The Celebrations In Life..Triplets Turn 3

Today my little triplets turn 3 years old.  It was 3 years ago today that they all came out healthy and happy.  They spent several hours in the nursery and they were handed over.  They weighed in at 5lbs 8oz, 5lb 12oz and 5lb 13oz.  Life has been crazy ever since but it has been a true blessing.

We celebrated last night with a family favorite "ice cream cake" and presents.  I picked up some balloons and they were a total hit.  It was a very fun evening. I am very excited about the bikes I got them.  They are bikes with no pedals.  It teaches them to ride and glide and get used to balancing.  They ride them all over the house.  Happy Birthday my sweet little men.

Anticipating Triplets...3 years Ago Today

It was just 3 years ago today that I was enjoying my last day of being pregnant with triplets.  The pond in our backyard was frozen over and David spent some time shoveling it while Eamon, Liam and Mairin raced around on their skates.  I waddled out there with extreme caution not to fall but I couldn't resist the snowflakes.  I remember thinking how it would be the last event or happening with only 3 kids.  In a matter of hours our family was going to go from 5 to 8 people.  I couldn't resist a last minute picture and it was the last picture taken with 3 little beings inside me.

We were scheduled to walk into the hospital the next morning for a c-section.  I was 1 day short of 37 weeks and the doctors said that they wanted the babies out.  David and the kids grew tired of the cold and came inside so we could go out to dinner.....the 5 of us.  We enjoyed a casual dinner at the Village Place and back home to bed to make it an early night.  That was alot of activity for me. 

We had no idea what to anticipate on the following day.  Sure we have been thru a c-section before but never with 3 babies.  What would the delivery room look like?  How many people would have to be there to make it all happen? 

3 years ago today

December...Will I Make It......

So many happenings in December.  I find that each year I forget how busy it gets so I am never prepared for everything that is being planned.  This year I vowed to wrap each present on the day it enters my home.  It has been the best rule ever. 

We started the month being all about me.  My birthday.  I have to say that it is a treat celebrating my birthday with 6 little ones who all want to help with the blowing out of the candles.  You can see the anticipation of the lighting of the candles.

 

We had our Hockstra Christmas several weekends ago and we all enjoyed.  It is always good to see the relatives that you don't get a chance to keep up with.  Brandon was a huge hit with the kids and was really able to connect to the inner child in him. 

I hosted an Advent by Candlelight at our church with my dear friend Susie.  We invited several ladies, decorated our table and enjoyed appetizers, wine and liquor (probably way too much) and a speaker.  The theme this year was candlelight so the lights were turned off and it was just a beautiful setting. 

We have a busy weekend planned since I have 3 little ones turning 3 on Saturday.  A small birthday hooray on Friday, A concert on Saturday night and another Christmas celebration on Sunday.  Today is my mom's birthday.  We called first thing this morning to wish her the best best day ever. 

Pray for me to hang on for the rest of December.  I will be busy making birthday treats for the trips to take to their school, remembering what I have and what I have forgotten for Christmas, trying to get something special for everyone in my life and of course gearing up for 2 weeks of no school.  God Bless.

Trimming The Tree

On Wednesday evening I decided to start a tradition and get everyone to decorate the Christmas tree.  I put the tree up during the day and had everything ready for the kids to put the ornaments on.  I told David to be home on time (pick up a couple items to make a cocktail) and I was going to have a great dinner ready.

The kids were starving so they were snacking. David got home the older ones were ready to pass out, the triplets had pushed every button I had and didn't want to eat, I was trying to keep my smile going so we could complete this new tradition that only really exists on TV.

I had great expectations for this evening. The TV always portrays an evening of trimming the tree as peaceful and relaxing. They always have the music on in the background and everyone is dressed perfect. The husband and wife are often looking on smiling and cooing as their perfect family is together for the holidays. Well.....that is not reality at all. In fact it is nearly the opposite. It is more like the mom is sweating trying to get the ornaments out fast enough, the dad is grabbing kids off chairs in hopes that they don't jump into the tree and topple it over while trying to hang that one ornament, the kids are all messy because they just ate pasta and the sauce is spilled down the front of them and clearly we did not have time to wipe their mouths off because we had a timeline to follow. Mom is also trying to break up arguments expecting the kids to be greatful for the experience. It was fun though...really it was.

