Today {38}

I am in a blogging slump.  I put off blogging until night time & then, I don't want to blog, I just want to go to bed; however,  I have to remember my purpose of blogging for 100 days...to capture this time of my life.   I can't find my camera cord, so I think that is also adding to the bloggers block.  I will try to press on, though.  

Let's see, today was a fun day with the Fam.  I got up early this morning to go hunt down strawberries at the Farmer's Market, but they were all sold out.  However, I did find some great things : beets, squash, beans, carrots, & broccoli.  I also got some fresh butter & milk.  I went by myself, so that was a very nice way to start out the day!  

I came home just as babies were going down for their first nap.  During naps, Chris and I planned out our garden we will eventually plant while Harper played outside.   Then we set up a tent in our backyard.  We had planned to put the boys in the tent while we worked on building our veggie beds, but then the day got away from us & we didn't have time to begin our garden....maybe on Monday.  We did have a grand ol' time playing in the tent though.  Harper was so excited about our new "liddle house."  

After lunch, we took everyone outside.  Chris cleaned the garage while I played in the tent with the kids. It was incredibly hot, so once everyone was nice 'n sweaty, we came in for a cool drink & bottles.  Playing outside is THE trick to having babies take good naps!!  Everyone slept for 2 1/2 hours!  I was able to take a cat nap, read and plan & make goals for myself. (more on that later)

Once everyone woke up, they played for a bit while I made the babies dinner.  Chris went to get us & Harper Logan's Roadies tonight.  They are the little mini-burgers on their sourdough rolls...so good!  It always reminds us of when Harper was born.  That was the first meal we had as a family of three right after I delivered her!  We wanted to grill out, but our grill is disgusting!  Chris cleaned it this evening, so hopefully we can use it this weekend!  Grilling = summer is here!  

After we ate, everyone had a bath.  Bottles & bedtime went relatively smooth, so I'm hoping for a good night!  Oh,  I forgot to mention that Crews & Maverick decided they would just wake up at 11pm last night and stay awake until 2 am!  They only thing we could figure out is that it was a full moon!  So, here's hoping to some sleep tonight.   

After we put them to sleep, Chris and I finished watching Valentine's Day.  Very cute movie with some really funny parts!  Then I was finishing up the dishes when I realized I hadn't blogged today!  So, the daily blog, is just that... a blog of what we did today.  Now, back to those dishes & then into my comfy bed!  Yesh!

Hope you had a great Saturday too!

ML

Opting Out {37}

I am choosing not to blog today.  I just plain don't want to. 

Hope you have a happy friday night!

~ML~

Busy Blessed Days {36}

By about 5 pm yesterday, I was about ready to climb the walls.  No one had napped together.  I had at least 2 babies with me at all times yesterday.  And they weren't happy babies. they were cranky, squiggly and squirmy babies.  I think they are teething again because nobody could get comfy.  Once one was down, another would wake up, and so on.  My house looked like a tornado had hit it.  

One good thing was that dinner was ready when Chris got home, and Harper had actually eaten!  So, he took over and fed the boys to let me and Harper go for a little walk.  It was so very beautiful outside and the sun felt so good on my skin.  A big part of our neighborhood isn't developed, so there is a lot of road we can walk on that isn't dangerous.  We have a game we play to get Harper to actually keep up when we walk.  We get her to run and jump on the man hole covers to the rainwater/sewer things.  Harper would say run mama, so I would run and jump up on one of the manholes and wait for her and she was pumping her little arms and grinning from ear to ear.  She would step up onto them with me, and then say "Jjjjjjj-ump!"  and would jump off.  

We did this for a while until her little cheeks were bright pink and her hair was curling around her face.  We were both laughing and having the best time.  I knew it would happen where she looked up at me and said "hold you."  (Her way of asking me to carry her - I don't correct her b/c I know she will learn soon enough the "right" way to ask me to carry her.)  So, I just carried her up the hill and she rested on my shoulder.  It was pure delight.  At the top, I needed a rest, so I sat her down and we began to jump from manhole to manhole again.  

Then, came the most amazing blessing!  It started pouring rain while the sun was shining so very bright.  Harper was laughing and we were singing made up songs about praising Jesus and thanking him for the rain.  I kept looking for a rainbow, but never could see one.   

We were as soaked as could be by the time we round the corner to see our house and head home.  It was so nice just to walk and sing in the rain since there was no thunder.  I will never ever forget this memory.  Just as we rounded the corner, the rainbow was so bright and arched perfectly over our house.  I wish I had my camera.  It was so beautiful and breathtaking.  I could even see exactly where both ends of the rainbow touched down.  (I was looking for the pot of gold & little leprechaun, but never saw them - hee hee)  We made it back home, and Chris had a towel waiting for us.  I ran and got my camera to try to take a picture, but the little rainshower had already passed over. There was a little bit of a rainbow left, but it had arched away from our house.  (My picture doesn't do it justice AT ALL).  I snapped a few pics, and then my camera battery died before I could change the settings.  Some things are only meant to be captured by the mind anyway.

