More Photos....

Jerry took the pics of me and Cody.... he did a GREAT job!!

An apple a day....

I have a new found respect for dietary fiber ever since Jadon suffered terrible constipation recently. He literally suffered for 24 hours and after a couple enemas, a call to the ped, and a call to a pharmasist he was finally successful, but he was in pain. It's true love literally helping your little one pass a "poopie".

Jadon is the pickiest eater in the family and tends to gravitate to dairy products... cheese, milk, and yogurt are his favorites. He refuses all fruits except bananas (which are also system cloggers). I have started sneaking oat bran and wheat germ into everything I can trying to get his little system back in proper working order.

To all the new moms out there... fiber, fiber, fiber.... because what Jadon went through was horrible....

Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars

For Mom and Dad on Cruise

Cody's 9 Month Check-up

Long and lean....

Cody weighed in at 21 lbs 4 oz (56th percentile) and is 30 inches long (90th percentile). He is borderline anemic so we will watch that the next three months, but he was very brave and didn't shed a tear during the finger prick - smiled the whole time. He is behind in meeting his developmental milestones (so was Jadon), but the poor guy gets very little floor time with three toddlers running around, so I'm going to start working with him everyday. All in all he is doing great and is getting more and more handsome each day. Below are the stats for all the kids.

Click to Enlarge

A Disney Delight

Sunday afternoon we took the kids to see Disney on Ice. We weren't sure if they were really old enough to enjoy it yet, but bought the tickets and hoped for the best. Boy were we surprised!!! What a perfect event for the family. The kids were mesmerized and loved every minute. In life you have good days and bad days, easy times and hard times, but every now and then you have a perfect moment. During Disney I had Kaylee and Jadon in my lap and Jerry had Cody and Addison. I looked at my family as they sat watching The Little Mermaid dance around the ice and I was literally moved to tears, it was a perfect moment. I never dreamt I could love my family so much, but they are my world. We left the show with all our souvenirs and left over cotton candy. Kaylee cried "more, more, more" all the way to the car she was soooo upset the show was over but they all talked about the "mean octopus lady, Ursula" (from the Little Mermaid" all through dinner. The show highlighted The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Lilo and Stitch, and Peter Pan... but the Little Mermaid was clearly the favorite.

Generous?

Obamas tax records were just released and they reported adjusted gross income of $2,656,902 and also reported donating $172,050 or about 6.5 percent of their adjusted gross income.

I found this to be rather interesting list, it's Obama's charitable donations expressed as a % of his income... Interesting how he starts donating once he enters the political arena.

2006: 6.1%
2005: 4.7%
2004: 1.2%
2003: 1.4%
2002: 0.4%
2001: 0.5%
2000: 0.9%

Here is a link to his tax returns:
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/tvnews/nightly%20news/_tab%20boxes/obama_tax_return.pdf

Texas Tea

I've been sitting and reading about the April 15th Tea Parties. Thought this was good,

"Atlanta protester Dwight Alcala says his main concern is that free-for-all government spending leads to a freeloader mind-set that’s antithetical to the Constitution’s guarantees of individual rights. We’re fed up, and we think there’s a better way."

The media has tried to downplay the Tea Parties with minimal coverage and mockery. But the turnout was great: Atlanta was estimated to have 15,000 people. According to the San Francisco Chronicle a Sacramento rally drew about 5,000, and Associated Press reported that 1,000-2,000 attended a D.C. rally. According to CNN.com “tens of thousands of people spent part of April 15” at tea party demonstrations. Sounds like we had over 5,000 right here in The Woodlands.

It was the best of times and it was the worst of times

What a rough couple of weeks.....