Dinner was great and the older 3 were very excited to decorate.  I turned on the Christmas music really loud, poured myself a drink and off to the living room we went.  The bins of ornaments were open and the kids all dived in.  I had to stop them because they were breaking them as they dropped them back into the bin.  David sat and got each ornament ready and as he handed them to each kid he made them answer the question "what do you wish for"? It was kind of neat to hear the responses the kids.  "I wish for a healthy family", "I wish for ice on the pond", "I wish that we win our next hockey game".   The triplets couldn't figure out how to hang the ornaments at first so I had 3 of them saying, "can't do it".  They finally got it and it was kind of fun to watch them hang the ornaments and laugh. 

By the time we were finished I was exhausted, had a messy kitchen to clean up...but I did have a cocktail.  I realize that each year is going to be easier and easier so that makes me smile.  We all did a cheer for the camera as I was so happy it was done..LOL

A Birthday For Me and A Good Lesson Learned

Yesterday I celebrated yet another year of life.  I am now 2 years away from the big "40".  Every year since David and I have been married (well since the kids have been around) I have these crazy dreams that David will get up with the kids, pack the lunches and let me lay in bed and just have a relaxing morning.  I have to tell you that each year there is a disappointment because I think he will just "know" to do that.  I was proactive this year and the night before I told David, "Better go to bed because you have a big morning tomorrow".  He looks at me and says "what do you mean". "Tomorrow is my birthday and you are getting up with the kids and doing the morning routine before you shower and go to work".  The look of shock was on his face but bless his heart because he said, "Ok".  I asked him if he knew what each kid liked for lunch and he didn't (thank goodness we talked about this).  Eamon likes ham and cheese, Liam likes peanut butter and jelly and Mairin will go either way. You need to include a fruit, yogurt and a small treat such as pretzels or something.  He looked a little nervous but he was ready.  The morning came and he got up and headed downstairs.  I inserted my earplugs so I wasn't listening or hearing what was happening downstairs.  It was an hour later when a small knock was at my door and my 3 older darlings came in with a cup of coffee and 3 birthday cards.  I read each one and they were all precious.  My heart was full of joy and I was on cloud 9.  I jumped in the shower and by the time I came downstairs the older 3 were gone on the bus and I looked at David and said, "thank you so much for doing this, you have already made my day".  He looks at me and says, "no problem baby you just have to ask".  I just have to ask....hummm I couldn't even respond to that.  I had to really ponder that response for a moment and that was my ahhhh haaa moment.  I spent the past 8 years wishing and finally I realized that we don't think alike...in fact we are different beings all together.  His mind works very differently than mine and just because I have to ask him doesn't mean it means any less.  This was the best birthday morning ever and from now on I will ask for the things that I think are important.

I of course wanted details of the morning so as he was wiping the counters down I asked, "so how did it go".  He turned around and took a deep breath and said, "it went ok but I didn't know I had to wake them up so they kind of slept to long and we had to rush breakfast and then I had to sign stuff for their classroom and then Eamon couldn't find his homework and then Liam couldn't find his shoe and gee whiz we barely got out the door for the bus".  I smiled and melted because without saying so, I think he got to see what the morning ritual is like.  I asked him what he put in the lunches and he went down the line and when he got to Eamon he said, "I gave Eamon a ham and cheese sandwich with mustard"  "Mustard..I don't remember telling you mustard"?  Oh well I just put a little on there.  (my head is saying...why would you put mustard on his sandwich? I didn't say mustard..you were not listening to me.  I let it go and laughed because there is always 2 ways of doing things..my way and dad's way).  


David finally got off to work and I headed out to run some errands and I received a wonderful birthday text from my hubby and it really did add just another skip to my step.  I had a birthday cake with candles that we all blew out before I headed out to a ladies function that was planned (not birthday related).  I arrived home at 10:30pm and there was a vase of flowers and a card from David with a couple of things I could do for my  day.  It was a beautiful ending to a great day and a great ah ha moment.