My mood had completely changed when I came back inside.  I thanked the Lord from the bottom of my heart for showing me His presence & creation, as well as, for the gift that I was able to share such a sweet memory with Harper.  She may not remember it, but this is a record to tell her one day that we experienced this together.  The boys were fed and happy after dinner, so we all just played on the floor while it started raining again.  I love the image of the shadows of rain, so I tried to get this picture, but it turned out pretty pathetic.  

The little loves played until about 7:30 when we gave them their bottles and put them down to bed.  They were so happy the rest of the evening doing stuff like this:

Chris then received an email about a minivan we found on Craigs List.  The guy said it was available again.   (They had let a family friend who had lost everything in the flood borrow it)  We had been researching this vehicle and praying about it for the last 2 weeks.  We went and test drove it today, and the sale will be final tomorrow morning!  How amazing is that?!?  

Thanks to Mrs. Jean & Mrs. Debbie - my Thursday blessings (they've come every Thursday since the boys were teeny tiny).  They kept all 4 kiddos today while Chris and I were out trying to get everything squared away with the vehicle.  We now have a van to ride in & we celebrated by piling everyone in the van and going to Sonic for orange cream slushes!  

(this was a week or so ago with Mrs. Jean (left) and Mrs. Debbie (right) & Harper's classic 'smile')

Oh & when I got home I had received some books I had ordered on Amazon that I wasn't expecting until Saturday.  I'm telling you, it was just like Christmas today!  :-)  

Thank you, Lord for the many blessings you given us these past 2 days.  I know there are times of famine and there are times of feasting.  Both have their time and place, but I praise you for these blessings today. 

Now, off to bed~

ML

Wordless Wednesday {35} : Waiting On Dinner

{P.S.  Thank you for all of your awesome dinner comments!!!  As you can see, I need to start implementing some of them :-D}

~ML~

My Mother's Day Fun {34}

Saturday night Harper and Chris went on a date to Lowe's and bought me 3 peach trees!  They were having a sale on fruit trees.  We really want to start growing a lot of our own fruit and veggies but probably won't really start until next year.  Chris let Harper pick between a peach tree or an apple tree.

Sunday morning was fun because we took all the kids to church again.  This time we were able to introduce the boys and re-introduce :-) Harper to the students.  Last time we went, we snuck in and out to get a feel of how it would be.  This time we just dove in!  A friend had my camera & I forgot to change the settings on it, so all my pics are blurry.  Here are 2 pics of the morning:

The boys were so good!  I didn't even get paged during service!!  And, they (well, their teachers) made little foot print butterflies for me... it was precious! I'll keep those forever!

While we were hanging around telling everyone bye (we are ALWAYS the last people to leave church - we were this way even when we didn't have kids!), I had the notion to go out to eat!  Why not, right?!  So, we did it!

Me loving on Harper after she fell and scraped her knee.

The Fam
(I originally wrote the Farm- haha - could be that too, I guess... look at Harper's sad wittle face)

We decided to go to a yummy Mexican place called, Nachos.  We figured we could deal with a little bit more craziness if the boys were fussy there than a "special" Mother's Day outing.  Hey, it would be special no matter where we ate!  The boys did such a good job!!  We were stuffed back in the corner and had great help accompanying us - The Taylor family and sweet Arica!  We strategically placed the boys around the table.  They ate puffs & baby food before the food came out.  Then, they just sat and played in their high chairs.  It was a wonderful memory, and lots of fun!

Me(with a mouthful of chips & my bra strap showing :-/ hmph) & Maverick

 

Crews & Me (and my bra strap)

 Strategically Placed

 

Harps & Daddy

 

Linc & JoElen feeding Warner chips and salsa babyfood

Too bad Arica and the Taylor's couldn't come home with us!  They boys had overloaded on activities and were so tired they wouldn't fall asleep. They pretty much cried the rest of the afternoon.  But, overall, my day was fantastic!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE being a Mommy!

The Chaos of Dinner

Tonight I could not think of anything to cook.  Everyone woke up early from their naps & were a cranky li'l bunch of babes.  Here is what Harper ate: a leftover piece of french toast, asparagus (which I cut up really small & told her it was green beans) (low, I know, but I needed her to eat!), raisins, strawberries, grapes, blue corn chips, & hummus.  I fed the boys their food & everyone was still cranky.  In walked Super Hero Daddy with hotdogs & hamburgers some precious precious people made him bring home to me.  They were *heavenly*!!! 

On other occasions when I am at a stand still & the creative dinner juices aren't flowing, I will make:
Chicken Fingers (chicken, dipped in melted butter, covered in smooshed Ritz Crackers & baked @ 350 for 20-30 minutes).  Mac & Cheese (noodles, butter, cream cheese, & real cheese plus a little salt & pepper).  Scrambled Eggs & fruit & toast.  Or a hodge podge of whatever I can find... like tonight.  That only works if Chris isn't eating though... otherwise, he's starving in about an hour. 

