Happy Belated Birthday to Me

Yesterday was my birthday. It was a great birthday, (well, except for the trip to the dentist) with four beautiful little "presents" in the house. Amelia sang "Happy Birthday" to me. Well, technically she sang, "Happy birthday to us," but close enough.

On Monday, Jeff took me out to dinner thanks to Sarah and Jamie who came and watched the kids for the evening. The restaurant was packed! I had no idea it would be so crazy on a Monday, especially as today is New Year's Eve. The meal was disappointing, but as I said to Jeff, it was really about being out of the house and enjoying each other's company. I told the waiter the meal wasn't very good when he came to ask if we were done and when the bill came he had comped half of it. That was a nice surprise.

The boys are 12 weeks old today, and having been working on a birthday present of their own for Mommy -- sleeping through the night! We aren't quite there, but getting closer. They have been pushing their 1:30 feeding to 3:30 or even 4:30 a.m. since the day after Christmas.

Today's weigh-in showed the boys at:

Samuel - 11 lbs. 1 oz.
Isaac - 9 lb. 13 oz.
Alex - 11 lb. 11 oz.

Everyone's gaining weight well, though Isaac's still got some catching up to do! They are all smiling and working on rolling over. We're done with the chicken pox, except for the last of the healing for Sam. Thank heavens that's over, and it only took five weeks!

As we close out 2008, I have to say that this has been an amazing year. We certainly had no idea what was in store for us at this time last year. We had an incredibly healthy triplet pregnancy that gave us three big, beautiful boys. And if that weren't enough, their birth has brought so many new and wonderful people into our lives, and strengthened our bond with many of the people we already knew. The year has definitely brought us multiple blessings, and each and every one of you can count yourselves among those blessings.

May you ALL be blessed with multiple blessings in the New Year.

Decorating the Cwismas Twee

I'm a little slow on this post, but it's been a busy Christmas for us. This was the first year that Amelia helped decorate the Christmas tree. She loved helping. Every time she picked up an ornament to hang she sang, "Oh, Cwismas twee, oh, cwismas twee..."

Despite the fact that she sang her version of the last half of that line a few hundred times, we couldn't catch what she was singing well enough to interpret it. Here's the video. You tell us what you think she's singing. Sorry it's so long, but my video editing software keeps giving me error messages.

I did finally have to put the extra ornaments away, because Amelia believed that if there were still ornaments in the box, the tree wasn't done.

I say this every year, but the tree looks absolutely beautiful. I think it's even prettier for the fact that the bottom couple of feet are far more heavily decorated than the rest of it.

It's A Wonderful Life

We had a great Christmas in our house. How about you?

The boys' gift to Mom & Dad was to sleep until 5:30 this morning. Well, Alex and Sam's gift, anyway. Isaac ate at 1:30 a.m., but it was Grandma D's gift to us that she's been getting up in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately, Grandma D. did the same thing I did the first time they slept through the 1:30 a.m. feeding. She got up at 1:30 with Isaac and then sat up waiting on the other two. So, while the babes in the manger slept, Grandma D. kept watch...all through the wee hours of the morning. I'm sure she felt a real kinship with the angels on this Christmas morn.

Grandma D. with her grandsons: Sam, Isaac and Alex (11 weeks old).

Thankfully, Amelia didn't head straight for the gifts when she woke up at 7ish, so we were able to give Grandma a few hours of sleep. Then it was time for presents. Amelia got a school bus pop-up tent from Mom & Dad and a dolly from Santa. She also got a large pink teddy bear. I didn't wrap it, and the look on her face when she saw it and I told her that yes, it was for her, was priceless! (Thanks, Val!)

Mommy & Amelia go for a ride on the bus early Christmas morn.

Amelia takes the bear for a ride.

Amelia shows Grandma D. her dolly.

Amelia was so thrilled with the bus, the bear and the dolly that she didn't even glance twice at her other gift from us, which was a suitcase with a few costumes and dress-up goodies like fairy wings and a wand. I left it there most of the day and then decided to put it away for her birthday in May. She clearly got enough without it, and had a great time playing with her other gifts.

It was a very Merry Christmas in our house. I hope it was in yours, too.

Christmas Blessings

It's early Christmas morning and Jeff and I just finished wrapping the last of the gifts between feeding babies. It's been a challenge to get everything together this holiday season!

Amelia, Isaac, Sam and Alex ~ Christmas 2008

We took Amelia to mass this evening while Grandma D. had some bonding time with the boys. As we listened to the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of our Savior, I thought, "What a wonderful time of year to have a baby in the house." (Or in our case, three!) A baby is a great reminder of God's gift to the world -- his Son, who arrived as a helpless infant, born poor and laid in the manger.


Today will be full of presents and laughter and squeals of delight -- probably in just a few short hours. But we will also take time to remember the birth of Jesus, who is Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father Forever, Prince of Peace.


Christmas blessings to you all,


Christy

Pox Update

Sam's coming to the end of his bout with chicken pox. He's all scabbed over and healing up. He had a couple pretty tough days Saturday and Sunday, but thankfully Grandma D. arrived Friday night, so there were extra hands to spend a lot of time holding him.

Alex also got the pox. They first showed up last week about Wednesday. I was braced for the worst since the doc said that cases tend to get progressively worse as they run through the family. But, Alex has about 40 chicken pox total -- about the same as Isaac. Poor Sam got enough chicken pox for all three boys.

Sam may still be a spotted pup on Christmas Day, but at least we'll never have to worry about chicken pox with the boys again.

Jingle Bell Joy

I believe that you can seek to be happy, but true joy is a gift.

Joy is something that comes over us unexpectedly and overwhelms us, fills our hearts to the brim. While happiness can last, joy captures our hearts for but a few glorious moments at a time. Sometimes our joy comes in big events, like weddings and births, but often it comes in much smaller, less momentous packages: like a child's Christmas program.

Tonight was Amelia's first Christmas program. It was classic, from her yelling "Hi," to her daddy to half the kids singing the verse of "Jingle Bells" while the other half kept singing the chorus. Here they are:

Wishing you your own special Christmas joys,

Christy

Cold Coffee

When I was growing up, my mother was forever looking for her coffee cup. She'd set it down to tend a child or get busy doing something around the house and leave it somewhere. By the time she remembered and found the coffee, it was cold. So, into the microwave it would go. I'll bet there were days she reheated that cup fifty times.

