the fact that these videos are really only entertaining to KC and me, but why not show them anyway. I like to give you videos in clumps. It makes it easier for me somehow.

She’s a wild one, that Ruby. And is it mean to love Alex’s sad face in this?

Sometimes they just get in one of those giggly moods.

These are both good for different reasons (I’d turn your volume down if I were you. I get really screechy and annoying trying to entertain them. Sorry.)

Other fun facts lately:

We have a new schedule cutting out one of their naps and it’s going really well. Three naps may seem like a lot to you, but I think it’s great! They sleep very well day and night. Last night we got a whopping 12 1/2 hours straight! They are pretty consistent with good night these days. No more night feeding. Hooray!

They are growing like cute little weeds. Alex at almost 18 lbs. Bennett at about 16 1/2 lbs. and sweet petite Ruby weighs about 15 lbs. The dr. said they are all doing beautifully. How I love to hear that.

I think they are starting to develop stranger anxiety. When we went outside for a little playtime, the neighbors came to say hi. I ran inside to get something, and Bennett started to cry. Ruby also had a pretty pouty face when a friend was holding her. As flattering as it is, they better get over this phase soon. I’m outnumbered!

Warm weather is great. I love seeing their chubby arms and legs all day. And can I tell you how nice it is to have significantly less snaps to fasten?

Here are some feeding observations:

Alex has always loved his food, though he seems to be cutting back lately. He doesn’t gobble it up like he used to. He likes all solids so far, and doesn’t make too much of a mess. He likes to hold his bottle and sometimes does it for a few minutes at a time. So helpful.

Bennett is our fastest bottle finisher. Sometimes he tries to suck his thumb at the same time as the bottle. He also  likes to eat solids with his hand in his mouth. What a mess. But cute. He always wants to play with the spoon. I’ll have to remember to keep an extra handy for him.

Ruby eats solids like a champ. And without making a huge mess too (unlike her untidy brothers.) She opens wide and swallows it down.  She isn’t a huge fan of bottles, but she is doing better. Sometimes we have to distract and trick her to get her to finish more than 4 oz, but today she has downed every 6 oz. bottle. I guess she likes being propped better than being held. Makes my life easier for sure.

Here is our usual setup. I love this time of the day. They are always so hungry and a little fussy before a feeding, but as soon as we are all set up and they are eating, it’s perfectly quiet except their sweet gulping sounds.

What the?!?

Sorry about that last post (which has now been deleted). Things are happening with my email account. Dumb emails are getting sent without me sending them. I'm really annoyed, and kind of freaked out. While I work this out, please ignore any random posts, and random emails that come from me. I am the last person you'll ever get forwards or spam from, so again, sorry.

Ugh, the internet. Like I have time for this.

Easter Bunnies

We had three bunnies come to our house this weekend. Pretty lucky, eh?      

I hope Easter was as good for you as it was for us. We had the loveliest of weather, and got to enjoy the company of Aunt Nicole, KC's sister (who gave the babies their darling bunny ears). Everyone got to find their Easter Baskets in the morning, after which (when the babies were taking a nap) we enjoyed a spontaneous crepe breakfast. We had lots of food prep, as I'm sure most of you did as well, so we freshened up and got to work. On our menu: An appetizer of cheese puffs (formally called gougere) filled with egg salad, a main course of spiral sliced honey glazed ham, crescent rolls, red/sweet potato gratin, asparagus, fruit salad, and for dessert, Coconut Panna Cotta with mixed berries.

I enjoyed every bite, and especially enjoyed cooking with Nicole. She is quite talented in the kitchen. She is a Home Ec. teacher after all. We worked well together and had things planned out in such a way that nothing was rushed, all was done at the same time, around 3, and everything was delicious. We also enjoyed a walk that day since the weather was perfect for it, and caught  bits of Conference here and there with three babies interrupting on occasion. And of course we had to take a million pictures of the cuties in the casual Easter attire. (No church, no need to get dressed up, right?)

And they got swim suits in their baskets so we couldn’t resist trying those on. I, uh I mean the Eater Bunny, ordered come flip-flops for the babies too, but those didn't come until today. Of course Ruby got two pairs because she is a girl and can never have too many shoes.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first Easter as a mother. It was a day to remember. I can't wait for the years to come when I can explain to the kids the significance of this holy day and why it means so much to me. They will most definitely know that their Savior loves them and will forgive all their imperfections, and what a miracle and true blessing that is. 

So, as if that wasn’t enough enough pictures, here is a slide show of all the fun times. I might as well throw in a few more from the weekend. Enjoy your leftovers. We certainly are.