Please pass along some tips for what YOU do for dinner in a pinch??

Love~
ML

PS... I LOVE the crock pot.  best invention ever!  Just wish I could get my mind to remember to use it at 10 o'clock in the morning! 

Q & A Part 3 {32}

Q: Is hard for you to always be at home and not really seeing the outside world? 
A: Not anymore.  I missed it when I was first on bedrest - especially church.  I truly think it is a privilege to be at home.  I have the honor of being a mom and teacher to my children every single day.  I dont just write that here and not feel it with every fiber of my being.  Sure there are days when I am exhausted and I want to cry... well, I do cry, but it is not because I want to be somewhere else.  It is usually because I dont know how to respond to a situation or because I am mad at myself for responding the way I did (raising my voice at Harper, getting frustrated at changing poop for the 14th time that day, etc)  Yet, I have become so accustom to being at home, I don't wish to escape anymore.  I think there is something completely freeing when you are able to be content where you are and not wish to be somewhere else.  I've had plenty of times where I've wished to be somewhere else, and now I try to hold onto every second of where I am because I know I will never have *these* seconds again.  Plus, when you have to move 4 children in and out of carseats and get all the stuff together to get them from Point A - Point B, then take them out of the carseats and get all the stuff into the destintion just to relax for an hour or 2 to do it all over again... going out becomes a lot LESS appealing!  I know one day it will be easier to get them in & out of the car, and therefor, we will be going a lot more!  I am relishing in the time being at home without the pressure of going anywhere or doing anything.

Q: What does your belly look like after have triplets?

A: Go blow up a balloon.  Let it sit for a few days.  Then clip the end of it and slowly let the air out.  This is exactly what it looks like.  Seriously.  I actually am quite proud of all the stretch marks because it reminds me of the miracle God performed in me.  I used to think I would have a tummy tuck eventually, but now, I wouldn't have a tummy tuck unless I had developed hernias (which is totally possible w/ multiples - but I don't have any! Yay)   My stretched out skin is my battle scars.  Plus, I am never ever going to go through surgery for fun!  That c-section was the pits!

Q: Where did you get the things you use to prop up the boys' bottles when they are in their boppies? Do you have any other (LOVE the homemade wipes - haven't bought one box of wipes! Thank you for sharing!!) ideas that are geared for parents of multiples?
A:  Well, the bottle props I got from a friend who had multiples and she passed them along to me.  I haven't been able to find them anywhere else, but I have seen these on other moms of multiples websites: Milk Maid Bottle Prop.  I would love to learn how to make these b/c they are awesome! 

Here is an email I sent to a friend about tips I would give to moms of multiples:
1. Don't buy multiple swings, exersaucers, baby stuff. Just rotate. You do need 2 of each: infant carseats, cribs (well, eventually... we used one until they were 3 months), bouncy seats (they were great for feeding!), boppies.

2. Get those babies on the same schedule asap! This is how we survive.

3. Swaddle 'em up tight & use white noise to help them sleep. This is key w/ multiples since they will be sharing the same crib & same room.  Our boys do not wake each other up at night if one cries!  nap time is a different story!

4. Accept help... anything... if she doesn't want people caring for babies, they can still load the dishwasher, do laundry, clean the house, make food, take the big kids out, let mom have a nap!

5. Give nursing an attempt. Breastfeeding Multiples is a good book that gave me lots of advice. I only lasted 6 weeks when I started weaning (a total of 8 weeks once I was done), though.. hah! It may seem like it is completely not do-able, but in the end it could save lots of $$! However, if you can't or choose not to, to dump mommy guilt at the curb... it's the worst! (I can talk to you more about this... whew, it was a journey for me... but was I freed from the guilt in the end!  The overall decision was best for my family)

6. Start collecting diapers now before the babies are born.  We had an amazing Diaper shower & a group of Sunday School classes that named themselves "The Diaper Brigade."  We've just started buying diapers again this week!  

7.  Keep a changing station upstairs and downstairs so you are running up and downstairs all the live long day.  

And that is all I can think of right now... hah! I will try to keep a running list if I can think of anything else & get back to you! I really liked the book Chaos 2 Calm (on organizing stuff).

Q: Are you sure, and I mean really sure, that Maverick is Maverick, Warner is Warner and Crews is Crews? Is there even the slightest possibility that they were mixed up at the very beginning?
A: LOL!  I always thought this when I saw other identical multiples, but I definitely know who is who!  In the hospital they were over-labelled.  Then, right when we got home, we painted each of their big toes a different color.  (W-yellow, M-Green, C-Blue).  That stayed on there for a while, and after that, I was able to tell their differences.  They each have their distinguishing marks: C-birthmark on his L shoulder. W- has a little red mole (hemangioma) on his scalp. M- nothing distinguishing (other than his hacking cough right now)  When I go back & see their first pictures right after they were born & covered all in white gunk, I know exactly who is who!  Crazy huh? And the pics aren't labelled!
I must tell on myself though, the other day, I went to get them up at nap time & realized that I had put W in M's crib and M in W crib.  If I don't pay attention, even I will get them mixed up!  LOL!

