Thank You For Helping Us With Our School Supplies,Charlotta!

Today, Bregon's school supplies arrived. A very good friend had bravely gone out to acquire them on his behalf. To make it easy, she went to Office Depot, knowing that she could most likely get everything on the list there.

She was very cute about everything. She called on her way to our house to let me know that she had bought what she had thought of as very neat and different and cool binders for him. She wanted him to look at them, though, because she wasn't sure that he would like them.

She was so concerned about it, in fact, that she had asked other kids that looked about Bregon's age if they would like having binders like the ones she had found. They said yes, so she went with the nifty ones.

As it turns out, the binders are really very wonderful. They are rounded, and have a bit of elastic type stuff on the outside cover that is meant to help keep it closed while in your locker or backpack. As Bregon isn't very neat, this should really help with the losing the assignment issues that often happen!

Bregon was really pleased with her selection and taste in supplies. He has been bouncing around the house since she left. He is actually excited about school starting at the moment, all brought about by those special supplies. As I write, he is busily sorting through everything and organizing everything to get ready for school.

I know what you are thinking, it's just a bit of paper and pens and all. What could be so exciting about that? When you are 12, back to school can bring much apprehension with peer pressure and social issues and all. Every little thing can make a big difference in a child's attitude and the way they approach the pending school year.

Having nifty school supplies really can make a difference in how you look at school. In this case, it has brought about a bit of happiness and that is really important when a guy has spent the better part of his summer helping out with his siblings. Even something as simple as a set of different colored high-lighters can brighten your day!

Our friend did a truly great job in rounding up all of his supplies for us. She went out of her way to pick out really neat and truly nice supplies for my son. We are truly very lucky to have someone as sweet and kind as she to help us out like that. Thank you!

Triplet Giggles, Triplet Terror!

Hearing your baby giggle for the first time is almost as priceless as the first time they look at you and smile for real (not just because they have gas!)

At first, my husband and I loved making the babies laugh just so we could listen to their little giggles. They each have a different giggle, too. Kian’s is warm and fuzzy and has a little bit of a growl to it.

Vivie’s is light and airy and full of mischief. And Kai, well Kai’s is just an outright guffaw most of the time as he puts every bit of emotion he has in his tiny body into it.

Once upon a time, we used to tickle their tiny tummies just to hear them giggle. Now-a-day’s, I have figured out that tiny baby giggles often mean trouble!

As the babies grew, I would learn that their giggles meant more than just an amusement for mummie and daddy! My kids love to revel in each other’s misfortune and their giggles often signify that one of them is in a compromising position!

You have to remember, that most multiples are born with a means of communication amongst themselves. Some say they have their own language, and there are sets of multiples out there who have confirmed this as true as adults. My kids will often sit in a triangle in their play-yard quite obviously having a conversation amongst themselves.

I cannot always understand them, but they seem to find each other hysterically funny. Then there are the days when I feel like an outsider because all of the sudden that conversation will stop and all three sets of little eyes will be staring up at me as if I am interupting something. I may be over-reacting, but it seems like they are giggling at me as they go back to their little conversation!

These conversations of theirs are the basis of what triplet terror really is. You have to understand, that having triplets is much different than having kids of different, yet close ages. Multiples have an uncanny ability of working together, sometimes in silence, to achieve a common goal.

Often times, their endeavors involve working together to build piles of toys that would serve as stairs for them to climb up on to things to either escape their play-yard or reach a toy that has been put up out of their reach for one reason or another! I am sure they have their reasons, but as a mom, I also have mine which is generally their safety! It's those giggles that are the most frightening.

Sometimes a bad case of the giggles can just mean that Kian was gullible AGAIN and lost the tantalizing game of “Let’s throw everything out of our crib into the center of the nursery!”

The object of the game of course is to fool your sibling into emptying the entire contents of their bed onto the floor so that they do not have anything left to play with while falling asleep while only appearing to do so yourself to make it the game seem more appealing to the others!

All the while, the initiating sibling is only appearing to energetically race you to the finish while secretly stockpiling a favorite toy or two in the front corner of the bed, hidden by the baby bumpers!

Then the winners get to sit and giggle at the loser who is now terribly sad because teddy and blanket are now on the floor and his bed is empty and everyone else has something to sleep with!

This giggle is usually accompanied by the loser’s sad little whimpers, thus signaling to the mummie or daddy on duty that it is time to play tidy up the nursery AGAIN! Of course this sets the stage for yet another round to begin once the parental unit leaves the room!

Other times, I have gone into the nursery expecting to have to re-distribute teddy’s and various other wubbies only to find that one of the babies has managed to get themselves very stuck in the slats of their baby beds and that their distress is the root of their sibling’s giggling.

Then there are the giggles that are non-stop and peppered with little “Yay’s!” here and there. This giggle usually means that the triplets are chasing each other around in their own little ways, playing tag of sorts in the play-yard.

Usually Kai is toddling back and forth as fast as he can while Kian crawls after him and Vivie slowly meanders around the outside of the play-yard rail, waiting for Kai to forget that she is there so she can catch him and give him a great big bear hug.

The same set of giggles can mean that they have decided to play “Let’s tidy up the play-yard” in which case they usually are finding creative ways to unload their toys on the outside of the play-yard in various ways.

Watching Kai try and pick up the super huge cloth covered ball that is almost the same height that he is can be very fun to watch. He even sometimes does this whole atlas thing where he picks it up with both hands and raises it over his head before trying to toss it over the rail.

Then there is the mischievous little giggle that most often occurs while the babies are having lunch or dinner. This giggle usually is accompanied by one or more of they saying, “Kitty Cat!” over and over again.

If I am quick enough, I can usually catch them holding out bits of meat trying to lure the animals over to their feeding chairs so they can pull on their tales and ears! They really do love their cats and the dog, but I am not too certain that the cats and dog really appreciate those extra weighted tidbits that the babies are offering!

Often times, it is innocent enough. They always giggle when they are busy boingy-ing in all their various boingy ways. They giggle when they are trying to make friends with the people in the grocery store.

Don’t get me wrong, I really do love to hear my babies giggle. It’s just that I have learned that in my house, it’s much the same as when other mummies hear nothing but silence. It usually means that there is TROUBLE brewing and that I had best be very vigilant with the babies. I never know WHAT they will come up with next!

It's Molar Season!

It is DEFINITELY molar season in triplet-ville. I found myself up all night Sunday night with my daughter who can now proudly claim a total of 8 teeth (1 molar.) Last night, I found myself up with Kai who decided 3a.m. was a good time to start his day!

Poor little Kai. He actually made an effort to try and get back to sleep. This meant the poor dear tried every cuddle position he could think of. He tried sleeping on top of my chest. He tried sleeping beside me. He tried using my neck as a pillow.

He even checked out using my pillow as his own, tucking his little arm under my neck so he could hug me while he tried to sleep. All the while, he kept his tiny baby boy eye's closed as TIGHTLY as he could muster, all to no avail.

I was ever so glad to hear that alarm go off this morning! Kai tends to give as many bruises in his sleep as he does kissies! I am very grateful that they all at least stay lovable, even if they are in pain, poor little dears.

I know that once that first molar pops through, that they should get used to it (in theory anyways.) After all, we are even still on our one and only tube of ora-jel. It would be nice if there was another way to do this, but I know that it is all part and parcel of having babies.

Oddly enough, their teething doesn't seem to bother them at all during the day. I wonder why that is? They were all three little angels for us while ran to the banks. They were even nice in Wal-mart so I could get them their little cups of veggies and their ham that they love so much.

Ah well, now that it's evening, I suppose I should take a nap in preparation for tonight. The babies are working on going to bed, but I am anticipating Kian's turn with molars coming up here any day now!

Back to School Time Again!

It’s that time of year. The time we all seem to dread as Mom’s of school-aged children. Yep, it’s back to school time again. That means Mom’s all over the city are trying to figure out exactly what their kids need to be able to be prepared for the start of the school year and how to get it as inexpensive as possible

I know that my son has a school supply list somewhere. It came home printed on the back of one of the Monday Letters that the school sends home each week (or mostly each week if he remembers to give them to me.) I distinctly remember putting it somewhere SAFE where I wouldn’t lose the darn thing.

I know it was here last week. I actually took the time to read through it and make a master list of all the things he needed since it had been divided by subject instead of grouped by object and color etc. I even saw it as late as last Saturday when my husband accidentally used it as scrap paper to jot an important number down.

