New Rule At Our House

1. No pooping in the bathtub. (Sorry to be so graphic, but that is how it is.)
2. Don't hit your sister. (These rules will have to be modified to include brothers, but so far these were Hazel and CCs baby rules.)
3. If you pick something up to play with or wear, put it where is goes when you are done.
Here is our new rule:
4. You can only chew on your own fingers, no one else.(Little brothers don't take kindly to being chewed on! I have caught her chewing on James and Wilson's hands, what is wrong with your own? Guys, protect yourselves! You gonna let big sisters chew all over you?)

James and Quinn (she is super capable with her little starfish paws, no teeth yet though)

The Triplet Feed

Pulled the babies out of their car seats and am setting up a triple feed.

The beauty of feeding off my legs is having my hands free for a diaper change or lil' girl hairdos.

When I do the triple feed, I try to keep one hand free to stroke babies or itch my nose. Feeding only two babies is easy cheese. I usually only have one or two to feed at a time since one will sleep longer and another gets up early. The only time I usually have 3 to feed at the same time is the morning feeding- feeding 3 babies, receiving breakfast threats from 3 year olds, wishing I could have gotten up a little earlier for some alone time...

This is the full triplet feed. I prop a bottle for the baby on my right leg, then I hold on to the other two bottles, usually I can hold both bottles with one hand. James is lying on Quinn's stomach. Wilson has the bottle propped with a blanket on my other leg, I feel like even though I have to prop someones bottle, they are still being held.

I pick the babies up by the armpit to flip them over and burp them on my leg, yes on any given day I am wearing a few ounces of spit up on my pants.

If you are gonna feed one baby, you might as well feed three!

In many parenting books, it seems like if you don't breastfeed, that's it! Your kid is gonna be a felon, at best guess, you're looking at 30 to life and visiting your baby in prison, you might as well hang hand cuffs as decoration above their crib. They will never be able to read or even graduate from elementary school and they will get every sickness known to man. They will never be capable of love and will be obese, with poor eating habits.
I look at my mother in law, she was never breastfed and as I recall from the stories, she was bottle feed evaporated milk mixed with corn syrup. I look at her and I think, it's gonna be okay.

Even though I can't hold the all the babies all the time, I still want them to know I am close and probably holding another baby, so I sing and talk to them. I make up songs and put their names in them. I touch them when I say their name so they figure out which baby they are, and what their own name is. Their minds are engaged, their eyes are alert watching me, they hear loving words and know that I am close. That is how I can be close to my babies. Maybe it's not the same as breastfed babes, but it works for me.

Fruit Snack

Nate and I loving and supporting Fruit Snack

May I introduce Fruit Snack? He is our youngest and smallest triplet, we also call him Wil or Wilson. He has a crazy birth mark on his chin, it seems to grow and grow. But the Dr says it will turn into nothing more than a freckle within a few years.


He is totally delightful, always alert and always has a smile. He is a most pleasant fellow. Some nights when he wants to be up late or when I feel overwhelmed he hangs out with my neighbor Janice on her couch watching the 10pm news, they are special friends too. People are just draw to him. His eyes twinkle and smile before the smile even reaches his mouth.

I am so sorry, I think I got the last nice babies in heaven. I hope there are more, I know what tough babies are like and these are not them.

Home Under Seige- Beware of Bees

Many of you know we have bees. Bees and a great garden were something we decided we could let slip this year for the triplets. We still had a lil' garden but it went unloved and unweeded most Saturdays. About 40 years ago, a house burned down a few block from ours. The owners never rebuilt and it was a weed patch. Nathan and a friend contacted the owner for permission, had the water reconnected and started digging. We had an amazing garden last year. Alas, this year we couldn't keep it up, but we did get some produce.

Back to bees. We have 2 hives. We keep them at a friends house. If you know the difference between honey bees and wasps you will know that honey bees are pretty peaceable and down right happy creatures. We lost a hive spring 2011 and had an empty box sitting on our porch all summer.

Shot thru the window of Nathan eating marshmallows and smoking out bees- they are still here but the marshmallow are gone!