 And the golden question is:

Q: Do we plan on having more kids?

A: Well, we aren't sure yet. :-) I have always wanted 5 kids (and Chris has kind of been thrown into having 4 - so what's one more?! ;-D He originally wanted), 2 but right now it is just too early to say.  Life is very very busy right now.  We said we will see when the boys are a little older.  However, with them being confirmed identical, that means it DOESN'T raise my chances any more than usual of having multiples again.  (If you have fraternal twins, the odds of having multiples again are raised)  If they were fraternal, I think our decision would have been made for us.  I guess we will see how the next year goes.  If I'm not crazy (or maybe I will have to be crazy!).... we *MIGHT* be adding another Blanton Babe.  More prayer & life to be lived before we know for sure.

And that ends the Q & A Segment of the 100 Posts.  :-)

Love ~
ML

Q & A Part 2 {31}

Q:What is the most difficult part of raising four little ones?

A:  Right now it is the physical demand they require - being fed, changed, carried up the stairs, picked up, woken up in the middle of the night, bathing them, etc.  Yet, emotionally I am full on the love and sweetness they give over and over to me.  So, I wonder if when they are teenagers if it will be harder then...I will physically be rested, but emotionally poured out.  Will have to keep running to Jesus to filled! 

Q:If you could have anything in the world to help you (in terms of raising triplets and a little girl) what would you wish for? 

A: More arms, but that would be weird.  I just wish I could hold and cuddle each baby at once.  Many times, 2 or more babies will be crying, and it is heart breaking to have to choose one baby over the other to comfort.  I know I will eventually get to that one who is crying, but it is hard to hear them cry.  And a minivan - we don't have a vehicle large enough to carry our family one place. 

Q:I have had lots of questions about our schedule & how I manage it: take a shower, go to the grocery store, when is Chris home, etc.?

Trying to recount a day has had me tripped up on this post.  Why I don't know. Maybe because even when I type out what our day is supposed to look like, there are always variations.

So, when do I shower: If I wake up with an alarm & not a crying baby & I'm feeling ambitious or have somewhere to go, then I will get into the shower before anyone wakes up.  If not, then I will shower during nap time #1.  One thing that is great about having a girl is that she does not have the need to destroy things, so I usually will put her in the bathroom with me, give her 2 Q-tips and ask her to clean the shower door while I shower.  And she does it! It is fabulous! 

When do I go to the grocery store: I usually go on Thursdays when these two wonderful women come to love on my babies.  They are usually here in the morning and stay through early afternoon.  If my trip isn't extensive (not a lot of coupons), then I will take Harper.  Also, I go to the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings to get meat, veggies, flowers, eggs, & milk.  Sometimes we take the whole fam & it is crazy fun. 

When is Chris home: I won't disclose his exact schedule, but we start celebrating the beginning of our weekend on Thursday night & he is home all day Friday & Saturday.  I love having him home.  On Thursdays I am soooo excited for our weekend to begin!  Friday we usually have some sort of special breakfast made by Chris, and Saturdays are usually Farmer's Market days. 

Here is how our day is supposed to go:

 The morning usually starts off at 6:30 or 7.  Chris wakes up first and makes bottles for the day.  I am NOT a morning person, so I usually stumble out of bed around 7 or 7:30 needing coffee!  I love starting my day with coffee & time with Jesus, but that doesn't always happen.  I will sacrifice sleep though if I'm feeling especially depleated or I have a really long day ahead of me.  I need the wisdom of the Lord & good communication with Jesus to get me through my day!

As the boys drink their bottles, I drink my coffee.  It's great because now, they just sit up & crawl over to me to play!  They usually burp themselves on the way over.  Gone are the days of trying to coax out a burp :-(  They are growing up!  We play for about 15 minutes and then I make breakfast & get Harper up.  

Breakfast is served for the boys around 9ish, then we play or I clean up the kitchen.  They will help as they eat the leftover cheerios off the floor.  

Around 10-12 is nap time.  I will get ready, do laundry, straighten the house, do my "chore" of the day,
 and make sure I have snuggle time with Harper.  This is hard to sometimes stop in the day, but it is so rewarding.  We will sit on the bed read some books or watch a DVD.  It makes such a difference to the way she behaves the rest of the day.  After snuggle time, we will go start lunch.

12/1230 - lunch time.  This time is difficult b/c Harper still wants to just have my attention and the boys think they are starving to death...and they are still very dependent on me feeding them.  It is very crazy & loud.  But once tummies are full, life is much better.   **Side note:  I started giving them table food this week at lunch.  Oh. My. Word.  I didn't know whether to laugh because of the obscene amount of food all over them and my kitchen.  I mean, it was disgusting.  Times three.  And they are boys, and boys are very very different than girls - even as babies, and even in the activing of eating.  I called my mom and told her this.  She replied to me that one of the most vivid memories she had was of her identical brothers throwing peas at each other at dinner.  After she said that, I realized that I had a tiny glimpse into my Mama Dot's life.**

After lunch I wipe the boys down which sometimes just results into a full out bath.  We will sometimes go on a walk, but that is only if it isn't blazing hot outside.  Otherwise, i will put on a DVD while I clean up & get everyone geared to naptime.