I am ashamed to say, that although I took much care in keeping up with it all summer, that list has escaped my grasp somehow. I looked for it last night. I have retraced it’s every step to my knowledge inside my house. It is in NONE of its always places.

I really do think it’s in the car for some reason. I often times keep really important shopping-related lists in my visor so that it’s there when I actually get to go shopping and need it. I usually don’t remember to grab lists when packing the car for outings as it just seems more important to remember juice and sippy cups and teddy grahams for baby contentment and all!

Ah well, I suppose it will surface at some point. Until then, I have resigned myself to finding the cheapest place to buy jeans for my growing (or rather not so growing) boy. He swears that he is a size 12, but that is really just his age.

We bought size 12 shorts for camp in June and everyone was really worried that they were going to fall down while he was hiking at Boy Scout camp. Lucky for us, most pairs come with an adjustable waste!

Last night, I took him to Target because that is where we found what is currently his favorite pair of jeans. They really won’t do for school this year because they are now sporting a huge hole in his left knee and are stringy at where his ankles should be, but instead they drag the ground! Yes, his size 10’s are a bit long and big on him as well.

I didn’t want to argue, so I bought him three pair of his size 12’s. I only bought three because they only had regular in stock and he really needs slims. I feel like I found a bargain too, because they were only $7.99 per pair. We will defiantly be going back before the add changes on Sunday and try for some slims too!

I felt silly, not being able to get his school supplies yet. I suppose it’s just as well, though, because the real sales have yet to start. I mean, why pay .50 for notebook paper when you know that in a week or two it will be something like 4 or 5 packs for a $1? Plus, I was a bit over zealous last year and he has left-overs of the basics still in his supply cabinet.

Hopefully, I will get lucky and find that elusive list. I know it has to be here somewhere, but I just cannot remember what I did with it. I do hope that I won’t find it in pieces in the babies’ play-yard. I don’t think that I left it that close to them, though.

Plus, I don’t think it would be a getting off to a good start for my eldest this year, if he had to go into the school office and request a new list. How would it sound if he honestly had to tell them that his baby brothers and sister actually ate his school supply list? Sadly, it just might turn out to be the truth!

How Preemie Mom's Are Chosen

I ran accross this post on the Preemie Connection Forum-a favourite place of mine to get advice from other mom's like me about our preemie's-the info ranges from pre-birth & NICU stays to older child development issues of preemies...

Enjoy, this is really sweet!

How Preemie Moms Are Chosen

Did you ever wonder how the mothers of premature babies are chosen? Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth, selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger. "Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint Matthew. Forrest, Marjorie, daughter. Patron Saint Celia. Rutledge, Carrie, twins. patron Saint...better give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."

Finally he passes a name to an angel and smiles. "Give her a preemie." The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy." "Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a premature baby to a mother who knows no laughter? That would be cruel."

"But does she have the patience?" asks the angel. "I don't want her to have too much patience or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off she'll handle it. I watched her today. She has that sense of self and independence so rare and necessary in a mother.

You see, the child I'm going to give her lives in a world of it's own. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy." "But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you." God smiles "No matter, I can fix that.

This one is perfect. She has just the right amount of selfishness." The angel gasps, "Selfishness!? Is that a virtue?" God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect.

She doesn't know it yet but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary. When her child says momma for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see - ignorance, cruelty, prejudice - and allow her to rise above them.

She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work." "And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in the air. God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

Doctor-Day Delirium

Last night, we started everything early. I know it may seem a bit over done in theory, but I knew that my eldest had his second appointment with the um, uh, doctor? clinic? people who are the gate-keepers of the doctor that we were referred to see about three months ago by our pediatrician.

This doctor is supposed to be evaluating my eldest to see if the ADHD diagnosis is correct and if there are further problems to treat or if we just need to try a new medicine. We still haven't seen that doctor yet.

Anyways, in anticipation of the very early 8a.m. appointment, my husband and I were determined to be ready to go and on time. Unfortunately, my babies had other ideas. I actually had their dinner ready and was serving it just before the Good-Night-Night song played on noggin which is something I am rarely able to do.

Baby bedtime went off pretty much without a hitch, even. Husband remembered to fire up the grill early so that our dinner wouldn't be late. In spite of a few phone calls, we were able to eat before nine somehow. Then it happened.

The destitute baby wail that Vivienne has perfected to an art form started about eleven. She really did try and go back to sleep, but eventually she was in full blown crying mode and I had to go and get her before she woke up the boys. She was in a good mood overall, and seemed to still be sleepy.

Kai's radar must have kicked in and gone off, because not thirty minutes later, he was crying and it was Kai's silent cry which meant that he was either really really offended at not being woken up and taken with his sister to the living room for a midnight snack, or he was stuck in something again (usually the bed-slats.)

I sent husband in for this one, knowing that if he was truly stuck, that I would probably not be believed as to exactly what he was doing. Earlier in the evening, I had trouble trying to explain exactly how Kai had managed to get the tip of his finger stuck in a ribbon tag on his crib mirror and how he had managed to get that tag wound up and knotted to where I had to actually pick both the baby and the mirror up and take it to the bedroom and lay them both out so that I could figure out how to undo the mess.

Yes, Kai is very much like that little boy from parenthood : the little boy that has the bucket stuck on his head and is running into everything repeatedly. This time, husband came back from the nursery with a very sniffily and hiccuping Kai who had just been set free from having his finger stuck and knotted into the tag attached to "Sheep" of whom he had been innocently cuddling in his sleep. Hmm... I really hope he isn't setting a trend here!

By this time, it was almost midnight, and I was really sleepy. Every time I tried to put both babies back to bed, someone ended up in hysterics. I eventually ended up with both Kai and Vivie in the play-yard in the living room. Both would have preferred being held instead of playing.

That 8a.m. appointment was creeping closer and closer by the hour. 1a.m. came, and Kai decided that a sip of milk was just what he needed and he actually allowed me to stick him in his little bed. Vivie had decided that she wanted me to stand in the hallway and rock her. Every time I would try and sit down on the sofa, or crawl into my bed with her, she would begin to wail again.

Finally, she decided an early morning snack was necessary and had a bit of milk too. That was when I got a glimpse of something different and new in her smile... I very courageously stuck my finger into her mouth and was immediately met with a nice chomp. This confirmed my suspicion. Her molars have started coming in and the top back right one was the reason for her insomnia. It was now about 3a.m. I managed to trick her into letting me give her a bit of Tylenol (it only took 2 tries because she didn't want anything in her mouth.)

Forty-five minutes later, she finally nodded off while sitting on my knee. I tried crawling into my bed for a quick nap before it was time for me to get ready for our doctor's appointment, but she immediately started her wailing again. I managed to get her to sleep, but my husband's alarm clock went off shortly after.

I ended up putting her into her feeding chair with Cheerios's and more milk while I tried to Spackle on make-up to hopefully hide the fact that I hadn't been to sleep yet. I didn't have much hope for it though as we were supposed to be going to an office full of psychiatrists or psychologists- never have been told which it was we were actually going to see!

We actually made it to the appointment somehow. Bregon and I managed to get the car unloaded and the stroller ready to roll pretty quickly as we were a tiny bit late. As we tried to go inside for our appointment, we were met with a locked door AGAIN. Luckily, some employee drove up and had keys. She had to go and get someone to let us in the front, though because we couldn't fit through the other door with the stroller.

We waited for our name to be called to see whomever it was we were seeing today. Bregon and I took turns doling out teddy grahams and juice to the babies and playing step & fetch it with their toys for them. After about 30 minutes, we were taken back to a room and had our original application reviewed verbally with us.

They asked my 12 year old some really peculiar questions for someone who is just there to get a second opinion on his ADHD medication and to re-check his diagnosis. It's hard to expect your child to be complacent and not make comments when asked if they have ever been suicidal. For some reason, my child found that question offensive and tried to make light of it by passing it off as a silly question.

I am not sure what exactly they are looking for in going over this information with us AGAIN, but after the suicidal question came the, "Do you ever hear voices" question. I know it's not funny and that there are some people out there that really are suicidal and really do hear voices, however my ADHD symptom child isn't one of them.

I have know idea what they think about us, but it seemed Bregon was fast running out of his "Nice & polite" quotient and was trying desperately not to laugh out loud and say the first thing that had come to his 12 year old improv-trained mind. All I could think was, "Please don't let them find us both insane and commit us" over and over again.

