A Fabulous Weekend

This weekend was a fabulous weekend. John worked from home Friday and it was a 3-day weekend!!! It doesn't get any better than that.
We really wanted to take advantage of the long weekend and do something special. John wanted to pack everyone up at 9pm and head to Sea World (for real) but I suggested something a little closer to home on such short notice. So, on Monday we packed everyone up and headed to the Dallas World Aquarium. John and I went years ago by ourselves and loved it and so we thought it would be a great place to take the kids. As we got in the car, John told Abby we were going to see penguins and so the entire way there, she kept talking about the penguins and asking when she was going to see them. She is such a talker now, literally non-stop while she's awake!
After we parked I decided to feed Lily in the car so we didn't have to stop looking around inside to feed her. She wasn't super hungry so we unloaded everyone and took off.
First stop - the penguins!
This little guy kept staring at Abby, hoping she would drop a fish or two I'm sure!

Jake loved the fact that he could see most of the animals up close vs. at the zoo where they're a bit off in cages.

My kids made themselves at home looking at the giant fish, turtles and sharks. Jake would have laid there all day staring at the turtles. He's so into turtles right now.

They kept trying to touch the stingrays through the glass and of course Jake quickly found a couple of turtles in the corner.

My little monkeys will climb anything, anytime, anywhere!

They loved the touch screen computers, they really look like they're trying to learn about these little birds!

Me and my trio. This is what we look like during the week. I get so many comments about how great it is that I'm getting out and doing things with all three kids - like they expect me to stay locked in the house just because I have three kids under three!

Summer Fun

The weather has been great this week and so we've been playing outside at least once, sometimes twice a day. It's been great! I also said over the holidays that when it warmed up we'd practice with cups and so we've started. I found these great cups at Wal-Mart for the kids with the straws built into the cups so we don't have to worry about them playing with the straws (but they're still learning how to handle an open cup). Abby hasn't gotten down how to drink from the cup (she puts the cup below her bottom lip and of course, is Miss Independent and won't let me show/help her) so she prefers to drink from the straw. Jake switches and drinks from the straw a bit then from the side of the cup. We've only practiced this week but they're both doing well; although I'm not ready to let them drink from an open cup in the house yet :-).

We've also broken out the popsicles. I make home-made popsicles with Propel so they're clear and I don't have to worry about messy red or blue popsicles staining all their clothes. The kids love them and usually have one (outside) in the afternoon for their snack. I love summer!

And here's a new pic of Lily...she's really into her hands now and sucks on them when she's tired. She's also started blowing bubbles and laughing this past week. Her laugh is so sweet!

Happy Belated Birthday Jake & Abby

I can't believe my duo is TWO! They actually turned two in March but it was just four days after Lily joined the family so I decided to push their celebration to May. They wouldn't care and I had wanted to skip all the little gifts (they really don't need anything!) and just go for one big gift...a swing set for the backyard. May would be perfect for an outdoor party and this may be the only time we get to have one since March is so unpredictable (weather-wise). We kept it small again this year and just invited family. We all had such a great time and the kids had a blast running around the backyard!
I had a monkey theme since my two are part monkey and I thought that fit nicely with a swing set. I prefer cupcakes over cakes so I did cupcakes again this year and tried to make monkey faces. The idea was really cute, but the faces turned out to be a bit tougher than I expected. I should have practiced first, but oh well. We had issues with the white icing and I had to send John out late at night after all the kids were asleep to get more white icing. The turned out okay but tasted really good, thank goodness! Jake of course gobbled his up and Abby just ate a bit, then offered her cousin Addy the rest of her cupcake.
It was really nice to have everyone over and just relax outside with some great food. We cooked the kids favorites for the party (hot dogs and fruit) and so John of course decided he needed a new mega grill for the occasion. He had fun cooking on the grill and on more than one occasion, we found all the guys standing around talking about it. (He's grilled several more times since then and everything turned out great!) Here's a few pics from the party!