2- Bottle #2, but I think they will be dropping this one soon... once they get more food into their bodies than ON their bodies.

2:30-4/4:30: Naptime - woot! woot!  I have me time for the first hour.  Then, I do laundry/house stuff or phone calls or emails and try to start dinner.

5:30- Dinner time!  Crazy again.  But more baby food is included here than table food, so that is nice!  I feed them usually about 4-5 jars total + some oatmeal+ a banana.  This is just a weird time for Harper.  I usually just let her wander around and graze-eat.  She is tired with a finicky appetite.  When Chris is home, he can sit with her & she does much better.  She is at a lovely phase when she says " No like it!"  Oh it drives me nuts!

6:15- We will go for a walk or do bathtime depending on the night.

7:30- bottle #3

8:00- night night babies
8:15- night night Harper
8:30- clean kitchen, start dishwasher, finish laundry, get ready for the next day, blog, hang out with Chris, etc. - usually not *all* of these things, but at least 3 of them
10:30/11 - night night

Q:What do you do when one baby wakes up after only a few minutes, and it is clearly nap time? 
Well, I've tried a little bit of it all, but I think there are a couple of factors in having a successful naptime.  


#1- whitenoise to drown out other babies cries.  We have 3 noise makers under each crib.  It sounds like a tidal wave is in the boys room!
#2-Babies need to be tired.  Sometimes I want naptime to arrive sooner, so I will try to force it.  That only makes all of us miserable.
#3- Once babies are crawling, nap life is sooo much better b/c they really work out to get tired!  
#4 - I have tried to seperate them.  We went through a period of a month or so where we kept one in a pack n play in our closet with whitenoise (the closet had a vent - important if you try this!), one in our bathroom with whitenoise & the window covered with a towel, and one in the nursery.  It was good b/c babies slept.  It was bad b/c breaking down & setting up a pack n play was inconvienent as well as trying to dance around the one in the bathroom.  They are all sleeping in the nursery again.
#5 - a little crying won't hurt em (this is when they are separated).  Especially as they get older.  With Harper and Crews, they have both had to cry it out at one point for 30 minutes.  I didn't start the CIO really until they were over 6 months (many start sooner than this, I just couldn't do it).  Warner & Maverick havent' needed to (yet).  :-)  But with C & H, it never last longer than 30. 

Do you and Chris get one on one time together?  

Yes we do, but we have to be much more conscientious about making time together. Many nights we fall into the bed exhausted.  However, there are some days that I start gearing towards bedtime at 2:00pm!  I will make the coffee for the morning then, get in my pjs, get the babies in their pjs, make sure the kitchen is clean & dinner is ready.  That way, once everyone is down for the night, Chris and I can have uninterrupted time together, and we can get in bed early if we so choose. :-)

Part 3 coming tomorrow!

MLB

Did you Catch It? {30}

...that I completely forgot to blog yesterday.  I thought after doing something for 21 days, it was supposed to become a habit.  Welp, not here. Completely forgot.  Guess I have too much going on. :-) 

For the last week, we've been trying out a new schedule.  One that was delightful the first day (got to spend individual time with each baby), and then quickly plummeted downhill after that.  But, for the life of me, I could not change it.  Until today, when my wingman was here and we were able to work together. 

We are both exhausted.  It's amazing how sweet, cute, squishy babies can wear you out so quickly.  But they can.  Guess that's why God made them cute. 

Since the schedule changed back to normal (where *everyone* naps at the same time... all were napping seperately--gahhhh), I may have more time to blog again, so I will be finishing up the Q & A post.  Then, hopefully getting some more fun pics up. 

So, off to get a good nights rest.  Be back tomorrow with more!

Love
ML

Here is a funny picture of how my mom feeds babies when she is here.  :-P

Q & A Answers Part 1 {29}

Q: How do you find a healthy balance between interacting and encouraging independent play? And how do you nourish your creative heart and include your children?

A: This is a tough one.  The boys play well on their own (well, when all 3 are together) and right now, little objects (a ball, a spoon, a block) keep their attention for a while.  With Harper, it is more difficult.  She really wants my attention right now.  I will give her little projects or activities to keep her occupied while I get one task done: sink full of bubbles and a cup (requires a little clean up!), little beads on pipe cleaners, getting her to stack as many blocks as she can before they fall over.  One thing I've noticed is if I take time to sit with her for a little while and teach her how to do an activity or how to use her imagination (it only takes a little bit with a child), she will be occupied for a little while.

She helps me unload the dishwasher or put the clothes in the washing machine.  She isn't into cleaning too much, though.  :-) And, I will say, that I am not opposed to DVDs - some of our favorite are Elmo Goes to the Doctor, Baby Signs, and Baby Songs (songs about a child's day - getting dressed, brushing teeth, sharing, etc)  As the boys get older and can do more, we will watch less & do more together.

