Hurricane Ike.... more like YIKEsss

Well, we have survived hurricane Ike!!!! Our power is still out, but my WONDERFUL husband tracked down a store getting in 150 generators Friday morning before the storm hit and stood in line to get us a generator.... I LOVE HIM. We have it hooked into the house and it's as if our power never went out. It can't run the A/C so we have a window unit in our bedroom, therefore the entire family is living in our bedroom... We have the triplets set-up in our bathroom with 'pack and plays' and baby Cody at the foot of our bed (very cozy). We did have some water come in under our front door which did a little damage, but all in all we did very well. Mom & Dad (my parents) had a tree fall on their house around 5 am Saturday morning. They carried buckets of water out of the house for two days until the sun came out. The ceiling in their guest bedroom, living room, and kitchen has collapsed and carpet is ruined. Needless to say, they are working their tails off. The tree is now gone and the roof "patched" thanks to good neighbors and strangers offering to help out. When contractors free up they will get it all repaired and back to normal. David (my brother) came down Sunday to help out which I think has been a HUGE help. The neighborhood is a mess and MANY have suffered damage, but we don't know of anyone who was hurt which is a blessing.
This too shall pass.

The triplets start gymnastics

Last week the triplets joined gymnastics at the Little Gym here in Spring. Thank goodness, I have found an outing where they can burn off some energy and we can escape the confinement of the house. Because the age range is 18 months to 2 1/2 years, parents also participate to help keep the youngsters under control so it's not a complete break for me, but it's fun. The girls seem very interested in all the activities and song singing (there are activities in between the actual gymnastics), but Jadon only wants to climb on all the stuff which is ok with the staff so he is a little loner off exploring. Needless to say, it's fun for all.

Photo Session Results

Published Again

Today I received the latest edition of The Triplet Connection magazine and the article I wrote on hemangiomas was included. For those of you who don't know, both Kaylee and Addison had hemangiomas and while Kaylee's is just a small angel kiss on her shoulder which will go away with time, Addison's was deep within her eyelid and was threatening her vision. With the help of some outstanding doctors and the good Lord, Addison's hemangioma was successfully treated without much issue. It was exciting once again to see photos of our little Addison in a magazine.

Jadon gets a haircut

The Merry-Go-Round Reward

Yesterday the babies got their MMR vaccinations (I had delayed them til the babies were a little older) and as a reward we went over to the mall and rode the merry-go-round and ate a cookie.

Celebrities on the move with 4 onboard

As mentioned in an earlier post we tend to attract attention wherever we go. Earlier this year however we were featured on the cover of The Triplet Connection magazine which was a treat and I was able to write an article to accompany it. The first line of the article is "I always wanted four babies..." Two months after writing the article I found out I was pregnant again with baby number four. Funny how things work sometimes.

Yesterday, the photographer who took the cover photo for the magazine (also the picture hanging over our fireplace in black & white) came out to the house to shoot a new family portrait with the new baby. I was dreading this shoot knowing the impossibility of getting 2 adults, 3 toddlers, and a newborn all to sit still for a camera, but I desperately wanted a new picture for the fireplace mantel with the entire family. Today, all I can say is I'm glad it's over and I'll be happy if I can just get a picture where everyone's eyes are open. Within minutes of sitting for our 1st pose, Kaylee decided to have a temper tantrum and Jadon a meltdown, but I have to say Addison our little diva was posing nicely and after about 20 minutes of torment I sent Jerry to the playroom to calm the triplets down while Cody got some solo shots. OK, time to try again as everyone sounds happy with Dad.... HA!! We brought everyone back in and as soon as we said lets all sit and pose for the camera (in our happy voices) the meltdowns started up again. I truly feel sorry for Jamie our photographer as I'm sure she is dreading sending out the proofs from this shoot. Once again... if everyone's eyes are open (except Cody's of course)... then I'm happy.

The girls decide to play nice

Most of the time it seems like I'm having to tell the girls to stop touching each other given the slightest touch by one causes the other to scream in frustration and agony. I don't know how many times a day (especially in the car) I have to say "stop touching her" or "keep your hands to yourself." Well, tonight they decided to have a love fest and pass around hugs and kisses. I tried to capture a little of these rarely seen moments on video.

Getting to know a little about us...

1st of all... this is me...

Today I learned how to create a blog and to be honest I didn't know what a blog even was prior to today. Maybe I'll manage to keep it up or it may fall away among the many other "to do's" and best intentions which have been crowded out with the laundry list of "must do's."

Today is August 15th and our 4th child Cody is three days short of being one month old. As of today I can say that I have 4 babies under the age of 2 years and I can also say I've been married 3 years and have 4 babies. Both sound funny and extraordinary. Jerry and I have been living the life of celebrities the past 21 months with the triplets. We can't go anywhere without someone stopping us to peak and discuss the triplets. Well, now we are even more of an attention getter as we now have a quad stroller and 4 little ones to capture the eye of onlookers.

We are so extremely blessed and I hope to always be the loving and nurturing wife my husband deserves and I hope to raise my children to live wholesome lives loving and worshiping the Lord. The task seems so daunting as the demands of day to day test our moods, patience, and sense of humor, but we continue to strive.

It is tough caring for 4 babies around the clock. My day starts when Cody wakes (anywhere from 5:00 am to 7:00 am) and ends when everyone is in bed which is never before 10:00 pm. Then I'm up throughout the night with baby duty. I don't know if I'd survive it without the help and support of my parents and the unending patience of my husband and while I'm tired and might complain from time to time.... I love my life and I love my family.

Introducing Cody

My Camera Bag

Bodies:

Nikon D700

Nikon D80

Lenses:

AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1.4G
AF-S Nikkor 85mm 1.4G

AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1.8G (For DX body)

AF-S Nikkor 18-135mm 3.5-5.6G (For DX body)

Flashes:
Nikon Speedlight SB-600

Post Processing:

Photoshop CS5

Calibrated:
Spyder3Elite

The Bag:
Jo Totes Rose - Moss

Photography Awards

Some links were corrupted when I moved my photos to Flickr, but most of the links work.


"Gotta Wear Shades"
"Bright & Vivid"


"Red, White & Blue"


"Eyelashes"
"Christmas Present or Past"
"Tints"
"4th of July"


"Summer Fun"
"Weddings"
"Blue"


VIEWERS FAVORITE "Valentines"
"By The Pool"
"Father's Love"
"Bloopers/Outtakes"
"Halloween"


"The Absolute Favorite"
"Halloween"


"Valentine"


"Water Droplets"


"Anything"
"The Golden Hour"


Top 5 "Light"


Top 3 "Innocence of A Child"


Fab Friday Week 2