Back then, I didn't understand how she could continually lose track of her cup and why it was always cold. I do now.

Mean Santa

Amelia is not a sleeper. She never has been. The first time she slept through the night she was 10 months old. It wasn't until she was 18 months old that she'd sleep through the night with any consistency -- maybe 3 nights out of 7, if we were lucky. Now part of the problem was reflux, but part is just Amelia being Amelia.

Amelia in her crib. Nine months old, Feb. 2007. Wide awake, as usual!

Amelia's sleeping habits have gotten a lot better as she's gotten older, but she still wakes up a lot at night. We're just grateful that now she can go back to sleep on her own or with minimal help from us.

But lately, Amelia's back to her old tricks. She's been waking up three and four times a night, sometimes asking for a pacifier (would it be wrong of me to duct tape it to her hand?), sometimes having a conversation with herself, and sometimes -- this is my favorite -- screaming. When she screams one of us will go in to see what's wrong. Generally she answers that question with, "I don't know." UGH! I love you child, but I am at my wits' end with you on this sleeping thing!

So the other night inspiration struck. Amelia and I had a little conversation. We were reading "Twas The Night Before Christmas" and I showed her how the children in the book were asleep. Then I told her that Santa couldn't come to her house and leave her a present unless she was sleeping. I told her that since she wakes up all the time at night, he won't know when to come. Then I told her that she wouldn't get a present from Santa unless she started to sleep all night long.

Amelia looked at me for a minute and then said, "OK, Mama." I looked back into her big blue eyes and hoped I hadn't just traumatized her for life. Then I started to panic about what I would do if she didn't sleep at night. Surely Santa would still have to leave her a present. Maybe on the front porch since he couldn't come in?

Fortunately, I didn't have to figure all that out, because that night Amelia slept for 11 1/2 hours. The next night she slept 11. And she's slept through the night for the last five nights.

Santa may be mean, but mommy's a genius.

Seeing Spots

You asked, so here are the pictures of Sam's chicken pox. And yes, those are pink mittens on his hands. His sister's baby mittens were all we could find to keep him from trying to scratch. I think they are cute, and besides, they match his calamine lotion.





While Sam looks pretty miserable, he must not feel too badly since he's been a pretty good baby the past few days.

Alex has started coming out in spots now too. Hopefully he won't be any worse than Sam, and will be like both his brothers and avoid the fever altogether. In a couple weeks we should be all done with this plague for good. Keep sending non-itchy thoughts our way!

Spots, Round 2

On Sunday we woke up to find spots appearing on Sam. Here comes the chicken pox, round two! So much for the pediatrician's assurance that if the other boys didn't have them by now they wouldn't get them. It looks like Sam's getting a pretty good case, but so far he hasn't been too miserable.

We did get out on Sunday when our neighbor and her three daughters came over to babysit for the day so Jeff and I could go do our Christmas shopping. It was so nice of them, and we got nearly everything done. I have a couple more small things to take care of and I'll have to stand in line at the post office this week, but then there's just the wrapping to do. And I always enjoy the wrapping.

Sorry to be so spotty on posts. (HA! No pun intended, but that was a good one!) 'Tis the season, and I've had to sacrifice blogging for all things Christmas -- trees, decorations, presents and more. There's a post coming with video of Amelia decorating the tree that's worth the wait.

Two Month Checkup

I can hardly believe we had the boys at the pediatrician's office today for their two-month checkup. They are all doing great, though Isaac needs to bulk up a bit to keep up with his brothers. Here are the stats:

Sam - 9 lb. 14 oz.
Isaac - 8 lb. 13 1/2 oz. (You know you're little when they'll give you that extra half ounce!)
Alex - 10 lb. 3 oz.

The doctor was happy with everyone's progress. I was happy that the boys were so good today.

Because everyone's been sick and we're still waiting to see if Sam and Alex are going to get the chicken pox, we opted to wait a couple weeks to do this round of vaccinations. The doc was very hopeful that Sam and Alex may not get the chicken pox if we haven't seen any spots yet. Here's hoping!

Now we won't have to see the doctor again for a routine checkup until six months. It's still amazing that these guys have had hardly any special care since they were born. Now if we can just get through cold and flu season, we'll be in great shape.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

If I hadn't spent nearly three and a half hours sleeping in a chair in the wee hours of this morning, I would be creative and insert the actual Hallelujah Chorus or YouTube video of it being sung in this post.

Why am I celebrating sleeping in a chair from 1:30 a.m. until 4:45 a.m.? Because I got up to feed the boys at 1:30, their usual feeding time, and they didn't wake up until 4:45 a.m. That's a whole seven hours between feedings. SEVEN! [Feel free to sing the Hallelujah chorus here to compensate for my lack of creativity. Thanks.]

Yes, I should have gone back to bed. Yes, they won't do this consistently for a while. But, this is proof that they CAN do it and that's good enough for me right now.

So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bask in this glimmer of hope for a few seconds before I catch some ZZZs.

Where Would We Be Without Family?

Aunt Susie left on Sunday, but not before she got "the" picture taken and had a chance to get in some good play time with Amelia.

Aunt Susie holds the boys (L to R: Sam, Isaac and Alex) while Amelia stands by ready to help.

Jeff and Susie with Alex, Sam and Isaac.

Amelia and Aunt Susie had an M&M party in Amelia's room on Saturday evening. I sure hope they got all those M&Ms off the carpet! They certainly had a good time, though Susie could have eaten a little more chocolate just to save us all from Amelia's little sugar buzz.

Amelia and Aunt Susie have an M&M party in Amelia's room.

Amelia came out of her room to report to us that Susie was getting her in trouble. We weren't clear on how Susie was getting her in trouble, but the statement came complete with a guilty look that made us all laugh.

Like all of our visitors, Susie left tired, but completely smitten. I'm sure she'll be back again soon. (I hope!) We've been so lucky to have so many family members willing to come lend a helping hand. All of them would tell you that we don't let them off easy while they are here. But it sure is nice to have company for those middle of the night feedings!

It's good to be an aunt!

Oh, Christmas Tree

With Aunt Susie here to watch the boys, we took the opportunity to take Amelia to the tree farm to get our Christmas tree. It was, of course, snowing and one of the coldest days of the year -- 11 degrees with the wind chill. We bundled up and made fast decisions!

Daddy and Amelia at the Christmas tree farm.

Amelia enjoyed seeing the "reindeer" and playing in the snow.