After all, I hadn't slept the night before (explaining that the triplets were fast into molar season and that one of them had kept getting himself tied up in his tags on his toys was not going to sound very sane to these folks.) They had already asked me if I had ever had any experience with child protection (I understand that many of the people that they see really DO have these experiences, but when one is near delirium from lack of sleep for the last few days, EVERYTHING begins to seem really funny for some reason.)

The one thing that suddenly popped into my head was that they had found me to be an unfit mother over the course of the past 2 appointments and were trying to detain me long enough to have child protection come and rescue my four children from their mummy.

Lucky for us, they apparently really were only filling out yet more paperwork for me to sign and that was really all they wanted. The entire interview took about 15 minutes and at the end of it, they decided to ask if we had seen the DOCTOR yet.

It was all I could do not to ask them if they thought that they should already BE AWARES that we hadn't yet seen that rather elusive DOCTOR. Otherwise, why exactly would we be here going through their pre-screening paperwork that would open up the door for us to be approved to GET that appointment to see the DOCTOR!!!!!

No, I did not say a very big very rude, "DUH" to them, although in my delirium I probably ought to have. I don't think it would have been any worse than Bregon's having to suppress giggles over some of the questions that their screening contained. I really did want to ask them if anyone who really DID hear voices or was suicidal ever owned up to it outright during a pre-screen. The general consensus used to be that if you talked about being suicidal, then you really weren't. But then again, that was about 20 years ago and times have changed.

I hope I haven't offended anyone in the course of my ramblings of delirium this morning. It's currently about 11:30 in the morning and I have been trying to wait out two of the babies to fall asleep for their morning nap. I had such hope of catching a quick nap with them, but Kian didn't want his nap and seems to be enjoying playing with his big brubby in his play-yard right now which is awfully nice considering he tried to maul his brother Kai shortly before being put down for their nap in the first place.

We did get something accomplished this morning. We finally did manage to get that appointment to see the doctor we were originally referred to see. Unfortunately, it's not until the day before school starts. I just hope that Bregon isn't too wired when he goes back to school and doesn't drive his teachers absolutely nuts those first few days because he won't have any meds in his system yet.

We really are trying to do the right thing as suggested by his pediatrician. It just seems to me that maybe this might be going a bit too far with the peculiar questions and all. But then again, maybe its really some secret psycho-analystic way of giving my son and I something to giggle over and have more mummy-son bonding time!

Lunch With Sister and Company!

I made what most moms would consider as an insane offer to my sister one Saturday afternoon. I don’t know what I was thinking, really. I mean, we had just finished watching the new Harry Potter movie at the Boardwalk and I suppose I must have been feeling rather normal and mundane.

You have to understand that my sister & I do not get to do ANYTHING much together anymore. This was a very rare and special occasion for us to get to go to see a movie and take our respective eldest child with us to do so.

I had wanted to be able to take everyone out to lunch or tea after the movie, but my tummy wasn’t too happy after having the requisite movie popcorn and super-huge drink that sister had so very thoughtfully brought me from the concession stand while I reserved our seats.

We talked about it, and opted to let the kids check out the toy store instead and I told sister that I would take her to have strawberry pie at Strawn’s on Monday or Tuesday. I assumed she would realize that ALL of my children would be in attendance!

Apparently the thought of the ever elusive strawberry pie was too much, and she decided that an outing was just what we needed even if it meant with taking the babies.

Monday morning, after the babies woke up from their nap, my eldest and I packed the diaper bag with bibs (we don’t normally use them at home) and loaded up the car with all of our outing-gear.

You have to consider logistics in all of this. I drive a car. Our stroller doesn’t fit into the trunk all of the way, so it must be bungeed shut. I have three baby seats across the back seat and that leaves room for the diaper bag and insulated drink/sippy cup bag in the floor boards.

Today, we were adding in three little portable booster seats (they look and fold up like camping chairs but very tiny with straps) and an extra person into the mix! Normally, I cannot go anywhere with anyone who cannot meet me at our destination because of space-issues. Sister does not have a car, so we were going to have to improvise.

Bregon had already figured out exactly what we were going to have to do to get us all there. He never told me, but he actually climbs into the backseat when he stays in the car with the babies while I run in to get groceries and such. As luck would have it, he is small enough to sit and still have room to move, on the back floor-board hump. Who knew?

Sister looked at us really funny when we ran by to pick her up. Luckily, she is used to my bizarre and often time spontaneous arrangements! Nothing should surprise her anymore.

We actually made it to the restaurant with little problem, only the parking lot was rather full. We ended up having to park next to the grass at the end of the lot. It took us a bit to unload because of all the added gear.

I had high hopes of getting to use the booster seats for the first time. We even managed to figure out how to get all three little folded up seats into the basket under the stroller somehow and still have room to bring the diaper bag and necessary toys!

Unfortunately, we got there during lunch time and all of the big tables were taken which meant that we were not going to get to try out the booster seats. Luckily, the babies didn’t know the difference as they are used to eating in their stroller most of the time anyways. We ended up in one of the booths towards the back.

Everyone, sister included, was surprised at how quiet the babies were. Vivie only had one little tiny outburst, but it was because she had a rather large gas bubble that quickly resolved itself. They spent most of the time watching the people and throwing cups and toys towards the ones they wanted to meet (their usual way of meeting and making new friends.)

Sister ended up sitting in front of Kai, who must be told exactly what it is that he is being served before he will actually eat it. She didn’t know of course, and she was very surprised when he held up a piece of food and asked her if it was chicken.

The boys proceeded to insist on sister setting up a baby buffet line at the edge of our table. They wanted to pick up everything themselves. Amused, sister obediently complied. We discovered that they love garlic bread, and are not very fond of strawberry bits from pie. Coconut pie, however, is just fine with them!

Everything went surprisingly smooth and quiet considering we were having lunch with three 16 month old babies and a 12 year old. It does help that the waitresses are familiar with them and remember them from their two much earlier visits!

As we were leaving, Kai surprised us all by waiving frantically and screaming, “Bye-bye everybody! Thank-oo, see you later!” He had most of the restaurant laughing over his zealousness!

I am very lucky to be able to take all of my children out to lunch together successfully. Nobody made a scene or spectacle of themselves (other than being a limo-load full of triplets) and sister even got to have her strawberry pie. And oddly enough, we all managed to fit into my very tiny car, stuff included. Mission accomplished!

Mommie-Blogging…A New Revolution!

Today, I was doing a bit of research on my latest project and did something mundane and really silly, or so I had thought. I Googled myself. It was just for fun and to see what would happen. After all, they say many prospective employers Google their prospective employees to see what they will find on them.

I didn’t expect to see what I found. I found myself mentioned on another site for the things that I write about here on my blog with Red River Moms. I was very surprised. I know it may seem odd, but I really was.

The piece was about the growing popularity of Mommie-blogging and what a wonderful means of communication it is becoming. It touted the concept as a means of getting good advice and making friends in what can be a very lonely time in a woman’s life.

It really made me stop and think about what it is that I do each day. I am not just checking in to document my babies’ daily lives anymore. Writing my blog has become very therapeutic for me and it’s something I do on a regular basis. It gives me a place to vent about life and issues within our community and the ability to share my experiences with others and express myself creatively.

I only wish I had been able to blog during my pregnancy so that I could have documented more of what it was like carrying the triplets. Alas, my tummy grew too quickly and was much to cumbersome to be able to perch on the side of my bed to try and type anything on the computer, much less even check my email.

I suppose that’s the main reason I do this. I was constantly on a never-ending search for information about my triplet pregnancy. I researched everything from triplet birth experiences and to try and figure out the average gestation period for a triplet pregnancy to what it’s like having a preemie in the NICU.

I discovered that there were such a thing as multiple child discounts at some major retail stores and that there was something such as multiple child incentive programs through the major formula companies and some diaper companies.

Unfortunately, I also learned that there is an extreme shortage of information out there on triplet gestations and what to expect when you’re expecting higher order multiples. There just isn’t very much good information out there on the subject.

I figure that if I write about my life and what happened to me, then maybe there is someone out there who could benefit from my experiences. Maybe I can help them feel a bit more comfortable and secure in their decisions and even in themselves if they can find something in common with my experiences and what I have gone and am going through each day.

Becoming a triplet mom is an experience unlike no other. One that isn’t well documented or even clearly defined in general. Mom’s carrying triplets don’t have a manual they can turn to so that they can gain some sort of understanding that what is happening to their bodies is normal given our situation.