I decided when we let Bekah go, that my children would be my first priority and a clean house would be second.  I do try to pick up and keep stuff in line, but I will be honest and say my house doesn't stay completely straight.  I want to teach my kids to take care of their things and to put them away, but I know that will come in time.

As far as creativity goes, I love to be creative, I NEED to be creative.  However, there isn't always a ton of time to do this, so time has to be made.  One way I find a creative outlet is rearranging something - today, it was the pantry.  I did it during naptime, and then finished up while everyone was playing.  Harper helped me as I had her re-arrange cupcake liners.  She played with them the rest of the evening!  I have started sewing and doing hand embroidery.  Harper has sat with me and helped pull or push the needle through. I really like the book The Creative Family, and look forward to when the kids get a little older to implement lots from that. I know that it will take focus and planning to do more elaborate activities, but then there is so much around us that is simple & can be used for creativity. 

Q:Tell us how the Lord has equipped you for this high calling and how has He become your source of strength these last 9 months?

A:  I am working on a series of post hopefully coming to you within the month (titled Our Miracles) about this very topic. It is waaaaaaayyyy too long and amazing for this little questionairre! :-)

Q:How many days a week do you actually get dressed in real clothes? 

A: Usually about 6 out of 7 days on average.  If I don't get dressed I physically feel terrible later in the day.  Some days it just doesn't happen - especially when one or more kiddo is sick.  And, when I say get dressed, it isn't anything fancy!  It is usually sweatpants/ yoga pants & t-shirt, or a casual dress.  I LOVE fun casual dresses... they are functional & make you feel girlie - even if you get puked on.  Also, I try to put on shoes every morning.  FlyLady aint kiddin' when she tells you to "get dressed to lace up shoes."  You get soooo much more done!!!

Q:Name one place you would like to travel to.

A:Italy!  I haven't ever been and have always wanted to go to Italy with Chris.  I think everything is so romantic, and I would love to eat real authentic spaghetti, pizza, & whatever other yumminess is lurking over there!

Q:What is your favorite thing about your hubby?

A:  Physically, I love his tallness and strength.  I feel so safe and taken care of in his arms.  Plus, he has the sweetest scent (even if he is sweaty - seriously :-)).  Mentally, I love our conversations on finances or health or books (that I'm reading - he's not a big reader, so I'm his Cliff Notes:-D, but he is getting better!)  I love setting goals with him and working on them together.  Spiritually, I love how he is just a rock for me.  He rarely gets shaken by something, and his faith stays strong.  He just has a trust in Jesus that is beautiful and comforting.  Emotionally, he listens to me but also has a very humorous side.  He is a big goof ball & makes me laugh.  He teaches me not to take life so seriously, to laugh and be playful.  It is neat how through the journey of marriage, you can either choose to make your spouse's differences something that irritate you or become endearing.  I want to always choose the latter. 

Q:What is one funny memory you have from your childhood?

A:  So, I have been thinking about this and I can't think of one from childhood, but I can think of a really embarassing & funny story from college.  This story popped into my head a couple of weeks ago, and I just laughed and laughed when I thought of what I did!  A little background first, though.  My grandfather (mom's dad) was a doctor.  So, my mom, following her father's lead, never let us miss a day of school if we "just didn't feel good."  We had to have a fever or have a stomach bug in order to miss school.  And to add to it, I had a major bought of hypochondria in elementry school, so I always had to "prove" my illness... lol.

Seriously, why am I tattling on myself?  I guess b/c embarrassing stories bond us,. :-)

Sooooo, one of my favorite classes at Liberty was one I took from Ergun Caner on Church History.  He is a very gifted and well respected man - an amazing preacher with an amazing testimony.  Now, I know when it comes down to it, he is human too, with embarassing stories of his own... but, still, he is Ergun Caner.... Soooo, on with the story...Dr. Caner had a very strict absence policy.  I woke up one morning with a bad case of upset stomach (and I wasn't throwing up).  So, at 7 am before class, I gave Dr. Caner a call and all that my mother had instilled in me came flowing out.  (no pun intended) Anyway, I left him a message on his office phone about why I wasn't in class that day.  I even went as far to say that I remembered eating a bad strawberry, and I had been up that night with several "cases" but that I didn't have a fever.  LOL... I ended my call saying that I hoped he would excuse my absence.  Looking back, I am soooo embarassed I did that! 

Part 2 will be on the way soon!

A Realization {28}

The boys are 10 months and 2 days.  

This was the *exact* age Harper was when 

I found out I was pregant with baby #2
(and #3 and #4).  

But at the time we thought it was just #2.  

I wrapped up the little gift for Chris
and put it under the tree.  

You can see how I surprised him HERE.  

Today, I am not pregnant.  

And that is just fine with me. ;-)  

Those Q & A posts are coming your way!!