Amelia and the "reindeer."

Amelia did not enjoy falling in the snow. She fell just before we took this picture with her next o a tree just her size. She was very concerned about getting the snow off the seat of her pants.

Amelia next to "her" tree -- a 3.5 footer that was just taller than her.

Now if only the elves would come decorate the tree for me...

Sleep, Interrupted

Last night was going to be a big night for Jeff and me. With his sister Susie here and Amelia's sitter, Sarah, coming for an overnight, we were planning on a full night's sleep. Bliss! Then at 1 a.m. the cry came from Amelia's room, "Daddy!"

Ten minutes later came the horrible sound of a small body ridding itself of supper. Amelia threw up all over herself, her blankie and her daddy. Why did it have to be on a night when she ate a hot dog? On the plus side, as I am in week three of this cold I still have no sense of smell, which was a distinct advantage last night.

At least we weren't trying to deal with a sick child and feed triplets at the same time, thanks to the help we had on hand.

In the end, it was a short-lived virus. She had no breakfast, a very light lunch and a four hour nap today and woke up right as rain.

Maybe we'll get to sleep through the night some other time.

Two Months Old

Yesterday the boys were two months old. They are celebrating by cooing and smiling at everyone. Heartbreakers already!

Their Aunt Susie is here to visit, so the boys got dressed up in her honor. So far they are being pretty good to her, and we're all thankful for that! Amelia is having a great time getting reacquainted with Susie, too.

Sam, Isaac and Alex 12/4/08

This week's Wednesday weigh-in showed the following:

Sam - 9 lb. 5 oz.
Isaac - 8 lb. 10 oz.
Alex - 9 lb. 15 oz.

Everyone's put on just about 4 pounds since we brought them home from the hospital. (Except Mom. She's lost weight!) We can't believe how much they've grown already. When we have a minute (ha!) we will get another picture of the boys in their crib to compare to the pictures from their first week.

Dear Santa

The other evening we had this conversation with Amelia at suppertime.

"What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?"

"A present," answered Amelia.

"What kind of present?" we asked.

"A red one."

May all our wishes for Christmas be so simple.

Was That Gucci?

Yesterday I mentioned that I witnessed a moment of cosmic justice that will keep me laughing for months. Here's the story.

Isaac and I and a gazillion other people were in the pediatrician's office at 4:45 waiting to be squeezed in. It was the Monday after the holiday weekend, so most of us had enjoyed the holidays with our sick children. The general atmosphere was one of deep despair and there was much wailing (children) and gnashing of teeth (parents).

Into this pit of misery walks a super-put-together mom with her freshly manicured nails, her Prada head scarf, her skinny jeans and her Gucci handbag. (If it was from Target, like mine, I'd call it a purse. But, as it was Gucci, "handbag" seems more appropriate.) Now I have nothing against people who are stylish. OK, I do, especially when I'm sitting in the waiting room trying to remember when I last had a shower, and then feeling even worse when I realize it was that morning, and I just couldn't remember.

Mrs. Put-Together looks at all of us and cops the attitude. With a sniff she directs her child, who was also completely put together in a cute little sweater vest and expensive little shoes, to "sit over there in the corner away from all these sick people."

I'm thinking, "Look lady, these are the doctors' sick appointment hours, so you wouldn't be here if your kid wasn't sick. It's not like we have the plague." Then I looked at poor, little spotted Isaac and thought, "OK, maybe my kid has the plague, but not everyone's does."

She settled into her seat with a flounce and her cell phone started to ring. As she's digging in her Gucci handbag for the phone (shouldn't a bag that fancy have a pocket just for your cell?) her kid turns around to face her and says, "Mama!"

She's too busy digging for her phone to see it, but we all saw it coming. As she snapped, "What!" the kid threw up all over her and right into the Gucci handbag. We all suppressed our laughter as her phone gave a few last pathetic, gasping rings and died in the pool of vomit that was now gracing the bottom of her bag.

It was truly a moment of cosmic justice, karmic payback, a little chuckle from God -- take your pick. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see how the drama ended because Isaac and I finally got called back, but I did enjoy the beaming smiles on the faces of all the other parents in the waiting room as I followed the nurse to the back.

It was not the mom's put-togetherness (I can make up words. I'm hardly sleeping here.) that bugged me, it was her attitude. And it was satisfying to see that attitude so richly rewarded. Judge ill of me if you want, but I figure I did my part in not enjoying the moment too much by not laughing out loud when it happened.

Seeing Spots

Today I took Isaac to the doctor's office to confirm what I already knew. He has chicken pox. He undoubtedly got them from me when I had the shingles (which are still painful, by the way).

To quote my earlier post on having shingles: CRAP.

Let's see...
7 days of pox appearing PLUS
7 days of pox scabbing over PLUS
7 days of healing TIMES
3 boys (who, I'm sure, will get this consecutively rather than collectively) EQUALS
63 days of chicken pox.

63 DAYS! May I repeat, "CRAP!"

I'm tempted to just rub Isaac all over his brothers so we can get this over with, but we can only hold so many fussy babies at one time. So far his case is mild, and he hasn't even had a fever, so keep your fingers crossed that we have mild cases all around.

Fortunately we already had our Christmas pictures taken. Though we should have some great shots of our own of the polka dot boys come Christmas day.

Despite the potential threat of two months of chicken pox, something happened today that will make me laugh for a long time. It was cosmic justice, karma at its finest, and little chuckle from God. And it deserves a post all its own, so stay tuned...

Laps Full of Love

This is THE picture that everyone wants when they come to see the boys:

Grandma Alice & the boys (4 days old)

Fr. Richard & the boys after their baptism (4 days old)


Becky & the boys (6 weeks old)


Aunt Judy & the boys (6 weeks old)

Aunt Cathy & the boys (6 weeks old)

Laurie & the boys (7 weeks old)

Of course, if you ask someone who is too excited about the babies to take this picture the VERY first time you have all your babies together in the hospital, it can come out like this:

Mom (well, most of her) & the boys (4 days old)

Gratitude

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's all about family, friends and food. It's about gratitude for the things we have, not a materialistic rush to acquire more things we probably don't need in the first place. It's about appreciating the people who are part of our lives.

True to my German heritage and the genes that come from my Grandma White, I love to cook and feed people, so the food part is easy. Just remember to remove the giblets from the turkey and throw it in an oven bag for a while, mash a few potatoes and make a green bean casserole and you're all set.