In many cases, we don’t have much out there to tell us when what we are experiencing and feeling ISN’T normal which is really what we need to know about. I did find out through my own research that it would appear that there isn’t any standard for triplet mum’s because each case can be so varied and different. However, I was able to find similar situations and bits that I could use to further understand my situation.

My pregnancy was very lonely in that I couldn’t find very many people who understood what it was that I was going through. The average pregnancy just isn’t filled with worry from day to day, or week to week over if you were still going to be carrying three healthy thriving babies or lose them all because your body decided that something wasn’t right in there. There is a huge and vast difference between expecting one baby, and finding you are expecting three or more!

There are supposed to be support groups out there, but the only ones I could find that were active are online. I really do want to help other Mom’s out there like me. Unfortunately, my babies are more susceptible to disease due to their being preemie multiples and that keeps us from being able to do some of the things I would like to.

I would love to find a way to organize a group of mom’s to solicit donations of used baby items (preemie babies grow out of extra-tiny clothes before they even have time to stain most times!) and take them to the area NICU’s where preemie clothes and baby items are needed the most.

I would also love to be able to get donations for care packages and be able to take them to those mom’s on bed rest in the hospitals who have to be away from their families so that they can try to safely carry their babies as close to term as their bodies will allow.

That group could also take turns visiting the area hospitals and make rounds to visit those lonely mom’s to be. There are also mom’s who have babies in the NICU’s that need someone to talk to and a little encouragement.

Sometimes a word of encouragement makes all the difference in the world. Many of the Mom’s who have babies in the NICU are from out of town and often have had to leave their families to stay with their newborns. I met a few while my babies were in the hospital. Sometimes, it’s not possible for some Mom’s to be able to stay with their babies at the hospital.

It would appear that the lack of information has led to the evolution of Mommie-blogging as a means to bridge these gaps. Not only can I write about myself, but I can read about the experiences of others first hand and even forge new relationships with others like me. I can trade advice on raising my babies, and give advice as well. We are becoming the basis of a new force to be reckoned with.

Maybe if enough of us band together, and write about ourselves, our bodies, and our babies and our experiences, we can overcome that lack of information and lack of support groups and make our world a much less scary place for those mom’s yet to come! Mommies of all areas unite! I encourage all of you to join us on our Mommie forums and even start your own Mommie blog.

The Boingy-Boogy Baby Dance

My babies love to watch “The Backyardigans” and “Jack’s Big Music Show” whenever they come on television. They love the characters, but most of all, they love the music.

My trio will sit in their little feeding chairs in a semi-circle around the television and coffee table in my living room and eat their cheerio’s and watch their little shows. If you listen very carefully, you can even hear them singing along with the characters.

Lately, I have been noticing that when the music comes on, they will all start moving their heads back and forth, nearly touching their shoulders with them, moving and swaying along to the music.

They will stop playing in their play-yard and literally drop whatever it is that they are doing when the music starts. All three of them will start bouncing up and down (even though the carpet isn’t very bouncy) and they do a sort of “Peanut’s” dance along to the music.

If you have one of them with you on the couch, that baby will stand up, usually grab the back of the couch for support, and start bouncing and shaking and dancing.

It wasn’t until last night, though, that Vivienne told us exactly what it was she was doing. Apparently, this dance has a name and we needed to know it!

As she stood there on the sofa, bouncing up and down and swaying her head to and fro, she started saying "Boingy-boogy, boingy-boogy, boingy-boogy" over and over again, laughing all the while. She was very proud of herself and thought she was being terribly funny!

This morning, I would find out that the name of the dance was a unified decision, apparently agreed upon by all. All three babies were in the play-yard getting down with their music and all chanting the “Boingy-Boogey” chant along with their dance. I do believe they just might have invented a new dance craze!

Stuck In The Slats of My Bed…Not Just Another Country Lullaby!

Lately, I have been having a most peculiar problem with my triplets. I don’t remember ever having had this problem with my eldest son. The odd thing is that only one of my triplets has managed to evade the situation entirely and that is Kian.

It would seem that at least once a day, I find myself having to pry tiny baby body parts out from between the slats of their baby beds. I just do not understand this.

Vivienne always did have this habit of sitting on the edge of her mattress with her legs dangling out and over the “Side” of the bed in between the slats. She liked to sit there and talk to her brothers and swing her legs back and forth.

Kaiden is always jumping up and down in his bed. He doesn’t let any opportunity to boingy go by without having a go at it. I used to worry that he would hurt himself if he slipped and fell and accidentally straddled the bed slats. Luckily, we haven’t had that problem YET. I expect it any day now.

The odd thing is, that neither of these habits seems to be the root of the problem. It’s been happening while they are seemingly asleep and not doing any type of activity other than sleeping.

Now, I have been in there to cover them up at night and found Kai sleeping with his foot propped up on the wall behind his bed. He even used to insist upon sleeping with his right arm shoved down in between his baby bumpers and the mattress of his bed. But until lately, nobody has managed to get down right STUCK.

It’s quite the puzzle actually. One night, we thought Vivie was trying to do her best to keep herself awake, and had taken to giving us her best “I’m testing you to see if you will come & get my very sad self” wail.

Those of you with babies probably are familiar with this one. It’s the cry REALLY hard a bit, then stop to see if you can hear anybody coming to check on you bit (at which point the parent is caught and reeled in for much staying up past baby bedtime fun.)

I did fall for it. I fell for it twice and so did her Daddy. The first time I checked on her, she was standing at the railing of her bed, her little eagle eye watching the doorway of the nursery. The second time, she was was curled up in her blankie watching for us. (No we did NOT get caught.)

The last time I went in, I found her crunched up against the back corner of the crib, and her chin was on her chest at an odd angle and she was SCREAMING. After I got over the initial shock of her position, I realized that she had been trying to reach the baby monitor (she tries to play with it) and had managed to get stuck up to her SHOULDER in between the slats of her bed.

It actually took me a bit to be able to free her because she was stuck that well. It’s not easy freeing the babies when they are like this because I am always afraid of hurting them worse and they are usually in hysterics which makes that mommie-instinct kick in that says PICK ME UP NOW!!!

I did finally manage to free her, and spent a good bit of time cuddling on her and making sure she was really okay. Of course she was fine, but I didn’t think I was. It’s really scary to see your baby in a position like that!

Then there is Kai. Kai doesn’t just get stuck a little bit. And he really doesn’t have any noticeable reason as to why he got stuck in the first place, really. I suppose it’s in his character to always do everything really, super well, even when it comes to getting stuck and crying about it.

The trouble with Kai is, he is very emotional and always takes great delight in EVERYTHING he does whether it be having a good cry or even just having dinner. When he cries really hard, his mouth is open so wide and he is trying to be so loud that no sound really comes out. We call it his silent cry. In fact, when he is like that, you can only really tell he is crying when he stops to take a breath in between screams.

Kai always seems to get stuck the most out of everyone, and the best, too. He will fall asleep with his foot propped up on the wall in between the bed slats. Once he falls asleep, he usually rolls over and balls up, which is how his foot keeps getting caught, I suppose. If he were more awake, he really could set himself free, but being that he takes a really long time to wake up fully, he has to have help.

Then there was the big one. It happened during naptime one day and I still am not sure how this all came about. He was silent screaming; in fact he was in hysterics when I went in to get him up for lunch. He apparently had been standing when he fell asleep, and had just let himself fall backwards to the mattress in stead of taking the normal route. I just don't know for certain.

It would appear that he had been standing with his foot propped up on his knee and that knee was resting between the slats. When he fell backwards and asleep, he had managed to get his knee good and stuck between the bed slats. When he went down onto the mattress, his weight apparently pulled his stuck knee even further out and he was actually stuck up to his thigh this time, only it was at knee level as if he were standing.

His circulation must have been cut off a bit from it, and his little leg was cold. He was so very stuck, that I had to have my eldest come in and work it out from the bed slats while I held him at the right level so we could free his leg. The funny thing is, that once we got him free, he actually thanked his teddy bear for sticking by him the whole time while he was stuck. He apparently hadn’t let go of him throughout the entire ordeal.

I don’t know if other people have this problem or not. We seem to have it at least once a day, making it quite the norm at my house now. I am not sure how to prevent this from happening either. I suppose I could get them toddler beds, but then what would happen?

None of the trio can walk well yet. Of course of the three, Kai is the one who can toddle, however sideways is his specialty, not forward. I just cannot imagine the new and interesting problems that would arise out of having them in toddler beds!

The Further Adventures of Kai, Future Circus Performer Extraordinaire!