Doctors appt for my hernia and diastasis downtown
Cody's eyes probed.... horrible
Doctors appt for my heart (annual check for bicuspid heart valve)
Emergency room with Kaylee for stitches
Kaylee can't eat solids or drink from sippy cup for a week, not going well very upset about new diet
Addison has nightmare at 12:30 and I can't get back to sleep for hours
Mom sick with shingles, can't touch Cody
Have to wear 24 hour heart monitor for irregular heartbeat
No school Monday due to Easter holiday (no breaks for me)
Kaylee home from Tues Gym and Wed School due to injury (no breaks for me)
School calls Wednesday Jadon is throwing up and running fever
Cody's eye infection returns, once again on eye drops, appears probing didn't work
Emotions are high and patience is short

We all have good days and bad days.... it's been bad for a while so it's gotta get better soon...

Easter Emergency

The kids had a wonderful Easter this year. They went to a community Easter egg hunt on Saturday and met the Easter bunny and then we all went to Church Easter morning. Later that afternoon my Mom fixed a Easter meal and we had another egg hunt. A perfect day aside from some normal whining.... We put the babies down for naps a while later heard Kaylee screaming then I heard Jerry screaming, "Oh My TRACY!!!! HURRY!!!" Kaylee was covered in blood coming from her mouth and screaming. At quick glance we saw the skin inside her mouth laying open so I rushed her to emergency so quickly I forgot to put on shoes and my Mom went with me. I was glad Mom was there and Kaylee is sooo close to her. The doctors worked slowly with Kaylee and after some codeine and rest, Kaylee layed on my Mom and let the doctors stitch her up. She was very brave.... Her mouth is a mess and she has a ton of stitches in her mouth, but is doing ok. She apparently was reaching for a toy on the floor and fell out of her bed and landed on the bedframe (the wood siderail that holds the mattresses up) of Addison's bed. Oh, the girls looked beautiful Easter morning in pink dresses and Easter bonnets and the boys in matching blue overall shorts, but I couldn't get everyone to hold still for photos.....

Easter Egg Hunt Photos

I signed the consent form....

"Many children are born with an underdeveloped tear-duct system, a problem that can lead to tear-duct blockage, excess tearing, and infection. Blocked tear ducts are a fairly common problem in infants; as many as one third may be born with this condition. Fortunately, more than 90% of all cases resolve by the time kids are 1 year old with little or no treatment. "

Ever since Cody was born he has had clogged tear ducts which has not allowed his eyes to properly drain into his sinus cavity. Addison had it up until about 5 months without much issue. Cody however has been having reoccurring infections due to the problem. Therefore, his pediatrician referred him to an opthamologist and a decision was made that it was time to "probe the ducts." In children over a year, they are sedated for the procedure but the anesthesia risk is higher in children under one year so they are restrained instead....

Well, yesterday Cody had his ducts probed and I watched in pain & horror through it all. I had the option to leave the room, but felt a need to be with him even if he didn't know I was there and my dad was there for support. He was strapped down on a papoose board and his head restrained while probes (not one but many) were inserted into his ducts over and over again. When the blockage (which is at the bottom of the duct by the nose) was cleared he bled a LOT from the mouth, nose, and eyes (since they are all connected through the nasal cavity) all the time screaming.... Then we did the next eye. All in all the procedure took about 10 minutes, but felt like an eternity. The procedure is about 85% effective the 1st time, but sometimes has to be repeated and balloons placed in the ducts to stretch them out. If it doesn't work this time for him, he will have to be sedated next time for a more aggressive approach (ha, like this wasn't aggressive). I pray this takes care of it. Here is a photo of the brave little man a couple hours after the procedure. If you click and blow it up you can see the dried blood in his nose, poor guy.

Today, he is looking fine and doesn't seem to remember a thing, but I will remember it my whole life!!!!!

P.S. Thanks Dad for going with me!!!!

Homeschooling???

As the kids get older I begin to worry more and more about outside influences in the world. It seems that God has become a bad word and more and more people are turning away from family values and the sanctity of marriage. I have thought hard about homeschooling and it is very appealing, but right now Jerry isn't sure so I will just continue to pray on it and see what happens. I love this quote, “I’ve seen the village, and I don’t want it raising my child.”