I am particularly proud of the fact that I put Thanksgiving dinner on the table this year for the three of us who can eat solid foods. Despite the fact that I forgot to serve the stuffing I made last night (to get a jump on things), and I didn't make a dessert at all (maybe for Christmas?) it was a great meal.

I try to count my blessings daily, and not just once a year, but this Thanksgiving was extra special as we have three new blessings to be thankful for.

This year, I am especially thankful for:

Amelia, who is a ray of sunshine in my life, even when she's being an impossibly strong-willed two-year-old. You make me laugh every day.

Samuel, who melts my heart when he snuggles into my neck. You are already starting to show a temper that matches your red hair, but you can be the sweetest boy, too.

Isaac, who is the small but mighty one. You know how to charm us with your little coos, and you already claim the middle ground between Sam's temper and Alex's laid-back personality.

Alexander, who generally goes with the flow. You are most likely to put yourself to sleep without being rocked or held. But when you cry, it's with a bleat that demands attention. We love to kiss your pudgy cheeks.

Jeff, who is a great husband and father. You never wavered in your belief that the triplets would be fine despite the potential risks of the pregnancy. You never complained as you shouldered the burden of my diminishing physical ability. And now you are right there beside me, changing diapers, feeding babies, and meeting the challenges of a two-year-old. With you to look up to, our children will grow to be strong, faithful, and compassionate people.

Family, friends and neighbors, who have come to help out with everything from food and diaper coupons to handling feedings and cleaning my kitchen so we can get some sleep. We are truly humbled by all of the helping hands that have appeared in our lives. We are so glad you have chosen to be part of this adventure, and we appreciate all of you more than we can ever express.

I hope all of you are as blessed in your lives as we are. Happy Thanksgiving.

The Magical Miracle Cream

I wish the title of this post referred to something for stretch marks, but no such luck. I'm referring to diaper cream. We use Boudreaux's Butt Paste for the worst rashes. I highly recommend it for severe cases, though it isn't cheap.

Somewhere along the line in her short life, Amelia got the idea that "paste" fixes everything. If she has a tummy ache she'll pull up her shirt and ask us to put paste on it. If her daddy or I have a cut or a scrape she'll want to put paste on it. Even broken fingernails can require a paste fix up.

The other day Amelia noticed that her brothers all have a little cradle cap or dry scalp. She ran to her room and came back with Desitin to "fis it all bedder." She diligently put some diaper cream on each boy's head, and later went back for some more to "fis" the stork bite birth mark on Alex's forehead. How sweet!

It Runs in the Family

Jeff washed all the bottle parts the other night.

Can you say OCD? When I wash the bottle parts they wind up in a jumbled heap. Since we go through 21 bottles a day, they get assembled as quickly as they get washed, so I don't waste my time on being orderly. I save my own OCD tendencies for other things, so between us we have all the bases covered.

And we wonder why Amelia has to straighten out the boys' play mat and line up her stuffed animals just so. Actually, we don't. We accept and embrace our OCD tendencies in this house. I understand that's the first step to recovery -- though it certainly hasn't worked so far!

Maybe we should have really embraced our problem by naming the boys Oliver, Christopher and Daniel. Other than Alex's aversion to being wet at all, we don't see many OCD tendencies in them yet, but just give it time.

The boys just hangin' out. From left: Sam, Isaac and Alex.

Sleep Deprivation

I completely understand why sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. There are days when I would confess to harboring Osama Bin Laden in my basement as long as it would guarantee me a couple hours of sleep in one stretch.

Last night it was Isaac's turn to be the fussy one. Jeff stayed up with him after the 9:30 p.m. feeding and went straight through to the 1:30 a.m. feeding with little more than a quick snooze with a baby on his chest.

God bless Jeff though. He did the 1:30 a.m. feeding by himself and let me sleep. I heard nothing -- not my alarm clock and not three wailing babies. Of course, this is due in part to the nerve pain medicine I am still taking to try to get rid of the residual effects of the shingles. The problem is, the medicine makes me even more tired and groggy. But, I am now being very vigilant about taking it every 6 hours (how convenient that I'm up in the middle of the night to take doses round the clock) to prevent this pain from becoming chronic. Really, this has gone on long enough.

After the 5:30 a.m. feeding, which we did a half hour early, and with Amelia's "help" because the chorus was so loud, I had a fussy Isaac. I wound up "sleeping" on the bed in the basement with Isaac and later, with both Isaac and Alex. When it was time for the next feeding, about 8:30 a.m., Sam started wailing. At first I was very confused, because I had been dreaming I was doing a feeding, so I couldn't figure out why there was a baby crying.

I'm starting to feel like the Dunkin' Donuts guy, only it's: "Time to feed the babies." For those of you too young for the reference, it's past your bedtime. Go check out YouTube if you really care.

Three on One

This week I've been mostly on my own with the boys, so I am perfecting my zone feeding technique. The hardest part is fitting in nursing at the same time I'm propping two other boys and trying to get everyone burped. If they will cooperate and let me start their feedings 10-15 minutes apart, that helps a lot. But sometimes, everyone is hungry all at once!

Yesterday I tandem nursed two of the babies for the first time. It went pretty well. It certainly went better than I ever hoped, considering the fact that I had to work pretty hard to teach each of them to nurse in the first place. Even now, they don't always cooperate with me, but if one won't cooperate, there's always another baby to try!

Right now the babies get breast milk for about half of their feedings. Some of the time they nurse, and the rest of the time they get a bottle of either breast milk or formula. Beside the fact that breast milk is the best food in the world for the babies, if you've purchased formula lately, you know it's well worth the time and effort to nurse and pump for the savings alone! We go through a $25 can of formula in about 4 days, and that's with me providing half the feedings in breast milk. We're investing the savings in their college fund. HA! Maybe once we're done buying diapers.

My Little Tattletale

Jeff and I bought Amelia a Dora the Explorer chair in an effort to keep her out of the babies' bouncy seat and swing. If you have a toddler, you know all about Dora the Explorer. If you don't, count your blessings.

The chair unfolds into a bed, and last night Amelia wanted to sleep on the Dora bed instead of in her crib. With visions of midnight wanderings dancing through my head, I told her no. She immediately began to pout and said, "I'm telling on you," as she marched out of her room.

I chuckled and waited to see where this would lead. Amelia went to her daddy, who was the only person to tell to. She said, "Mommy's telling me what to do."