My morning started of about 4:30 with Kaiden crying in his sleep thus waking up his lightly sleeping sister. Husband and I both tried bringing them into our bed in hopes of a few more hours of sleep, but alas it was not to be.

Cheerio’s and milk and a good cartoon were the order of their day. Breakfast went as well as could be expected given the hour and the obvious absence of their brother. My kids just don't do well without their usual Dora, Blue and Backyardigans on the television!

Because Kian had been running quite a fever the night before, we let him sleep late. Late turned out to be nearly 10:00 a.m. which is normally everybody’s nap-time. I gave him his little breakfast on his “Sick” schedule and let the others play in the play-yard until they couldn't stay awake or pleasant any longer. Once the hair pulling and fighting started, it would be nap time for babies!

Playtime turned out to be the root of baby troubles for the morning. Just as I was giving Kian his second handful of Cheerio’s for the morning, I heard a loud clunk as Vivie began her wail of distress.

As it would turn out, Kaiden had decided that he had wanted to re-arrange their playthings and had turned their leap-frog play table right-side up and placed it on top of the very spot where his sister was sitting.

To avoid the on-coming table, Vivie had hit the floor quite literally and was lying on the floor completely when I moved the table to free her. I suppose that was their way of saying, “It’s time for our nap, please!”

I went ahead and put the two of them down for their naps, and left Kian to play by himself in the play-yard. Really, that is one of their favorite treats (having their toys all to themselves without any sibling to steal them away.) Besides, at the time, the play-yard would be a LOT safer for him!

After about an hour, I went ahead and put Kian down for his little nap. When we walked into the nursery, Kai was in hysterics (he cries so hard and opens his mouth so wide that literally no sound comes out so he cannot be heard when this happens.)

Upon further inspection, I noticed that Kai had managed to get his leg stuck in between the baby bed slats at about knee level for him, only he was lying down at this point and squirming around which had made his leg get stuck up to his thigh.

Yes, this happens often at my house for some reason-but only with Vivie and Kai, never Kian. To get Kai free, I had to call in the reserve. Luckily his big brother has learned to expect ANYTHING from his siblings. I picked up Kai (who was clutching his Teddy the entire time) while Bregon slowly worked his leg free from the other side of the bed.

I had to lie on the bed holding him for about thirty minutes before he calmed down completely. Then, once he was calm and had his wit about him, he very calmly held up his Teddy, and proceeded to thank him for sticking by him while he was stuck (or at least that’s what it sounded like he said!)

Later, I was innocently talking on the phone to sister; when the babies decided that they needed more attention, as most children are want to do! Kai had taken to practicing his circus acts, again.

First, he decided to practice his tight-rope walking skills and had climbed up on top of the play-yard gate to try and walk on the top of the rail. He was doing a fabulous job at this, too. My eldest figured out that he was trying to reach his “Thinking Chair” so he got it down for him. That amused and occupied him for all of about five minutes. After-all, one can only sit still and ponder the wonders of being a baby for so long!

After Bregon retired to the safety of his very baby-free room, I heard Kai giggling again, which is the sign that he is defiantly up to something. I discovered him standing on the saddle portion of his “Bounce and Spin Zebra,” holding onto the rail of the play-yard.

As if that wasn’t enough to make my heart skip a beat or two, the reason he was doing this was soon revealed. The baby appeared to have decided that if he could sit on the horsie and bounce up and down and spin and it was fun, then it must be even more fun to STAND on the horsie and bounce and spin around. Thankfully, he had yet to try letting go of the play-yard wall and get to the, “Look Ma, no hands!” portion of his game, which seemed imminent.

I do not know what I am going to do with him. He finds more ways to use his seemingly age-appropriate toys to do dangerous feats that would frighten and amaze any circus crowd than most adult performers. I am dreading what he is going to figure out to do with the playground equipment!

Later on, he when he decided to show off his new tight-rope skills for his Daddy, he would turn around and demurely ask, “What’s this?” Daddy replied, “The exercise machine” as if this were the most natural process in the world.

As if having pleasant dinner conversation about the weather, Kai replied, “Really?” All the while he was working his way up the side of the play-yard, reaching out to grab the handles of the newly identified machine so that he could pull himself up further to check it all out. Daddy scooped him up and removed him from the play-yard wall (alleged baby containment facility-just not for MY baby!)

Husband tried diverting Kai’s attention with a nice cartoon. For some reason or another, Kai started singing along with what was on the television. My husband nearly dropped him when he started dancing and saying, “Yodel-lei-he-dude!” Yes, we now have discovered that Kai can yodel!

For Kai, it had been a very long, very full day. I suppose that is why he managed to sleep through the entire night without waking up for a midnight snack or moral support. Is it bad to shudder at the thought of what tomorrow may bring?

Parental Advisory Warning!

This week, a very disturbing thing happened in our city. According to reports, several children pushing a grocery cart in and out of traffic on a busy street appear to have caused a major wreck that caused not only physical harm to those in the vehicles involved, but damage to the cars themselves and the property in the area.

There are people locally who would have you believe that the children were simply doing a good deed, attempting to return a shopping cart to the store it was taken from, and that they should not be blamed in this accident as the area is transitioning from rural to retail.

Apparently, it is now customary for pedestrians to walk in the street itself instead of using the sidewalks designated for foot traffic. It would also appear that shopping carts provided by businesses are also meant to be used as a means of transporting one’s purchases from the store, to one’s home or pick up point for a ride.

When I was a child, I wasn’t allowed to walk in the street for ANY reason. I also understood that shopping carts were to remain on the businesses property that provided them.

As a parent, I teach my children the correct way to cross a street and the importance of being careful as to not only keep yourself safe, but to ensure the safety and well-being of others.

My parents took the time to teach me the correct way to walk down the street and how to look both ways before crossing that street. I also was taught that it was polite to return your shopping cart to either the designated shopping cart stall, or to the store front for another shopper to use.

I knew that if I wanted to cross a street, that I should do so at the corner/end of it and not the middle of that street. I was taught that although pedestrians had the right of way legally, that I should take care to cross where oncoming traffic could see me which involved crossing at the end of the streets and not in the middle or at my convenience or whim.

I understood that cars were bigger than I was and that I could get hurt if I was hit by one. I also understood that I might cause injury to others if I didn’t follow these rules. I was taught and understood that my actions had consequences. I understood that it was my choice that determined whether these consequences were good or bad. My actions could affect those around me and their well-being as well.

What I do not understand is why, in today’s society, people do not seem to understand this anymore. Today, on the way back from dropping off my son at camp, I observed a group of adults pushing a stroller down the oncoming lane of traffic on a major and very busy street.

What if that car in the oncoming lane crossed the center line of the street? There were other cars in front of and behind us. I would have the choice of trying to avoid the impact with that car head on, slamming on my brakes and risking getting rear ended and not being able to control where my car went after the impact, or swerving into the only available space which was currently occupied by the family walking in the street, occupying part of the lane I was in. None of those choices seem like good ones to me.

Anytime that I take my children out for a stroll, I make it a point to plan my route around the placement of sidewalks. If there aren’t any, I make certain that the route I plan on taking doesn’t include busy high traffic streets. I know and understand how hard it would be for someone to try and miss hitting me and my stroller in the event of an accident.

I also know that my stroller is very large and very cumbersome and heavy and is not conducive to sudden movement and would be next to impossible to maneuver out of the way of a speeding car or an accident in time to avoid injury to my children. I understand that it is my responsibility to take care of myself and my children, and that my actions could very well affect others and the environment around me. This makes me cautious of my actions, even if it’s something as simple as a quick walk to the park.

I really wanted to stop and ask these people (seriously) what was wrong with the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Aren’t they worried that someone might accidentally drive to close to them and hit one of the children that were toddling along beside that stroller? Why don’t they realize how dangerous walking in the street can be?

As a child, I remember walking to the park with my Granddaddy and being made to walk on the inside of the sidewalk, the part furthest away from the traffic just in case someone ran up on the sidewalk while driving down the street. I always thought that he was being overprotective of me, but after seeing all of the accidents lately, I am so very grateful that he cared enough about my safety to make me do that.

Further down the same street, I observed a lady using the middle turn lane as opposed to the sidewalk. She was literally walking at her leisure, down the center of the street. This was on a busy street right in front of the mall, too. She reminded me of the children and that shopping cart for some reason.

I passed one of the busy bus stops along my route home and noticed that there were several shopping carts abandoned around it. These carts were from businesses that are blocks away from this particular stop, too. I had always been under the impression that the carts weren’t supposed to be taken off of the property of the business providing them. After all, that is what the signs posted in the parking lots say.