Shipping the Twins Off

Well, we took the plunge and signed the kids up for MDO. We found a summer program 2x a week that starts in July. We figured we'd give it a try and see how they did. We only have to commit to 6 weeks vs. a full year right now so if the kids hate it we're not out a lot of money. If they love it, we'll sign them up in the fall again.
I stopped by the place today (with all three kids in tow) for a tour and to meet the director/teachers. Jake was great and immediately decided to participate in the two year old class (it was snack time). Abby was more shy and hid behind my legs almost the whole time (Lily hung out in the office with some of the staff :-). I was super impressed by the 2 year olds. After snacks it was time to play outside. All the kids lined up and walked down the hall to the yard. They waited in a line against the wall, next to the door. The teacher stood at the door and called the kids by name one at a time to go out to the yard to play. Each kid stood there waiting for their name to be called. I couldn't believe it! The director said they all learn to wait - just wait until they meet my kids! Ha! They don't even know what "get in a line" means let alone patience!
Our primary goal with MDO is that the kids learn to follow social rules, participate in a group setting (vs. run over the group and do what they want), and follow rules from an authoritative figure. Hopefully six weeks will give us a glimpse as to if MDO will help in this area or not.

Lily's Moving Out

Well last night we moved Lily to her own crib. It was a sad night for me but I knew it was time. She's just about grown out of the bassinet and I moved the twins to their room at two months too. Although I wasn't as sad about moving them as I was about moving Lily. Maybe it's because they had each other (plus I've actually come around on co-sleeping and enjoy it more). I had been putting her in her crib for naps the past week and she's done great so I knew she wouldn't stress too much about sleeping in her crib at night (just me). I was worried about having to get up and walk down the hall all night a ton (and doing the night thing on my own since John doesn't wake up to the monitor cries). Plus I knew she'd wake Jake up when she cried since he's such a light sleeper.
But last night went great. She went down a little late since it was bath night but was asleep by 9:30. She didn't wake up till 3:30 either for a quick feed (and she did wake Jake up, but no cries, I could just here him say "Uh oh, Lily", over and over till she finished eating) and was then back asleep till 7:15. John woke up just in time for the 3:30 feeding to help me give her some quick medicine too. Perfect timing!
I know not every night will go this smoothly but it was nice for the first night. Plus I know there will still be plenty of nights or mornings that Lily will end up in our bed, snuggled next to me.

Meeting Grandma BB & Grandpa John

After Paige & Ethan's birthday party Grandma BB & Grandpa John came over to meet Lily for the first time. I was worried the kids would be super cranky from lack of sleep (they only slept 30 minutes in the car from the party home), but everyone was in great spirits. Although this day we did put them down for a second afternoon nap. :-)

The kids LOVE to crawl in Grandpa John's lap when he visits. He sits on the couch and the kids immediately crawl up with him everytime!

Happy Belated Birthday Paige & Ethan!

I'm still a bit behind on things but I wanted to say Happy Belated Birthday to Paige & Ethan. They turned two last month and Lisa had their party at Pump It Up. I opted to stay home with Lily since she was only a month old but sent John and the kids to the party. They LOVE to bounce and climb so I knew they'd have a blast, plus this would be the first chance for me to get a few things done around the house with just Lily. It was a productive day all around for everyone!

Jake & Abby LOVE these cars! One of the few toys we never got them.

Abby posing as she slides down.

Jake was a little unsure about things when they first arrived, but quickly warmed up to everyone and everything.

Time for a break! She plopped down right in front of the fan to cool off a bit.

John and his sis Lisa

Lily's Two Months Old!

I can't believe Lily is two months old already! She's growing like a weed and I love going through this experience with just one, well sort of. I don't really have just one, I have three. We had her two month check up Friday and she's doing great. Looks very healthy and is doing all the baby things she should be doing at this age. She's still all over the board at night, but the doc said just follow her cues for feeding at night right now. She'll have night where she sleeps 9 hours and then nights (like last night) where she's up every 2 hours. The twins just seamed a little more "regular" with their night time feedings. But then again, they were such schedule babies.

She weighs just over 12 pounds and is 23 inches long, so technically she's at the weight where she could sleep through the night if she does it on her own. She just may tonight after her shots. I remember the twins slept for 24 hours (we did wake them for feedings) after their shots. She's slept ever since we've been home, just waking for feedings. She doesn't feel good I can tell as she just cries when she's awake, totally not like her at all!