I found this however and thought it was cute. (Click on it to enlarge).




















It is our job and duty to teach our children Christian morals and values....
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

Related?

Well, the have different noses and don't look exactly alike, but I think Addison at around 8 months looks a lot like Cody at 8 months....

Oh My... How true it is!!!!

It's been a tough couple of days and I am exhausted. The babies are all finally asleep and I thought I'd just google.... "coping with triplets" and this is some of what I found. The 8 Truths about Parenting Multiple Toddlers toward the bottom of the post describes my life.... I LOVE IT!!!

Time magazine warned that multiples are trouble "even in the best homes." Fact is, Time found this sobering factoid about time and triplets: "According to Australian researchers, it takes 198 hours a week to run a household and care for triplets. That's 30 more hours than there are in a week."

Coping with twins, triplets -- and more: UW Medical Center offers special classes for expectant parents
Laurie McHale

The impact of multiple births on a family is not additive, it's exponential. Few parents are prepared for the enormous emotional, physical and financial demands that accompany this phenomenon.

After labor and delivery, the hard part begins. The television sit-com versions of life with twins and triplets are a far cry from the truth. The effect of one baby on a household is monumental; two, three, four or more is earth-shaking.

Eight Truths About Parenting Multiple Toddlers
Without a doubt, the toddler years with your twins, triplets, or more, will be full of laughter and amazement, not to mention CEO-level management.

1. It Will be a Very Noisy Time: toddlers don’t merely express their opinions; they need to be sure you’ve heard them. They don’t really care whether or not you agree, but they do require an indication that you’re listening. Until they receive that acknowledgement, they will continue to repeat the same comment or question over and over (and over) until you respond—and then possibly a few more times even after you’ve acknowledged them. Be prepared to make the words, “Uh-huh,” “OK,” and “Yes” staples of your vocabulary. (She fails to describe the noise level when you tell them "NO")

2. The Art of Childproofing Will Be Taken to a Whole New Level: Toddlers love to explore. Multiple toddlers tend to take the concepts of exploration and adventure a few steps further and—trust me—they will get into things you never imagined they would (or could). Multiple toddlers barely speak your language, but they have a way of communicating with one another to strategize a way of reaching the tallest spot in the house or opening anything with a certified childproofing mechanism. In fact, most childproofing mechanisms don’t work for too terribly long with multiples. The lesson: If it gets too quiet in the house and you know they are not asleep, be very concerned.

3. Potty Training Requires Utmost Patience : Regardless of the training program you use, it’s a safe bet that your multiples won’t take to using the watering hole at precisely the same moment or in precisely the same manner. I can almost guarantee that for awhile, once you get child #1 out of the Target restroom, having ascertained to the best of your ability that child #2 does not have to go (and even possibly after convincing her to try anyway), child #2 will announce that she now has to go…right now…or else. And rest assured, it will be the day you decided to try putting them in real underwear, so you won’t even be able to rely on the Pull-Ups. What you will be able to rely on is the fact that a clean-up request will be announced for Lane 6 momentarily.

4. They Are Finicky, and They’ll Switch on a Dime: Know that the minute you produce the apple juice your two year old has requested, he’ll decide he wants orange juice—and will accept nothing less. The issue when you’re raising more than one toddler at the same time is that the instant Katie decides her apple juice isn’t going to work, Kelly will insist that hers isn’t going to work either. Same goes for shirt, pant, and shoe selection. Another enjoyable experience: One of your toddlers asks to watch “Finding Nemo” while the other insists on watching “The Wiggles.” I have one child who likes for me to sing to the radio in the car and one who would have you think such an activity is doing irreparable damage to his ear drums. They both scream, one for me to sing and the other for me to stop. (This TRULY happens all the time in our house... Kaylee - Mommy sing!!!!!, Addison - No Mommy don't sing!!!!!). You must determine when you will draw the line on the constant need for modifications, and know that the point at which you choose to draw the line can change at any time given how much sleep you had the night before or how many times you’ve had to go through the change routine already that day.