If adults today don’t find anything wrong with walking in the street as opposed to the sidewalk, what are our children going to think? What sort of example is being set by a parent removing a shopping cart from a parking lot that has specifically posted that it is illegal to do so?

Even my twelve year old knows that the shopping carts should be returned to the store or put into the bins in the parking lot allocated for them. He always walks the cart back to the correct place to return it after we load the car with our purchases. He is always courteous and respectful of the traffic in the parking lot while doing so, and takes care to look both ways and is mindful of his surroundings.

Rules are the foundation of a successful society. Children learn the rules that we teach them. What we don’t show them is typically learned through example and from supposed role models that they observe in the community around them. If the adults cannot follow rules, then how can we expect our children to do the same?

What sort of example are we setting for them? Wrecks are being caused by people failing to utilize something as simple as the sidewalk. I understand that in some places there aren’t sidewalks, but in the areas where sidewalks are present, we should USE THEM and often!

They really are there for a reason. Sidewalks are not there for us to learn to ride our bikes as children, or play with our toy cars or wagons in front of our houses. They are there so that we do not have to walk in the traffic and potentially cause accidents and harm to ourselves and to others.

People are going to the hospital with serious injuries because today’s society has forgotten the importance of using a sidewalk correctly and the fact that walking in a busy street is dangerous. Not only are our drivers at risk, but our children as well.

Rules that we are taught as children are a foundation that is set by our parents so that we grow up to be good, law abiding citizens. How can we expect our children to survive in a place where rules mean nothing?

How can we, as a people, expect our society to survive if, as we grow up, rules become synonymous with the law and nobody feels a need to abide by that law anymore? If following general rules becomes obsolete, how long before basic law is phased out as well?
Let’s stop and remember that even the simplest rules can be very important in keeping our children safe. Teach them the importance of using the sidewalk and how to safely cross a busy street. Lead by example. Remember that the future of our society depends on our children and the rules that they are taught to follow and learn to acknowledge as important

The Beautiful Baby Vivienne's Very Wild NIght

My baby girl has taken to waking up at night again, sometimes with reason, sometimes seemingly without. This night happened to be because she wasn’t interested in eating her dinner at dinnertime.

I am not sure if it was the teddy graham brigade that she consumed at tea-time, or that she was too busy ringing her little silver bell to bother to eat anything. I don’t THINK it was my cooking (at least I hope not.) Dinner was their favorite ham, cheese cubes, cup of veggies, and bits of tortilla. Bedtime is shortly after dinner at our house.

For whatever reason, we heard her destitute baby cry (the one developed when the air conditioning had gone out for that week and has yet to be phased out just yet.) It was about eleven. I tried the usual sippy cup of milk that usually quiets her down enough to go back to sleep, but this night was different. No milk for her, as she kept pushing that cup away.

I felt her tummy rumbling as she lay on my chest trying to get comfy, so I went ahead and brought her into the living room and handed her off to her daddy so that I could fix her a midnight snack of cubed ham.

Little Princess reveled in the fact that she was permitted to use Daddy’s lap in place of her feeding chair and was allowed to have her ham on a tiny plate held by Daddy Dear. Yes, he even fed her like it was bon-bon’s. She was milking this for all it was worth.

After she picked through her ham, she insisted on fresh panties. She had conniption fits over getting to hold them while she was being changed. Then she refused to fork over her diaper. According to Vivie, this diaper was NOT intended to be used as panties, but it would make a nice hat.

My daughter prefers to wear her diaper on her head. It looks much like a renaissance gable hat, or something you would picture a puritan wearing. You have to place it on her head side-ways of course, which puts the little tabs on either side of her cheeks, looking much like they could be blinders of sorts. Just call her Prudence!

As if that wasn’t enough, she became enraptured with the show on television. It happened to be a video movie of “Siouxsie and the Banshees.”

Before we realized what was going on, Vivie had hopped up from her throne (Daddy’s lap) and she began to dance. She grabbed the back of the couch for support as she started bouncing up and down.

The song changed, and she began to sway back and forth in this convoluted “S” shape, much in the way the hippies danced on the Woodstock footage. Then she started wiggling her tiny hiny around in circles. We spent a good thirty minutes or so in hysterics watching her dance (hoping she would wear herself out and get sleepy!)

She decided that she wanted her Daddy to take pictures of her dancing and started saying, “Take it! Take it!” and motioning towards husband’s cell phone that was on the table (did I mention that she loves to pose for cell-phone pictures?) Being totally enraptured with his baby girl, of course husband couldn’t turn her down. He now has many photos of baby girl boogying & vogue-ing her night away stored in his cell phone.

I finally was able to get her quieted down enough to put her back to bed. She insisted on wearing her “Hat” to bed and taking her little silver bell along with her. I suppose that’s a small price to pay for getting her back in bed. After all, maybe she is right. A diaper does make a stupendous hat….

A Sort of Manic Morning

I just dropped off my eldest at Fencing Camp just now. Yesterday was his first day, and he had a blast. He met lots of new kids and made plenty of new friends. His wrist seems to be holding up just fine (that pesky bubble is NOT getting bigger thankfully!) He is so happy to be back fencing again.

We were supposed to have gone back to the , um- well doctor's office this morning (am having hope that the original one that is out on vacation will eventually come back so we can see him.) I was going to try and reschedule our appointment with them so that Bregon wouldn't have to miss camp (it's only a week long,) so yesterday morning I called and spoke with the receptionist.

It's a really good thing that I did call them before I made my eldest miss Fencing Camp and hauled everyone up there for the scheduled appointment. As luck would have it, the person who gave us the appointment card last Tuesday did not enter it into the computer system so that slot was filled by somebody else already.

I really did want to reschedule that appointment. In the first place, it was scheduled during prime triplet nap time. I felt that they would NOT be nice for the receptionist while waiting on big brother and I to do whatever it is they have scheduled us for! She may not have gotten lucky a second time with putting them in front of "Shrek 2" to quiet and amuse my trio. Second of all, I wanted Bregon to be able to have his week of Fencing Camp since he has been out of fencing for so very long and has missed it so.

I didn't expect them to have dropped us from the list altogether, though. I suppose I should just be glad that it wasn't something more. After all, there was this one time when our insurance company actually tried to tell our pediatrician's billing office that I only have one baby and not three of the same exact age (they weren't including my eldest because it was a well baby visit charge.) Of course it must have been a system error!

After much thought and deliberation, they came to the conclusion that my son should be re-entered into the system. Well, that was according to the lady I spoke with yesterday morning who advised me that we needed to come back on July 23rd at 8 o'clock sharp.

She thought I was a bit off when I asked if they would be open that early. She honestly does not seem to remember driving up and finding us hanging out in front of their very locked door, trying to blend in and act natural while waiting for them to open last Tuesday in all of our triplet glory at 8:15. I thanked her and let her know that we would be there bright and early and ready to go.

I really do have hopes that this will all work out for the best. I am a bit worried about the office forgetting about us and losing our information though. It is a bit unsettling. Then again, if we had tried to keep our appointment this morning, I would have missed seeing one of those rare and silly things that sometimes happen when you least expect it.

On the way home from Fencing Camp, I ran across this little guy joy riding on a riding lawnmower up and down Ockley (the few blocks end of it between Fairfield and Southern.) I suppose he is practicing cutting the concrete? Who knows. He was turning around when I was passing by and seemed to be sure of his path and set on his way. I am sort of worried that he might be a big greasy spot in the street because the traffic there is really scary. I am going to keep an eye out when I go pick up Bregon from camp, just to make sure. So far, I haven't heard any crunch or bangy-noises... yet.

What My Child Did This Summer....

I know that once school starts, Bregon will find himself inundated with questions and assignments all centered around "What I Did On Summer Vacation." I always worry that he will be the odd man out and not have anything to write about except for saying that he helped take care of his baby brothers and sister.

Today, he started fencing camp. He hasn't been able to fence practically all year because of a wrist injury he sustained at school early in the year. He slipped on something in the hallway and fell on his wrist. The staff all thought that he had broken it because of the noise it made when he fell and the way it hung limp.

In all actuality, he had a bad sprain. From the accident, sprung this very large scary looking cyst on his wrist that would either go down by itself or need to be lanced, according to his pediatrician. A few weeks later, he fell on it again. Only this time, whatever happened when the loud cracking sound occurred caused the cyst to start to shrink. I suppose good things can come out of bad after all!