~MLB~

A Short One... {27}

Some sweet pics as I stay true to my 100 days commitment.  

Working on some long posts today - Wednesay.  

Short & sweet! posts for the next few days.

 

 It's just nice to have a hand to hold sometimes.

  

Love~

ML

Harper's Faces {26}

Y'all have come up with some goooooood questions for me!  I think I will be thinking on a lot of them tonight & tomorrow!  :-)  If you still have a question... make sure you let me know!  :-)  

Ever since Harper was an itty bitty thing, everyone would always comment on how expressive she is!  I am quite an expressive one myself - in high school, friend's would refer to me as a cartoon b/c my expressions change so much - ha ha!  Well, Harper definitely got that from me!  

 Intrigued look.

 Silly Face.

 

Mad.

Happy.

Surprised.

The Zone.

 Isn't this face just too much?  She was eating really cold ice. :-)

 Sweetness.

And.... wait for it....

The scariest smile ever.

(Chris made her chocolate chip pancakes one morning while I was out doing errands.  Of course she was thoroughly enjoying them.  He wanted to get her picture, so he said "smile" and this is what came out!  O.my. word.  we have laughed so hard at this picture tonight.  She looks so mean & scary.)

I love her so much!!!

Some of the things she is saying now..
- Mama, whatchoo doin'?
- Hey Brudders
-Pick it up, so the brudders won't get it.
- When asking who is who (brothers)?  She replies... "Maverick.  And the other Maverick."
- I love you sooooo much.
- She has been able to sing Jesus Loves Me, The Birdie Song (family song), and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for a while now, but just recently she sang Jesus Loves Me *with* me.  Melted my heart!
- Where's Daddy?  At work.  At church.
- In a liddle bit (when I tell her no she can't have or do something).
-  She has these three made up words that she says all the time.  She uses them quite frequently if she doesn't know the word for something, if she if being silly & doesn't want to give the right answer, or if she needs to fill her word quota for the day: b-dod, gee-gog, and peesees.  (have NO idea where they came from!)
 - When she looks at one of her baby dolls and says, "Know what?!?  It's snowing!"  bahahah

And its too late for me to think of any more, or to go get the notebook that I keep to write down some of the things she says.  She is learning so much daily & I love being on the front row watching her grow!

Sweet dreams ~
ML

go write me a question if you haven't yet! ;-)

Q & A Time!!! {25}

Well, folks, I'm a quarter of the way there!  I love hearing the name suggestions for the stroller!  As we were walking today, I tried out different names on her.  I think the name "Maxine" is a winner.  She is definitely a girl.  But Brutus is puh-retty good too.

Onto the post.... so, now that I am actually blogging for 75 more days, I thought I would do a Q & A post or two (depending on how many questions I get!)  Ask away - anything is game!  I will be asking to hear from you soon, so keep on the journey of 100 days :-) yay!

Here is how to leave your question: (MOM... you can do this!!! But I don't think you have a question you want to ask me... lol)

1. Click on the little word at the end of this post that says comments.
2. Type your comment.
3. Choose your identity.  (if you don't fit in any category, click anonymous (you can sign your name at the end of the post if you want to, or you can leave it anonymous.)
4. Click "Publish Your Comment"

Our Hotel On Wheels

This is our stroller.  She's a big mama and I love her.  She helps me escape!  We try to go on a walk at least once a day.  And, this has been my lifeline when we get out of the house & go to the mall or church.

When we found out we were having 3, our church staff wanted to know what our biggest need was... and it was for a quadruplet stroller.  I researched and found this one through a mom of quads.  It is from Adventure Buggy Company.  They are located in Australia (where my cousin Michael is living right now - Hi Mikey... don't think you read my blog, but hi & we miss you!!) 

The main reason I love it (other than holding all 4 kiddos) is because it fits through doorways!!  If we had a triplet stroller, no such luck - too wide.  I didn't want the train quad stroller b/c I didn't know how we would get it into my car, not to mention it was about $1000 more!  This one folds down nice & neat. (The main part is pretty heavy... but what quad stroller wouldn't be?!)

The top part comes off & collapses down.  Eventually, we will order a different top specifically for toddlers.  But this will hold the boys for a bit longer!  The top holds up to 55 pounds... we've got about 15 more pounds to go!

I think she needs a name... any suggestions?

~ML

This Just In...

Last night we were up to the wee hours of the morn with Maverick & Warner... 

which in turn called for a doctors tripped... 

 

which revealed two things...

1. Maverick has bronchitis & is now on antibiotics.

2.  Maverick, Warner, & Crews are...

IDENTICAL

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

(They received the test results yesterday, but when they saw we were coming in today, Dr. L wanted to give us the big news  himself

But we already knew that... didn't we?? ;-)

Night~

Hoping for sleep but planning on getting little.

ML

Wordless Wednesday {22} : Hmmm...What's For Dinner?