She's smiling a lot now and the doc told us to officially start tummy time. He wants her on her tummy 4 to 5 times a day, right now we're just doing once a day so we'll have to up that a bit. That's her big "homework" for the next two months. Our goal is to have her pushing up on her arms by 4 months. We'll see. She's also discovered her fingers and hands this week and has been chewing/sucking on them a lot. It's amazing how much of the little baby things I've forgotten about. She's also started talking a bit only saying a few things right now, but I'm hoping the cooing will really start to take off within a month or so.

Lily is already more than half the size of Jake! He weighed in at 22 lbs and 33 inches at his two year check up.

Lily's first Milestone

Okay, I'm writing this blog a little excited and a little sad...Lily slept through the night for the past two nights in a row! I'm very happy that she slept through the night (10 - 7 the first night, 11:30 - 5:30 the second night, would have been longer had I not woken her up). However, she slept in our bed, snuggled right next to me. Don't get me wrong, I love cuddling with my baby, but I'm not a huge fan of co-sleeping. I just don't sleep as well with her next to me. The first night I let it slide and brought her to bed at 10 (her normal bedtime is 9, so she had been up for an hour fussing). The second night I tried really hard NOT to bring her to bed. John was all for letting her sleep with us, but I really wanted her to sleep in her own bed. The girl has an aversion to her bed at night. She'll be sound asleep after you've been holding her upright for an hour and as soon as you lay her down in her bassinet, BAM she's awake, spitting up left and right. Bring her to our bed and BAM, she's out like a light and not the slightest dribble is coming out of her mouth. I just don't get it! We're even elevating her bed so she doesn't have issues with spitting up at night.
She has no issues during the day napping in her bed, most of the time. The only time she fusses is in the afternoon right after lunch. During that nap she wants to sleep in her swing. I usually let her b/c she'll sleep a good 2-1/2 to 3 hours during the twins' nap so I get stuff done or take a nap myself. I know I need to let her cry it out and sleep in her bed during that time too, but I don't want her to wake the twins and Jake is just now starting to nap well again.
I'm going to ask the pedi about it Friday when she has her two month check up. Maybe she needs different reflux med? I don't know. If she just fussed, I'd let her just fuss, but since she's spitting up, coughing, gagging etc. I can't just let her stay in her crib and cry it out.
I woke up this morning at 5:30 and tried to move her back to her bassinet, after she'd been sleeping in our bed all night and BAM she was awake spitting up again as soon as her head hit her bed. A little after 6 I finally brought her back to my bed and BAM she was out again and slept till 9:30.

Two Little Monkeys

I am known in my PAMOM circle as the mom with the climbers. Both my kids are EXCELLENT climbers, especially Jake. I think this all stems from Abby's stubbornness to crawl. If she hadn't been behind on crawling, we never would have enrolled them in My Gym and encouraged every little gross motor skill. They now soar in this area and test about 6 months to a year ahead of where they should be (not mentally mind you, just physically).
I'm very proud of my little monkeys, but they definitely keep you on your toes. There is no space safe in my house now. Jake can climb over the baby gates too, but luckily he has only attempted that once. I'm actually thinking of starting my own baby proofing business. I'll come over to your house, turn my two loose and let them tell you where/what needs to be secured. I can even recommend the products to baby proof, you'll just need to install everything yourself. I think I'll call it Two Little Monkeys!
On this particular day, Jake decided he wanted a cookie (at 9 in the morning!). So, he scaled the cabinet up to the counter and helped himself (notice he's not sharing with Abby though). Nothing is safe at my house anymore. We can no longer put things on the counters for time out. If the kids really want them, they'll find a way to get them. Abby can't get on the counters yet, but she's got a great reach and "counter surfs" all the time. She's quite good at it.


I haven't video taped the kids in a long time, but when I saw the kids doing this I had to go and grab the camera. I know they should not be doing this (and now they think it's okay to do since I didn't correct them immediately), but I just had to laugh when I saw them. You'd go crazy living with toddlers if you didn't laugh every now and then at the things they do. Sit back and enjoy a glimps into my daily life. Don't forget the speakers...again, the music makes the video!

P.S. For those of you who get the updates via email, you'll have to visit the blog to view the video.

Tummy Time

I started letting Lily have a little Tummy Time on the floor this week since she's a lot stronger than the twins were at her age. She does really good and doesn't hate it as much as them (I think because she has less tummy issues), but still isn't a huge fan of it. One day she got so upset she wouldn't calm down until I gave her something to eat. Crazy little girl.