The knot is still on his wrist, only now it's much smaller and he has been cleared by the doctor to start fencing again. His maestro misses him, and he really misses fencing and his friends from the Sal. Because of Boy Scout camp, we managed to miss the first camp session. Luckily for him, there was a second session just after the Fourth of July.

Bregon also took an acting workshop run by a very dear friend of ours, Mary Joris. The class was taught at East Bank Theater in Bossier and lasted 6 weeks. Unfortunately, he had to miss a few of the classes because of his season tickets to the Dallas Summer Musicals.

He seems to have really enjoyed going to see the musicals. He was able to talk to a lot of the cast of "Camelot" and even was able to have his souvenir coconuts signed by "Patsy" from "Spamalot" which he got to see twice so I could go too! He has a new poster collection from the musicals from this season, most of which have many signatures on them from the cast members (he plans on redecorating his room with them soon!)

I really hope that he has had a good time. My mother took me to Dallas to see the musicals as a child and I really learned a lot and enjoyed it. It's been sort of neat being able to do the same thing with my son. We even wait at the backstage door for the actors to leave or come out to smoke so that he can talk to them and get their autographs.

Hopefully, when he goes back to school, he will remember to write about all the good and fun things he has been able to do this summer. I sometimes wonder what the teachers think when he writes about helping out with the triplets instead of writing about kid type things in his journals and essays. Maybe this year it will be different somehow.

Power-Pramming Anyone?

In England, the latest rage for new mummies is called “Power-Pramming.” You are probably wondering exactly what “Power-Pramming” really is. Officially, it is the act of power perambulating.

Unofficially, or loosely translated for those not accustomed to the English, it is the act of using one’s baby/babies and the equipment that comes along with having them (strollers, blankets & even diaper bags) as a means of exercise, theoretically to lose the weight gained during pregnancy.

Mumsies all across the United Kingdom have started meeting at their local neighborhood parks to participate in official “Power-Pramming” sessions. It consists of the main workout where the mums either power walk or jog behind their strollers, ending with a nice exercise session in front of and often times incorporating their babies.

According to the official “Power-Pramming” website, they do exercises that work their legs, tummy, shoulders, arms and bum. Afterwards, the mumsies usually all head off to have a drink and get some lunch. The sessions usually last about an hour, and happen regardless of the weather.

When my triplet stroller first arrived, I was so very excited at the prospect of finally being able to easily take my trio on outings without having to figure out how to stash the car seats in buggy’s and still have room for the groceries. Until then, trips to places that didn’t have shopping carts had been pretty much out of the question.

I couldn’t get to the park fast enough (I live about three blocks away from Betty Virginia Park.) I had high hopes of finding a group of mumsies here that would be game for a bit of power-pramming. Sadly, those mumsies just don’t seem to be there.

Now that school is out, my son and I do try and walk to the park if the weather permits, at least once a week, more if we can squeeze it in. The walk isn't an easy one as there are these hills that make pushing our pram up them rather difficult, but between my son and I, we manage pretty well. We usually use the park outing as our motivation for those pesky up-hill pushes. We seem to be the only people there with strollers, though.

Lately, because of the rain, we have taken to trying to find different places to go where I can still walk fast enough to justify it as “Power Pramming” but not bother the general public with it! Because the stroller is so very heavy, and the babies now weigh almost 60 pounds collectively, it doesn’t take much to feel like I am getting a good workout even if I am only doing the grocery shopping! I suppose that any time I take my stroller for a spin it counts as power-pramming!

I think shopping at Sam’s is about the toughest workout that I have found, with their super sized shopping carts and the buying in bulk. It’s easy for the shopping cart to quickly out-weigh the stroller there after filling it with a case of IBC, a case of capri-sun, and the various sundry other heavy bulk items!

I know it may sound a bit peculiar, but I really can feel the workout most days! Going anywhere with the triplet stroller automatically guarantees that I would have to pick it up at least twice (once to load the car, once to unload it) and if we actually do get it out at a store we can add at least two more stroller lifts to the repetition! That stroller weighs a good 40 pounds by itself.

Then you have to take into account having to push it. It weighs right at 100 pounds loaded with the babies only. Then I have to add in the weight of our triple-stocked diaper bag, the usual two smaller blue insulated bags full of 6 sippy cups of milk and or juice, and the various sundry variety of toys that the babies have attached themselves to for that particular day that usually ride in the net stroller bag attached to the back of the stroller.

Just pushing that load alone is quite a work-out! Usually, when grocery shopping, I find myself pushing the stroller, and pulling the grocery cart full of groceries. I wonder exactly what parts I am working when I am shopping.

It feels like I am getting a full “Power Pramming” work-out most days, but I cannot be certain as we apparently do not have any certified “Power Pramming” programs locally. It would be lovely if a program would surface locally.

I would love to be able to go to our neighborhood park and meet with other mums and pram together. The official program is completely baby friendly and understanding of mums who must drop back a bit to sooth a fussy baby or give them a quick snack. They are even breastfeeding friendly, which is quite the rarity in this day and age. Yes, one can actually be certified to run "Power-Pramming" sessions.

The “Power-Pramming” program really does sound like an excellent idea. Theoretically, it appears to provide new mums with a friendly way to lose that pesky baby-weight gained during pregnancy in a mum-friendly environment. It seems like it would give new mums an opportunity to meet other mums like themselves and give the children instant play-date opportunities as well. Maybe we should get together and “Power-Pram” together!

A Trip to the Psychia-olo-ana-huh?

After nearly three months of haggling with the state over whether or not I would have insurance or Medicaid or both, I was finally able to make that appointment for my eldest son with a Psychiatrist that our pediatrician had recommended back in March for his ADHD evaluation. His medicine isn’t working as expected and our pediatrician has decided that she needs some assistance in changing it. So, here we go!

I had expected to be given an appointment some time in September, after school had started. I had been told by the doctor that it takes a while to get in due to the overwhelming popularity and need. I was asked by the receptionist if I could bring my son in to see them that next morning at 8 a.m.

I was very surprised at how quickly they had agreed to see him as the doctor had said it might take a few months to get in. I managed to figure out where the office was located (ironically it’s next to the parole office on the Youree drive extension,) and made my plans for the next day in some attempt at being punctual.

Two of the babies woke up about 4:30 (rough night teething) so I was defiantly up early enough! We managed get everyone fed and dressed, the car packed and I even remembered to grab a bottle of juice and a box of teddy grahams in hopes of appeasing the trio during the course of the appointment.

In spite of early morning traffic, and my doggie having some idea that she had better tag along for the ride just in case, we managed to arrive for the appointment a little before eight. I was very happy because that would give us just enough time to unload the car and load the stroller.

Just as we were congratulating ourselves on being on time & actually ready to go inside, my son discovered that the door was locked. The signs above the office door each read different hours.

Just as we were about to load the car back up, a lady pulled up and opened the door for us. I had been getting a bit worried that we would look like some sort of vagrants standing around outside like we were or worse that we might end up with some new “Friends” that seemed to be hanging around the shopping center where the office is located.

I had never been to this sort of appointment before so I hadn’t any idea of what to expect. I was, however, ready to fill out paperwork, and they had plenty for me! I must have duplicated information on three or four different pages at their request.

The babies were even being quiet and nice. Bregon was doing his best to amuse them and keep them happy (I think he really must have been trying to masque his nerves!)

Meanwhile, the office staff seemed very intent on re-arranging the office and cleaning it up. The vacuumed all around and in different offices, they dusted and wiped down countertops with Clorox, and juggled taking our information down with moving very large pieces of office furniture through very small doors.

Poor, sweet Bregon tried to offer assistance and finally couldn’t stand himself and had to help them get a piece of a desk through that elusive tiny door. The man who turned out to be the “Counselor” (at least I THINK that’s who he was) was watching the chaos from the doorway (my sister would later theorize that perhaps they were trying to “Observe” us and our reactions or something.)

After a while, the “Counselor” called us back to the office. Then he did something rather peculiar. He advised me to leave the triplets in their stroller in the waiting room with the receptionist.

I felt a little bit like Dorothy must have when she landed in Oz- did this man understand the connotations of leaving three 1 year olds in the care of a totally unsuspecting and innocent receptionist who probably had never even had to take care of triplets? Would the receptionist be able to cope with my trio AND her job duties (I had wondered if maybe they had done this before or something) poor lady!