Some Home Decor Part 2 {21}

I LOVE bright colors - green, pink, orange, yellow, blue!  I really wanted my kitchen to be a fun color, so I went with this green & surprisingly Chris liked it!  I have big plans for our house with all the colors - tastefully done though.  of course.  The night before we painted (much thanks goes to my Dad, Leslie, Ryan & Reba!!!) I *HAD* to see what the color looked like!  It looked so yummy I could just take a bite out of my asparagus walls! BTW... I love asparagus so much.  One day, my lunch was just a plate of asparagus.  Seriously.  Even though it does do stuff to your wee wee. (did I really just write that on my blog?)  Anyway, back to my delicious walls...

And then, I know a fabulous seamstress, JoEllen Taylor.  :-)  She has started her own business now of doing window treatments & other miscellaneous home items (bedspreads, pillows, shower curtains, etc).  She will soon have a website, so I will post a link.  But, she made these for me!  And, she is in the process of making a cool Roman Shade for our back door & more window treatments for the living room!  I will post those once she's done!  Anyway, here they are... the finished look.  I am quite pleased. 

I just need Nancy's camera to take a pic of my whole kitchen like the one HERE.

Okay... see you tomorrow~

ML

Boys 9 Month Check Up {20}

On Thursday we took the boys to the doctor for their 9 month check up.   

(I could not get this picture to flip....arrrgggg  It was taken on a phone :-))

They are doing great!  For the first time since they were born, they all weighed the same number!  Crews is usually lagging behind by a pound or two, but he had caught up!  Here are their weights:

Warner - 21 lbs. 11 oz

Maverick- 21 lbs. 10 oz

Crews - 21 lbs. 0 oz.

They are all in the 60th - 65th percentile for their weight & are 90th-95th percetile for their height (30"-31").  We have some big ole boys!

As of Thursday, all 3 are crawling!!  They roam the kitchen in a pack.  It is quite funny.  I just tried to video them crawling around & my video died... bummer!  I will try to catch it later.  Maverick was the first to crawl, and he has become a very speedy and efficient crawler.  Warner started crawling about 3 days ago and he crawls like a 3-legged puppy.  He drags his right leg behind him and pushes himself along with his right foot...like a flipper.  It will make you laugh out loud.  And Crews just started crawling today, and he crawls like an inchworm.  They seriously are the 3 Stooges. 

As I write this I am cracking up as they try to attack Harper.  She is having her diaper changed by Daddy on the floor.  Maverick just crawled up to her and planted a big slobbery kiss on her forehead.  The other two... Gimpy & Inchie just made it to her.  She is squealing like a pig and not liking it one bit!  She just jumped up and told them "buh-bye!  Have a good week!" (you know, because we say that all time??)

Oh, the boys also had to have blood drawn at the doctor.  They were the best babies!  Maverick and Warner hardly cried at all!  Crews did cry mainly from being held down, but was fine as soon as we let him up.  We had to have blood drawn to have them tested to see if they are IDENTICAL!!!!   So, we should know within the week or month...they couldn't tell us how long it would take because this is the first time they have done this!  I'm sooooo excited to find out! (even though it won't really matter what the answer is... I will finally just KNOW)  Now that they are a bit older, what do yall think?

Here are some individual updates:

Warner:  You were the second one to get a tooth.  You have 5 teeth now.  2 on top and 3 on the bottom.  You have been rebelling against sleeping through the night lately, but I think it is because you are teething.  You usually quiet down once you get some tylenol or motrin.  You have been very snuggly lately and love to cuddle in the middle of the night.  Once I'm out of the bed, I LOVE this time.  However, when I'm still in the bed & trying to figure out what that noise is that I hear... not so much.  But, the reward is great once I pick you up and you settle down while sucking your thumb. 

Crews:  You were the first one to get a toofer.  JoJo found it with a spoon.  You now have 4 teeth.  You are a little squealer and you know you are funny.  I can't wait to see if this part of your personality continues to develop this way.  You are fiesty and do not like ANYONE in your space.  If your brothers or sister touch you, you scream like you've seen something terrible and then I know someone is up in your grill. So, I come rescue you.   But, you are a cuddle bug with Mama, and usually very happy.

Maverick:  You were the last to get a tooth, but not far behind W - maybe a day or two.  You were the first one to crawl.  You were actually crawling for about 2 weeks before the other two caught on to that novel idea.  You are a people person, and LOVE for anyone to talk to you.  You are the one who always laughs at me when I'm trying to get all 3 of you to laugh... I can always count on my Macky to make me not feel silly.  And, you rarely are the fussy one now that you can move.  You said my name on Saturday, and you knew it was me.  You crawled up to me, and even though you were fussy, you stopped at me feet, looked up to me and said "Ma-ma."  I forgot how amazing that sounds - the first time you hear your child say your name. 

While I will say having triplets is kind of like trying to swallow a tidal wave, I love you boys so much.  You have caused me to grow in so many ways that I never thought I could.  Thank you for giving your mommy grace, and still waking up with a smile even though I may not be able to rush to your side right away when you are upset.  You amaze me every single day.  I love being your mommy!

~ML