5. There Is No Such Thing As a Family Meal That Consists of Fewer Than 20 Options : At some point you will likely determine it’s time to begin serving “family dinners,” whereby you all gather around the table for a delicious, healthy meal you’ve slaved over, accompanied by some good old-fashioned family conversation. Such intentions are absolutely to be admired. Be prepared, however, for the fact that in all likelihood, your toddlers won’t like what’s being served (and if only one does, the other may well suddenly change her mind, as I mentioned earlier). I used to become so frustrated when I’d cook a nice meal, only to have it accompanied not by conversation but by constant screaming for Cheerios, marshmallows, or pizza. Now, I put applesauce, yogurt, and a fruit or vegetable that I know they like on the table with the other menu items. This way, there’s something I am certain they will eat even if it’s not what they’d order off the menu given the choice, and my husband and I don’t find ourselves having to stand up every four seconds to retrieve such an item from the refrigerator or pantry. (This is EXACTLY what we do!!!)

6. It’s Expensive : Obviously, you’re going to be dealing with multiple shirts, shorts, and shoes for the next 16 years or so. However, the toddler years with multiples can be expensive for more reasons than just clothes. It is usually during these years that we start signing our kids up for music classes, parent/tot swimming classes, mother’s-day-out programs, or—for the extremely optimistic fathers out there—golf lessons. In most cases, you will be responsible for registration and participation fees times two or more.

7. You Are Going to Need a Hobby That You Greatly Enjoy : There is a reason the term “The Terrible Twos” has gained a lot of notoriety. It’s a time during which toddlers learn a great deal, which is exciting to watch. It’s also a time when you will be challenged almost constantly in terms of your ability to be patient and calm, and possibly not to shout “Shut up!” at the top of your lungs as everyone vies for your attention simultaneously for the sixth hour in a row. It will be critical to your sanity during this time to have a hobby you enjoy and can lose yourself in as often as necessary. (My hobbies I guess are photography and blogging)

8. It’s Going to Be Messy : Toddlers have little to no need for order and cleanliness. Find me a toddler’s room that is cleaned by him or her on a weekly basis and, well, I’m moving in with you for a week to absorb your strategy. Play-doh will end up on the floor (but hopefully not in the carpet), crayon will end up on walls (buy the washable kind), sippy cups will spill (even though the manufacturer claims they are spill-proof), and more urine will likely hit the floor than the cute little potty bowl. I know without a doubt that I could clean all day, every day, and be able to start all over again once I was finished. Keep the following running through your head: “I have toddlers. The house is going to be messy. It won’t last forever.”

http://www.mostonline.org/schoolage.htm ( You can read the whole article here)

Anchors Away

There is such a small window of time in which you can dress little boys like little boys.... They will be in jeans and t-shirts soon enough. But blue checked overalls and sailor suits last for such a short time.

Ebay Junkie....

I recently started selling on Ebay and now I think I'm addicted. I'm looking for anything I can sell... I sold our triplet stroller since we had to move up to a quad stroller with the birth of Cody and I've started selling the clothes the kids have outgrown (with some heartache as I remember them in these little outfits, but I can't keep everything). The money I've gotten for the kids clothes so far I have since spent on new clothes, but I feel like they are getting a whole new wardrobe for free or close to free!! I've always shopped on Ebay, but have fallen in love with selling.

After all, my husband works way too hard for the money for me to go and throw it away and he wants to retire SOON!!!! The less we spend, the more we SAVE!!!! Yippee!!!