Last week, the bees found it. There is no getting rid of these gals. Every time we open the door bees come in! They are congregating on our porch, maybe 200 of them. We moved the empty box, swept and scrubbed whatever they are looking for. We tried vinegar, soap water, water spray and finally N8 tried to smoke them out by burning a whole garbage can of debris right on our porch. He told me to go get him some marshmallows so if the fire department came by he was legit, as long as you are cooking food apparently. So now our house smells like smoke and we still have bees protecting our porch like guard dogs. Do come on over!
P.S. Just threw one of the Quinny's stinky diapers into the bee huddle. Maybe this will work. Stand by...

Is Summer Really Over?

Uncle Spencer throws CC

CC does not like being thrown

Spencer apologizes

I am trying to hold on to the last of summer. Last year at this time, the girls and I carried buckets of hot water from the tub to the little blue swimming pool trying to make a hot tub! It was worth it and they played in it til the sun went down. I could tell they were cold, they were sinking lower and lower into what was left of the water. We tried to go to Seven Peaks often this summer, thanks to Hannah we made it at least once a week.  Sometimes Laura, Dawn and Jennifer would watch so we could go without the babes. We are buying passes for next year, call me crazy but it is something to do. This is my life. I can sit at home and fret over babies or I can own it and make it work. We can always go home if someone is grumpy. That is the beauty of the Peaks passes, you aren't out any punches if you leave early. Although, I wonder where I can park the limo? Seven Peaks girls can I park at your house for a few dates in the limo?

Spencer, my little brother and his good friend Mikell came and took the girls swimming once. They had so much fun, and Mikell is such a great friend to them.

Sassy lil' girls

Spence tries to prevent the perfect belly flop

Haz, Kell and CC

This girl is fearless

Another quick story: I knew we couldn't go back to Seven Peaks this summer when the following experience happened. We were all happily swimming and I notice CC is missing. I search everywhere. Finally, I run to the First Aid counter trying to remember which swimsuit she is wearing. "I am looking for a little blond girl with curly hair and apples on her suit!" Life guard sitting up front motions behind her, "that her?". CC looks up from coloring, she has a big sticker of a shark on her swim suit and a grin from ear to ear. " Hey mom." Hops off the chair and comes over to me. Greened eyed monster attacks Hazel, "I wish I had a shark sticker. I wish I could color here."

That's it kids we are going home. No one is intentionally getting lost so they can have a shark sticker and coloring page. We are outta here.

Liken

I love and appreciate everyone's comments. I need to figure out how to write back! So thank you to everyone for chiming in. I am excited that you are part of our life. Georgia, Holly or Amanda, will you teach me how to use blogging effectively? I want to call everyone and thank them for commenting, but I am sure there is an easier way.

Lately, I have been thinking about a few verses in the book of Ether in the Book of Mormon. Fair warning, this is from my scripture study, and I am no preacher, I just want to share some thoughts.

In the Bible, during the time of the Tower of Babel, God was angry with the people who thought they could build a tower tall enough to reach heaven, so he changed everyones languages. Now, from the Book of Mormon we learn that Jared and his brother lived in the city during that time, they prayed to the Lord and he didn't take away their language or their family's language. God told them to pack up and travel to the seashore, build a ship and sail to the Promised Land. (We believe that the Promised Land is somewhere in the Americas).

This was a huge undertaking for them. I doubt many of Jared's people had sailed open water, much less from continent to continent. God told them how he wanted the ship to be built. He told them he would send waves and wind to push their boat to the Promised Land. He says (Ether 2:24), "the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea." He also says, (Ether 2:25) "...you cannot cross this great deep save I shall prepare you against the waves of the sea."
In chapter 6 of Ether- (Ether 6:6-7) It says, "and it came to pass they were many times buried... the mountain waves were great and terrible." "When they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord and he did bring them forth again to the top of the waters."

I love this. I love this for me. I compare their journey to mine. To anyones life. I can imagine God saying this to me. I am gonna give you 5 kids in 3 years, oh and by the way there is no way you could do this on your own but I prepared you. The waves will crash on you and you will get buried, but don't worry so much. I will bring you back up to the TOP.

Solid Food Sunday

Quinn and Wilson enjoying a moment together.

Wilson, such a terrible sleeper lately, we have to conclude perhaps he is ready for solids.

Quinny as she gingerly navigates the world of solid food.

James making his foray into solids with reckless abandon.