Daddy replied, "If Mommy's telling you what to do, then you'd better listen." Points to Dad for the perfect response.

Amelia came back to her room to read bedtime stories with me and there was no further protest about the bed.

FUSSY!

I don't know what the problem was today, but the boys have been fussy all day long. My sister Judy was planning to leave after the 9:30 a.m. feeding, but all three boys put up a big stink. Perhaps they didn't want her to leave? :-)

Aunt Judy stayed until the boys went down after the 12:30 feeding. They were all down by 2 p.m., since they'd used up all their energy fussing! Sam didn't stay down for long, and ended up napping on Mom's chest for a little while. I needed a little shut-eye after a long night of fussing that just continued into today.

I had help for the 3:30 feeding, so that went pretty smoothly, but once again Sam didn't go down for a while. On the plus side, at least it was just one baby who needed extra help. That I have enough hands for! I'm hoping they all have it out of their system so they don't abuse the volunteers at 9:30 p.m. and our overnight helper tonight.

The boys are six weeks old today, and their weekly weigh-in showed some impressive gains:

Sam - 8 lb. 12 oz.
Isaac - 7 lb. 15 oz. (Almost 8 lbs. Grandma Alice! Isaac came home the smallest at 4 lb. 12 oz.)
Alex - 9 lb. 5 oz.

I'm enjoying a little peace and quiet now, but it's time to give Amelia her supper and get ready for the 6:30 feeding.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fu-un

Last night the sisters headed out for Mexican and a margarita, and left Daddy in charge with a babysitter to assist. As always, we enjoyed ourselves -- and the margaritas. It's amazing how restorative a little salt and lime can be. It was almost as good as the 8 hours of sleep a night (count them -- 8!) that I enjoyed Friday and Saturday while both Cathy and Judy were here.

As always, we annoyed yet another waiter by making him take a photo of us.

Judy, Christy and Cathy forgo sleep for margaritas and Mexican food.

The waiter asked if we were celebrating anything, and we told him I had 5-week-old triplets. I thought that might get me a free margarita or at least a lousy piece of chocolate cake, but no luck. Just polite conversation, I guess.

Or, it could be that he was afraid to return to the table after I fumbled around looking for a picture, completely forgetting about the digital camera we had just had him use to take our pic. When he walked by again we made him stop so we could show off the boys. I think that was about the end of his tolerance for us as we never saw him again! (Don't worry, Mom, we were well behaved, just a little loopy from lack of sleep.)

More pics of the aunties with their laps full of babies to come later.

Photos with the Aunties

After Jeff and I complained to Aunt Cathy and Aunt Judy about the boys' "witching hours" from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., they were perfect angels. But, they gave their aunties trouble all night long, one after the other. With many thanks for the good night's sleep they gave us, we sent Judy and Cathy to bed after the 5:30 a.m. feeding so they could get a decent stretch of sleep.

We girls were too busy yakking today to take many pictures, but here's a start. The boys are finally awake enough for a little playtime, so check out the three of them checking each other out and Amelia reading her brothers a book.

Aunt Judy takes on Sam and Alex.

Aunt Cathy rocks with Isaac.

Clockwise from upper left: Sam, Isaac and Alex check each other out.

Amelia reads her brothers a book.

Tomorrow we'll try harder to get photos. By then we might have less to talk about. (Or not. Do sisters ever run out of topics of conversation?)

Sisters

Yesterday two of my sisters arrived just in time for the 9:30 p.m. feeding. Cathy (my twin), and Judy (my oldest sister) came to dote on the babies and help us out for a few days. It's great to have the extra hands, and also fun for me to spend some time catching up with my sisters, whom I don't get to see very often.

Even though we have three boys around now, I'm not sure that's enough testosterone to offset the "estrogen fest" that Jeff calls the sister visits. But, as long as he doesn't have to get up for the 1:30 a.m. feeding, he'll probably put up with anything.

Pictures of the aunties with their nephews will come tomorrow...

Solitude?

Yesterday Jeff had Chinese for lunch. He brought his fortune home for me to see. It said, "You have a basic need for solitude some of the time."

We got a good laugh out of that. We may all need a little solitude, but it will be a long time before we get it!

On to the news. Yesterday the boys were five weeks old. They are eating and burping like champs, though Sam's definitely the slowest to eat and burp. Here are the results of the five-week weigh in:

Sam - 8 lb. 1 oz.
Isaac - 7 lb. 7 oz.
Alex - 8 lb. 11 oz.

I have visions of having GALLONS of milk delivered to the house three times a week as they get older...

Family Pics

It was too bad we didn't have quads so there'd be enough babies to go around. (HA!)

Grandma D. and Sam

Grandpa D. and Alex

Aunt Allie and Isaac

Uncle Jacob and Isaac

Grandma and Grandpa with the kids

Flying Solo

Today Grandma Brigade Part 2 headed for home. Jeff's mom arrived the day my mom left, so we've had round-the-clock help for almost five weeks now. Last Thursday Jeff's dad, sister Allison and brother Jacob came, so we've had more hands than kids for the last few days, which has been very, very nice. Jeff and I got to catch a little extra sleep while they were here, and we're going to need it!

I did a feeding by myself today, and it went pretty well. The biggest problem is getting everyone -- or at least most -- of the gang to go down afterwards. One fussy baby is no big deal, two is manageable, but three? Well, one person just doesn't have enough hands for that!

I've got pictures of the family with the boys and Amelia, but I'll have to get to those later. I hear a couple boys calling me from the other room.

More Feeding Fun

The boys are still messing with my schedule, sometimes wanting to eat just 2 hours after they've been fed. At least they didn't wreak havoc with the night feedings. They kindly ate at 1:30 and 5:15, though Alex was up at 4:45 looking for food.

We've upped their bottles to 4 ounces, though they don't generally finish them. At least we know they have the opportunity to eat more, if that's the issue. And believe me, when they wake up demanding to be fed early, we do everything we can to get a full bottle in them. None of this dozing off after two ounces boys. Mama's not giving you snacks every two hours!

Fortunately, the boys are so gosh darn cute, we'll forgive them for messing with the schedule. As Uncle Jacob says, "I'm so tired, but I don't want to leave." Hear, hear!

Here are some pics of the boys with the stuffed giraffes that Grandpa D.'s secretary sent. The giraffes play a lullaby when you wind them up, and if you look at the ribbons you'll see they have the boys' names on them. Very cute!