On this day, the kids decided they wanted a picture with her. Jake was already sitting next to Lily, then Abby came over, sat down and said "Cheese". I went and got the camera but couldn't get them to look at me for the pic. They kept looking at Lily while saying "Cheese".

Craft Time

We've been getting back to our old routine which includes craft time. Here are a couple of cute pics of the kids. They had a blast making, decorating and playing with their drums and Abby FINALLY got into paints. The trick I guess is to use "stamps" with the paint, not just your fingers.

(I'm turning into Granny - I had to stop John from throwing away the old oatmeal canisters so we could make this craft!)

Here we used plastic cookie cutters (yes if you look carefully they're xmas themed - a tree and snowman, but the kids don't know the difference yet:-). If you try this, make sure you use washable paints. Paint was everywhere when we were done, but I quickly cleaned everything up before John even noticed we were painting (he was home when we did this craft, but never would have gone for the paints, especially with nothing protecting the table, floor, kids clothes, etc. :-)

I did it!

I did it! I'd just like to take a moment and say how proud I am of myself. :-) I went out with all three kids by myself, without the stroller! And I returned from the trip with the same number of kids I left with.
Last week I RSVP'd to a PAMOM social at Owens Spring Creek Farm. It has a petting zoo with horses, cows, donkeys, chickens, goats and even a hayride and tractor pull. I was really nervous going by myself to a petting zoo as I knew I wouldn't be able to take the stroller, but the kids love animals and the best thing for them right now is to get back to their normal routine. Our days just go so much better when we're out doing the same things we did before Lily came.
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the outings (I had my hands already full), but everyone had a great time. I hooked the twins up to their leashes and strapped Lily onto my chest. Two of my friends that were there are also pregnant and have twins about the same age as Jake & Abby. One even wanted to take a picture of us so she could post it as a fast-forward of what her life would look like in a few months!
Lily slept the whole time, but Jake & Abby had a blast. First up were the goats. Our guide gave us a cup of feed and we headed off to feed the goats. The kids weren't afraid at all and were happily giving the food to the goats. Originally the guy offered us 3 cups of food, but I just took one so I could hold it and let the kids scoop the food out, but that food went really quick. I should have taken the three as the kids started picking up grass to try and feed the goats once their food was gone.
Next we went to see the giant Belgium horses and a few pigs. Abby of course had to "oink" at the pigs. Our tour guide brought one of the horses out for us to pet, but I didn't let the kids pet the horse this time. Even though I am really familiar with horses, standing next to a horse that's 22 hands tall with two toddlers and a newborn was a little scary. I knew Abby would be jumping and squealing at the horse and if he got spooked I didn't know if I could get everyone out of harms way quickly. She was furious that everyone else got to pet the horse, but oh well.
Next we went to see a turkey and some chickens. Abby LOVED the turkey and stood there talking to it for a long time!
We were supposed to go on a hay ride too, but the fields were too muddy so we went on a tractor pull instead. Abby wanted to ride it at first but as soon as I set her in the seat she screamed. Jake loved it and so he went without Abby. I was afraid he'd try to get out while the tractor was going, but he didn't. He enjoyed every bit of it.
It was a busy morning, but a great one. After the farm, I was feeling so brave that I took the kids to Chic-fila by myself! I didn't let them play in the play area though. I didn't know how I'd get them down if I needed to. Plus trying to round them up to go with Lily in tow wasn't going to be easy. I'll wait till daddy can come with us for that.

PAMOM Scrapbook takes 1st Place!

Well this weekend was the "big event" for the PAMOM scrapbook I've been working on. I didn't get everything done in it that I wanted after Lily came, but I finished it up as best I could and sent it off to print last month. I dropped the scrapbook off at one of my fellow PAMOMers who was going to the convention in Arlington this weekend and she just let me know that we took home 1st place for the scrapbook! Woohooo!!!
We won first last year and second the year before so I was really nervous. This was also the first year we went with a digital scrapbook vs. traditional so I was doubly nervous about that. The scrapbook's them was "A Sporting Good Time in 2009", which is set by our state council. It was tough to fit under this theme, but I found some cute digital sports paper and set to work.
I won't be on the PAMOM board next year (taking a year off with Lily here) so it was nice to win first place on my way out.
Woohooo!!