Bregon and I both shrugged and said, “Okay?” and went to join the “Counselor” in his office. I am STILL not sure who or what this guy really is, just that his credentials were all hanging on the wall from which I did manage to glean his name… I had been informed that the doctor to whom we had been referred to was out of town and on vacation, but that we were only here for an evaluation. Nobody seemed to want to explain what that involved, though.

We just went with it. Meanwhile, back in the waiting room, we could faintly hear Kian screaming and crying because we were no longer with them. The “Counselor” guy had me shut the door and said that the receptionist could handle it (very brave lady that she must be) and that he needed us to be able to be free of distractions to speak with him.

We touched on a little of why we were there-the session was supposed to be so that our pediatrician can adjust the adhd medication to something that will actually work for Bregon.

The man we were speaking with thought that Bregon was very well behaved and in control of himself. I thought to myself that this is what extreme fear can do to someone (Bregon is afraid of being poked and prodded by doctors for some reason and hadn’t been too happy or excited to be going this morning.)

The baby’s were awfully quiet all of the sudden. That made me really, really super nervous. It didn’t seem to make it easier to complete the session. I am still not sure what we accomplished during it. I suppose we will find out more next week when we go back.

When we went back to the waiting room, we discovered exactly what had quieted the babies. It was not the duct tape and gag vision that had floated around in my head, thankfully.

The receptionist had managed to find our apple juice stash and had refilled their cups and put “Shrek II” into the DVD player. I am very surprised that we didn’t hear Vivie announcing, “A cat! A cat!” as loud as possible as is her habit-then I noticed that she had conked out.

We had been there for right at two hours and it was naptime! Somehow we survived. I think we are both a little confused as to exactly what it was we were doing today since it didn’t go anything like we had expected.

Hopefully, we did what we are supposed to do and all will be well! Maybe next time I will be able to figure out exactly who/what we were having the appointment with since our referral doctor wasn’t in!

I Gave Birth to Baby Spiderman...

I knew something was up with Kai when I walked into the NICU for a morning feeding and checked in with his very harried and frazzled nurse. Shift change hadn’t been all that long ago, so I wondered what was up. After all, exactly how much trouble could one tiny baby cause?

As it turns out, my triplets shared a nurse with another little girl who was in an adjoining cubby-hole (I hesitate to call those little area’s rooms.) This wasn’t unusual, and most of the nurses were used to my triplets.

After talking to the new nurse, I found out that she was having trouble with Kai. My tiny Kai, as it turns out, was giving his nurse all sorts of trouble. He had always known how to set off the monitor box above their bed, and out of boredom, had taken to setting it off every moment he could make for himself.

The poor nurse had changed the settings as much as she could and still be able to read what that monitor was supposed to be monitoring and he STILL managed to set off the beeping and flashing for his & his siblings’ amusement.

To keep him from doing this, nursie had decided to swaddle him tightly as most babies are happiest this way and she figured he would be too, plus he would be contained (theoretically.) Not so, not so. As soon as that nurse would walk over to that other baby bed area, Kai would begin his little grunting and work his shoulders out of the baby burrito ‘til he could work his arms out and push the blanket down so he could set about amusing himself AGAIN with his wires attachments and the monitor.

When the monitor became old news, he set about amusing himself by collecting all of the pacifiers in his shared crib. He had learned that if he cried, his siblings would chunk their pacifiers towards him in some effort of calming him down (if it made them happy, then of course it would make him happy!)

Once he had a collection (he once gathered 5 in one sitting, so-to-say, the nurses had given him extra to try and appease his fussing.) Growing seemingly bored with is paci-set, he set about trying to free his sister from her wiring and feeding tube (he did this as a sort of public service – if he didn’t like being hooked up to the wires, why should she?) He was wearing out his nursies with his behavior.

I knew then that I was in trouble. Once I got him home, he basked in the short-lived joy of being an only baby for about a week before his siblings were released from the NICU. He had this whole “Everything is MINE” attitude going on!

He was the first of the triplets to master sitting, and the first to master pulling up. After that, it was ON!!!! It didn’t take him long to discover that climbing was much better than standing. He could scale the walls of his play-yard much like spider man crawls up the sides of buildings.

He can walk up the slats of his baby bed like small children learn to walk up door-ways. He has only fallen out of his crib once, while leaning out to see who was in my bedroom and what exactly they were doing.

Today, he mastered another scary yet daring feat. It had gotten awfully quiet in the living room. I looked up from my computer and froze. Kai had managed to climb all the way up the play-yard wall and was standing on the top of that wall balancing happily trying to reach a toy that was on a table. Lucky for us, his well-meaning siblings weren’t in the play-yard with him at the time (his brother adores stopping him when he is doing something naughty which could have been disasterous!)

Very carefully, my eldest and I peeled him off of his perch before he could fall and hurt himself. Unfortunately, this has not proved to be an isolated incident. Later on, he tried his high-wire act yet again. Only he got a bit confused and had his leg over the side of the play-yard. He wasn’t crying, so I am guessing he didn’t hurt his nether-regions.

Now I REALLY don’t know what to do with him. We rely on the play-yard for peace of mind- and that illusion has now been broken. I really don’t have any place that I could move it as our house is very tiny. I cannot put it in the center of the room, and if I did, I am not sure that it would make much of a difference. I am just going to have to live with the fact that I gave birth to baby spider man and hope for the best.

Baby Bliss & Happiness

Babies are so funny sometimes. For one, they are easily amused and love the simplest things. Right now, my babies are sitting in their little feeding chairs, singing along with “Steve” from “Blues Clues,” rocking back in forth in baby dance mode. Every now and then, a giggle slips out.

It doesn’t take much to make them happy. Something as simple as allowing them the privilege of getting to walk around the coffee table for a bit can make their tiny day (normally playing is reserved for the play-yard.)

Their most favorite show in the whole world is about to come on. They are “Backyardigan’s” number one, two and three fans, in no particular order! Everything stops at my house in triplet-ville when that show comes on our television set.

They have developed a love of music and dancing from watching that show. I know that some mom’s don’t like to let their kids watch the television, but as long as it makes them happy, I don’t mind.

My kids have actually learned something from what they have been watching, too. My husband was very surprised one evening when Kai picked up his jammies, pointed to them, and told us what color they were in Spanish and he was right.

Their new favorite toy is a set of Disney cell phones. They are used to their daddy taking their pictures with his phone, and sometimes he makes it play music and light up to make them happy when they are sad. We were able to find pretty decent toy versions that look like the real thing, and even come close to sounding like the real thing as well!

It’s funny, because each of the cell phones will say something when you flip it open. My kids will actually put it up to their tiny ears, and answer back into the receiver part. Then they will spend some time pretending to take pictures of each other and posing like little hams for their pretend-portraits.

Last week, we discovered that little cars also make them very happy. My eldest has a habit of scouring through his old toys to find new ways to amuse his siblings. He came across a set of old sonic wacky pack toys that are little ladybug shaped cars with some sort of stunt wheel action.

He will put the babies in their feeding chairs and rev the little cars up and set them on their trays so that they can watch them go and when they hit the edge of the tray, these cars flip over and keep on going which delights the babies to no end!

Teddy grahams are also a lot of fun to play with. I have caught the babies dancing their teddy grahams around on their feeding tray during tea-time when they should have been eating them. These also make great take-along friends when on outings in the stroller. Luckily, they haven’t any problem eating their tiny graham-flavored friends when hungry (we haven’t exactly reached that attachment stage yet, thankfully!)

Well, it’s almost triplet naptime at my house. Soon I will take my tiny trio into their nursery one by one and put them into their tiny cribs. Kian will insist upon sleeping with his Elmo car and his big brother’s red jeopardy-like buzzer (it buzzes when he rolls over onto it in his sleep, but he doesn’t mind,) his Valentine’s teddy, a rather realistic bat doll, and his baby Elmo that has a pacifier.

Kai will have to have his wubbie blue blankie square to use as a pillow, and his valentine’s day teddy bear and Easter sheep on either side of him for his nap-time happiness, and his Mickey Mouse baby and Bernard the woolly mammoth doll all in place as well.

Vivie will want me to make sure that Princess Piggy Pillow is at the end of her crib, and that Baby (her Madame Alexander Huggums dollie) is covered and next to her tiny mummy, and that her Valentine Bear named “Kitty Cat” is in one top corner, and that Easter Bunny is sitting in the opposite corner before she can take her nap.

I know it may sound silly, but it makes them happy. As a mummy, I don’t mind doing anything that will make their day easier and happier! Achieving a state of baby bliss is paramount for maintaining mumsie sanity.