Sam

Isaac

Alex

Eating Out, Eating In

Tonight Jeff and I had a date. As a birthday present from his mom we went out for a nice dinner while Grandma and Grandpa D. and Aunt Allie and Uncle Jacob held down the fort. At least they had enough people for man-to-man defense! It was nice to have a little quiet time to ourselves, though our conversation was punctuated by long pauses brought on by the lack of sleep.

So that's the eating out. What about the eating in, you ask? That's all about the triplets, and the subtitle to this post should be "ACK!" I had the boys on a perfectly reasonable three-hour schedule that was working for all of us, and today they flipped out on me.

This morning they woke up en masse and started bellering for food just two hours after the previous feeding. We'd barely gotten finished and cleaned up from the previous meal and they were acting like we hadn't fed them in days. Since they were all awake, we fed them. And then fed them again two and a half hours later. Then they managed three hours before demanding to be fed every two hours for the next two feedings. ACK!

Our round-the-clock help is about to leave. Now is not the time for these babies to need to be fed every two hours. I'm sure it's a growth spurt, and that's a good thing, but on a two-hour feeding schedule, we will do nothing but feed! I sure hope this is short-lived.

In other triplet news, I packed away the last preemie outfit today. Everyone is in newborn sizes now, just one month after birth, and a week after their due date.

Reinforcements and a Health Update

I'm typing this with a fussy baby in my lap, and I hope this is not an indication of how the night's going to go. Luckily, Jeff's dad, sister and brother arrived yesterday, so we have reinforcements for a couple days. Last night I didn't have to get up for the 1:30 a.m. OR 5:30 a.m. feedings. It was wonderful, even though I was up with Amelia at 3 a.m.

For those who have been asking, my shingles are improving with the medication. I have started taking the medication for nerve pain, but I hope to only need it a day or two. And, of course, I went to the chiropractor for an adjustment since the virus that causes shingles is harbored at the base of the spine. It certainly can't hurt.

Today we also took the boys to the pediatrician for their one-month checkup. They are all growing well and getting even bigger and stronger by the day. Here are the stats:

Sam - 7 lbs. 7 oz.
Isaac - 6 lbs. 15 oz.
Alex - 8 lbs. 4 oz.

The boys are doing great. It's the rest of us who need sleep that I'm worried about!

My Body Is Rebelling

After carrying the triplets for 36 weeks and 3 days with virtually no problems, my body is now rebelling. Two days ago I noticed a little rash on my arm near my armpit. I put a little cortisone cream on it. The next day it had spread to my armpit and down my arm. Then it began to blister and ooze and really, really hurt.

This can't be good.

So, I called the doctor and went in today. She told me it's shingles.

CRAP.

The doctor asked me if I'm under any stress and if I'm getting enough rest. HA! This was a doc at my family practice, so they haven't seen me since last year's physical. I saw my OB while I was pregnant.

I told her I had month-old triplets at home, and she said, "That would do it."

No kidding.

So, I started the anti-viral medication today, which is approved for use while nursing. If the pain continues I'll have to take something specifically for nerve pain and inflammation, which is not approved for use while nursing. Hopefully this will clear fast and I won't need the pain medication, but my doctor said not to ignore it if the pain continues for more than 48 hours. Apparently shingles can cause nerve damage and the inflammation can lead to chronic pain. I certainly don't need that!

If you need me, I'll be right here watching my body go to hell in a hand basket.

Election 2008 -- Amelia Goes to the Polls

This morning I went to the polls to cast my ballot. When I was expecting the babies, I thought I might vote absentee, just because we didn't know what life would be like at this point, but I decided that I just HAD to go to the polls in person this election, even if I had to take the babies with me.

I wanted to take Amelia, too, because no matter the outcome, this is an historic election.

Since Grandma D. is here I didn't have to take the boys, and at 8:00 a.m. Amelia and I went to the polls. She wanted to vote, but was very good about it when I explained that only grownups can vote. I held her as I filled in the little ovals on my ballot, so she could see what I was doing.

Amelia watched me for a minute, then said, "What you doing, Mommy?" I explained that I was picking the people who would be in charge.

To that, my precious, precocious two-year-old replied, loudly enough for the entire room to hear, "I'M IN CHARGE!"

Everyone laughed. Me most of all.

Perhaps that's not a bad idea my sweet girl. We'd eat a lot of ice cream and spend entire weeks in our favorite jammies, and the world would probably be a happier place.

Update on the Boys

Here's the latest on the boys:

Samuel Joseph

Born at 5 lb., 4 oz., it was Sam who determined the birthday. Our ultrasound on Oct. 8 showed that he hadn't grown in two weeks. Lab tests after delivery showed that his placenta had started to calcify so he wasn't getting nutrients the way he should have been.

Sam is our slow poke when it comes to eating these days, though he's far neater than either of his brothers. He's become a reluctant burper, which slows down his eating even more. Sam still has the reddish hair he was born with, and Mom is hopeful that he'll keep it.

Sam

Isaac Thomas

Weighing in at 5 lb., 3 oz., Isaac was the smallest of the boys at birth. He was just 4 lb., 12 oz. when we brought him home, but he's been gaining ground fast.

Isaac has started to eat really well, and is a pretty good burper, too. When he first came home he would always burp twice in a row and then get the hiccups. He had the hiccups a lot! Isaac had the hiccups a lot in utero, too, making my belly button jump all the time. Isaac likes to snuggle up with Sam in the crib, nuzzling his head right up to his brother's.

Isaac

Alexander Steven

Alexander came wailing into this world at 6 lb., 1 oz. He was parked up in my rib cage, and my ribs are finally shifting back into place three weeks after he was born.

The nurses in NICU made sure Alex was a really good eater before they sent him home. He's a champion burper, sometimes surprising us with his volume! He often dictates the feeding schedule, waking up first and hollering for food. We like to put Alex at the front of the lineup in the crib, so he can't beat up on his brothers with his long arms.

Alex

Our Due Date Has Arrived

To my boys:

Today, November 2, is your due date. We are so blessed that you are already here as big, healthy three-week-olds. Today Sam weighs 7 lbs. 2 oz., Isaac weighs 6 lbs. 7 oz., and Alex weighs 8 lbs. 1 oz.

On your birthday, in the short time we had between the doctor's appointment and the C-section, I sat quietly with you one last time. I wanted to savor those last few moments of having you inside of me. I wanted to relish the last few baby kicks and contemplate for just a minute the miracles that God and I had been creating together for all those months.