Blooming among the flowers

The Perfect Storm

As I've stated in previous posts, life with our brood has gotten much easier and on occasion the stars align in such a way that all the kids are happy and a joy, but on increasingly more rare occasions the stars curse us and align in such a way that every child is moody, whiney, needy, and LOUD. This was our night last night. While one might try to imagine what it sounds like with 4 crying and screaming babies, you really have to live it to understand how your muscles begin to tighten, your sense of humor begins to shorten, and your own voice begins to rise. The crys range from "Boo Boo" to "Blow Nose" to "Drink", to just plain old screaming. Kaylee was crying because Jerry just wasn't sitting where she wanted him to sit.... fortunately, these times are becoming fewer and fewer, but when the perfect storm strikes... look out!!

Giggles make the heart grow fonder...

Great Financial Quotes to Live By....

In light of today's economy I thought a posting on the importance of savings might be of interest.

"Why bother to become a better saver? Because boosting your saving prowess can have a huge emotional payoff. Nine out of ten savers say they're 'happy' with their lives. Savers are more likely than spenders to be happy with their lifestyle, self-esteem, even their appearance. They're more likely to feel confident and content, less likely to feel stressed and restless. Spenders are just the opposite: They're more likely to be frustrated with their lot in life."
— Jean Chatzky

"Doing what is right for you — including making sure you'll have what you need in any sitution — may mean giving up what you want right now to pay for what you could need later on. I hope you decide to do this, for you'll be amazed at how much control over your life you will feel with your emergency fund standing behind you."
— Suze Orman

"The basic truth is that you must plan for the unexpected, because it will happen. Although we don't know what form it will take, it will come. To think otherwise is naive. So you have to plan for it. Saving into an emergency fund is an essential element for financial peace."
— Dave Ramsey

"There is no greater power known to man than compounding interest."
- Albert Einstein

"When you're starting out financially, you need to take four steps:
. Find a low-cost checking account.
. Eliminate debt.
. Build an emergency fund.
. Start saving for long-term goals."
- Laura Rowley

An interesting person to study is Warren Buffett. He was ranked by Forbes as the richest person in the world during the first half of 2008, with an estimated net worth of $62.0 billion. Buffett is noted for his adherence to the value investing philosophy and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth. In 1979 despite having a net worth of $620 million, placing him on the Forbes 400 for the first time, he lived solely on his salary of $50,000 per year. He currently lives in the same house in the central Dundee neighborhood of Omaha that he bought in 1958 for $31,500, today valued at around $700,000. Jerry loves to study him and Jerry's favorite quote from him is "I will tell you how to become rich. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful." Great advice perhaps, but easier said than done as we contemplate when to start aggressively investing in the stock market again....

Happy savings...

Like Grandfather, Like Grandson

Dad watched the kids about 3 hours this morning while Mom and I worked on the girls room.... this is what watching the kiddo will do to you.

Videos

The Girls Sing "Jesus Loves Me".... during dinner with mouths full....



Our Little Man Bounces Like Tigger:

No greater compliment

We went out for dinner last night, which we now do about 2 or 3 times a week, and as we sat a table near us asked if they were triplets and how old they were. We did our normal, "Yes, they are speech... yada yada." At the end of our meal the couple came over and told us they had grown twins, but they never behaved as well our 2 1/2 year olds and we were clearly doing something right. There is no greater compliment than having someone tell you how beautiful and well behaved your children are. I was glowing the rest of the evening. It has gotten soooo much easier and I now love going out to dinner with the kids.

A Good Day

A good day. The triplets went to "school" this morning and Mom, Dad, and I started painting the girls room and it turned out beautiful. It is beginning to look so soft and feminine. The bedspread for Jadon's bed came today and so his big boy bed is complete. I'll paint the boys room here in the near future. AHHHH, I love a productive day.

Cody is officially on solids and had his 1st taste of green beans today, but with solids comes poop. We only got soiled diapers from him every 7 to 14 days and now it's about every two days. Tonight he had the blow out of the century so we put all the kids in the shower tonight and let them play a while. Also, if you run you finger across Cody's bottom gums, you can feel his 1st tooth breaking through.