God knit your bones together inside of me, and, as with so many of His gifts, I was but the vessel for His work. It is indeed a wondrous thing.

I'm so thrilled to have carried you safely inside of me for so long. Now you've taken your place in this world -- a place that God determined for you long ago.

No matter what the future holds for you, my three little angels, know that your father and I will always be there to hold your hands, wipe your tears, share your joys, and encourage you along the way.

Welcome to the world my darlings. We're so very glad you're here.

Love,

Mommy

Trick or Treat

Amelia went out for trick or treat around the neighborhood for the first time this year. She was dressed as Goldilocks and the three bears. Fortunately, the weather was very nice tonight, and Amelia and Mom and Dad enjoyed a little walk while Grandma D. handed out candy at the house and kept an eye on the boys.

Amelia as Goldilocks and the three bears.

The boys also got dressed up for Halloween. Thanks to the people from Jeff's office, they had these darling little jack o'lantern onesies to wear for the occasion. Look, we've got our very own pumpkin patch!

Our three little pumpkins: Isaac, Alex and Sam

Happy Halloween! Amelia with Sam, Isaac and Alex.

Today's Challenge

Amelia came home from daycare yesterday with a tummy ache. She had a rough night, and was pretty puny this morning, so I kept her home. While she was very good, at times it was a real challenge to deal with a sick toddler and newborn triplets today.

This morning Amelia and I watched cartoons while the boys slept, and I tucked her in on the couch for a video during feedings. You do what you have to do, I guess. She perked up by this afternoon, so we did some puzzles and read some books instead of watching TV. By bath time she was ready to splash and play, so I think she's back to her usual self now.

Unfortunately, nap times did not coordinate, and two of the boys were pretty fussy from 3:30 through 6:30 p.m., so this mama's headed for bed to catch a few ZZZZs before the 1:30 a.m. feeding. Still, if they are going to fuss, I'd rather it be in the afternoon or evening than in the middle of the night!

Someday She'll Hate Me for This Post...

Last night Amelia helped feed the babies.

Amelia and Alex

Then she saw Mom nursing Isaac, and pretty soon she was pulling up her shirt, asking to feed her baby. Tears ensued when we tried to explain that only mommies could feed babies that way.

Poor, sweet Amelia! We love you and we love how much you already want to do things for your "brodders."

Growing Boys

We weighed the boys tonight, and they are already growing like weeds! At almost three weeks old, combined they tip the scales at almost 20 lbs.

Sam - 6 lb. 6 oz.
Isaac - 5 lb. 15 oz.
Alex - 7 lb. 7 oz.

Clearly eating every three hours agrees with these boys!

I'm still trying to teach them how to nurse. Isaac's getting the hang of things, and Sam doesn't do too badly, but Alex is pretty lazy about it. I may never get him to be much of a nurser as long as there's a bottle in the picture. And logistically, there has to be some bottle feeding involved. There just are not enough hours in the day or enough of Mom to go around!

Before and After

For months I've been posting pictures of my ever-expanding waist. So now, if you'll indulge me for just a moment, here's a picture of the shrinkage that has occurred.

On the day I delivered the boys, I had gained 42 pounds and measured 48 1/2 inches around. When I left the hospital, I was already 4o pounds lighter. (Remember, I delivered 16 1/2 pounds of baby!) When I was at the doctor's office last Friday, 16 days after delivery, I weighed 3 pounds less than when I got pregnant.

But, for the sake of comparison, I'll leave you with this video, which we took about an hour before we went to the hospital to have the boys. I affectionately refer to it as, "How Do You Steer This Thing?"

A Waist Returns!

This morning I was celebrating wearing the first pair of real pants -- you know, with buttons and zippers and a waistband -- that I've had on in longer than I can remember.

I was showing off to Jeff, who said, "That's great honey!" He then added as lovingly as he could, "But your zipper's down."

Shoot.

Must have forgotten how to do all that in the last six months.

We Don't Need This Kind of Excitement

I spent a few hours in the emergency room the other night, having serious leg pain checked out to make sure it wasn't a blood clot. First they drew blood and did some blood test. My numbers came back very high, which can indicate a clot, so we waited another two hours for an ultrasound tech to come check my leg and ultimately give me the all clear.

Fortunately, we had some of our wonderful volunteers coming to do the 10 p.m. feeding, so Jeff could come to the hospital and wait it out with me. While we waited we watched "House," the medical TV drama. The episode was about three people who all had serious leg problems. Was it sadistic to watch that for an hour while we waited to find out about a potential blood clot?

Moms Are...

Yesterday the boys were two weeks old. I planned a light-hearted post that compares how I looked the day I delivered with how I look now, but that one will have to wait.

Instead, I want to post a big THANK YOU to my mom. She just left, after being here a full month before the triplets were born and these first two weeks we had them home. As you saw in previous posts, she did all my nesting and organizing for me, and helped take care of this family as we waited for the babies to come. She truly was a godsend in those last few weeks.

But that was nothing compared to these first two weeks of life with triplets in the house. From helping with three feedings a night to devising baby boot camp, and from giving first baths to working with our volunteers to handle the late evening feeding, Mom was there. She stayed long enough for me to recover from the delivery. And she was here to see the boys start to come out of the sleepy baby stage and begin to develop their own personalities. Of course, that makes leaving them all the harder.

Grandma Alice with Sam, Alex and Isaac. 10/11/08

Mom, I never thought you'd still be taking care of me when I was 36 years old, but I am so glad you were here. I love you and I miss you already. Thank you isn't enough, but it's all I have to offer. You're the best!

Christy

Children of God

At last, I'm able to get to this post about the boys' baptism. On Saturday, October 11, we had the three boys baptized at the hospital. With cold and flu season soon upon us, we won't be taking them out much, and a church baptism probably won't happen for a few months. While they were all doing well, we wanted to be sure they were baptized, just in case. We will have a Conferral of Rights ceremony later to publicly welcome them to the church.

Wendy, one of our many wonderful NICU nurses, brought Alex up to my room for the occasion. She also served as official photographer, so we are able to share these photos. It was the first time we had the three boys all together since delivery, so it was a special time for all of us.

Father Richard said this is the first time he's ever baptized triplets, even after 15 years in the priesthood. He was probably as excited about the event as we were. Thanks to my friend, Jane, we had three beautiful little white blankets with crosses on them to serve as the babies' baptismal garments.

A Catholic baptism is a very beautiful ceremony, and it includes praying the "Our Father." If you've been following my blog, you read in an earlier post how Jeff and I pray the "Our Father" every night for our children, because it includes the prayer that never fails: "Thy will be done." I must admit that saying those words out loud while looking around the room at three strong, healthy boys -- greater blessings than we ever could have hoped for -- brought tears to my eyes.

My dad is holding Samuel Joseph, my mom is holding Alexander Steven, and I am holding Isaac Thomas. They were all baptised with water first. (Yes, that's a bottle of Ice Mountain Fr. Richard is holding -- I asked if it was the church's preferred brand now. It was blessed on the spot, so it's legit.) Then they received the oil of Chrism. The rest of the traditional ceremony, including the lighting of the candles will be done at the church when they are a little older and stronger.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Baby Boot Camp Part Three and Angels of Mercy

OK, Saturday night the babies kicked our butts. Well, more specifically, they kicked butt on Grandma and Jeff first, before I got up. I went to bed at 9 with a sleeping pill and orders to get more than a 2-hour stretch of sleep. I got up briefly at 2:30 a.m. when Amelia woke up, but was still groggy, so I just brought her to bed with me. At 4:30 a.m. I realized that there was a lot of crying going on, so I got up to help.

I found Jeff still in his jeans. The 10 p.m. feeding hadn't ended. I took over for Jeff and it wasn't until we fed the boys again at 6 a.m. that they finally all went down. Sam was the good sleeper for the night, so Jeff told him there was only one college fund and so far, it was all his!

I did what I could the next morning to get us through the day. I sent Amelia to Sarah's for the afternoon and overnight. (It's sweet that she wants to help, but SOOOO unhelpful!) And I called in my neighbors to help. A group came at noon to handle the feeding and do some things around the house so Jeff, Mom and I could all eat a meal and shower. Then a couple people came back at 7 p.m. and at 10 p.m. to help with those feedings, too.

I BELIEVE IN ANGELS!!

Mom went to bed by 8 p.m. and Jeff and I were both in bed by 10:15 p.m. The boys, after an enema to get things moving after three days, were very cooperative and went from 10 until 3:30 without waking to eat. Alleluia! By Monday morning we all felt human again.

Now my neighbors have organized to provide helpers for the 10 p.m. feeding Sunday through Thursday for the next month. That means we can all go to bed, leave the boys in capable hands, and get some much needed stretches of sleep.

The boys do seem to be settling into a schedule of sorts, and we're learning how to get everyone fed well and in about an hour, so we're making progress.

Think sleepy thoughts for the boys and Amelia...

Baby Boot Camp -- The Night Shift

Well, our day campers were better than our night campers. The boys really gave Jeff and I the business from about 9:30 until 2 a.m. Sometimes one, sometimes two, and too often all three were have a good fuss. There simply aren't enough hands, bouncy seats and swings for that.

Jeff, my loving husband, took on the midnight feeding by himself to try to give me and Grandma a little extra sleep. It was a crazy idea, but he got most of the way through it before I realized (from the depths of sweet sleep) that more than just the one crying baby I had left him was crying and came out to rescue him from dealing single-handed with three babies who needed to burp or just fuss.

That time all the commotion woke Amelia, who wanted to get up and help. She and I sang a lullaby to baby Sam, and then I told her it was time for bed and to go ask Daddy to take her. Fortunately his crowd had calmed down by then. Amelia was up a second time about 1:30 and wanted to hold a baby. Have you ever said "No," to a very tired two-year-old in the wee hours of the morning? MELTDOWN!

We woke Grandma up then and Jeff took Amelia back to her room for rockabye and some milk. He got up with her this morning and persuaded her to snuggle up with him for an extra hour of sleep, which they both needed!

I hit the sack about 2:30 a.m., but forgot to set the alarm for the next feeding. The boys went until 6:15 before their feeding though, so I got almost four full hours of sleep.

Now their first two feeding of the day have gone beautifully, Jeff and Amelia are at the zoo, and Grandma and I both took a shower. (Insert Wonder Woman theme music here.) Time for lunch and another 20-minute nap after I prepare bottles.

Baby Boot Camp - Day One

My sister called this evening to see how "baby boot camp" was going. She thought she might need to come save the boys from Mom & Grandma!

So far, all is well, though night time is the real test. Mom and I regrouped at the breakfast table (oh, to be a coffee drinker!) at 6:30 and put the plan together. I am quite certain that wars have been waged and military campaigns launched with less planning and logistical consideration than we put into the day's schedule. Our main goal was to get everyone changed, fed, burped and back down in an hour, give or take 15 minutes.

Believe it or not, we did accomplish that 4 times today, and I nursed or at least worked with all three boys to nurse 3 times. All it took was some mom-genuity in creating a baby assembly line. Our little guys are big enough to handle a propped bottle, so we used Boppies -- or baby Barcaloungers as I like to call them.

Today the system looked like this. (I am VERY aware it could look different tomorrow. Yes, we are experimenting all the way through this. I have a feeling that will continue for years!)

* Get Baby 1 up (whoever is the most active or fussy) and change his diaper.

* Nurse Baby 1 and set him in his Boppy with a bottle while Grandma gets Baby 2 up and changes him.

* Nurse Baby 2 and set him in his Boppy with a bottle while Grandma gets Baby 3 up and changes him.

* Nurse Baby 3 and set him in his Boppy with a bottle while Grandma burps Baby 1 and puts him back to finish his bottle.

* Burp Baby 2 and put him back to finish his bottle.

* Burp Baby 3 and put him back to finish his bottle while Grandma burps Baby 1, swaddles him and puts him down in the crib.

* Burp Baby 2, swaddle him and put him down in the crib.

* Burp Baby 3, swaddle him and put him down in the crib.

* Pray that everyone goes back to sleep so you can slink off and sleep yourself. Or shower. Treasure that shower!

Are you tired, yet?

This evening we spent some awake time with the boys in addition to their evening feeding. Amelia helped throw away dirty diapers, bring bottles, and also held bottles for her brothers. It was so sweet. She's a good big sister.

By luck, maybe more than planning, the boys slept while we ate supper and were mostly (two down and one fussy isn't bad) back asleep an hour before Amelia's bedtime. That was perfect, because both Mom & Dad got to spend some time with her and get her through the bedtime routine.

Time to rest. See you all in 90 minutes.