Owner: And Babies Make Six URL:http://andbabiesmakesix.blogspot.com Join Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:13:39 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Surviving 4 toddlers ages 3 and under. The younger of the bunch are triplets. Site statistics:Click here
Oh, The Pollen! 2007-03-28 04:52:00 Map source: Pollen.comSince moving to Georgia, I've found a new weather number to follow, the pollen count. The Atlanta Asthma & Allergy Clinic provides numbers for our area. Holy Cow! Today's number was 5208! Everything has a lovely green sheen to it; even the dogs.If you have bad sinuses or allergies, you have my sympathies today. My sinuses feel like somebody put a vice grip on them.
The Triplets are 18 Months Old 2007-03-26 07:10:00 Today we really must stop calling them babies! Just look at them. They were all in a really good mood all day Sunday. I've taken several thousand pictures (no joke) and have only printed a handful, but this is a candidate for a print. What a difference a year makes! Read more:Triplets
, Months
That's My Mama 2007-03-26 04:46:00 Austin has hit the stage where everything is "mine". Everyday we hear one or more exclamations such as, "That's my Mommy! That's my Daddy! That's my house! That's Austin's van!"The cutest one so far was one he came up with at the dinner table tonight.Clif jokingly said, "Mama, pass me another piece."Austin snapped his head toward his Daddy and said, "Hey, that's my Momma!"Clif laughed and said, "Did you know that Grandma my Momma?"Austin: "No!!! She's my Mama-Grandma!"The mind of a 3-year old!
The Swingset Debate is OVER 2007-03-25 05:20:00 After much debate (mostly with me, myself, and I), we have a swing set. Clif didn't really care which set, but he's happy with the one we ended up with.Who would have thought a swing set purchase would have required so much research and debate? Over the past two weeks I have been trying to narrow down our choices. The triplet group I belong to had a discussion about a company here that had great prices and a beginning of the season on those nice wooden sets. Hey, that would be nice. We could get a good price on a set that would last a while and if we move, they will move it! Two Sundays ago Austin and I left Daddy home with the triplets and we went to check it out. Ten minutes after we arrived Austin fell and got a goose egg on his forehead. And he's the oldest of the bunch. We ended up walking out to think some more about this. Since then, the debate has been which of the little sets we should purchase. You can still spend a pretty penny on these Little Tyke and Step2 sets, but I t Read more:Debate
I Get Yettuce (says 3 year old using chop sticks) 2007-03-24 03:19:00 Happy Birthdays go out to our favorite teen and pre-teen girls, Kaiti (13 today) and Cassie (10, 10 days ago). We went out with the girls and Frances and Steve (their mom and dad) to celebrate tonight. It was the first time that the babies had gone to a Japanese steak house and the first time Austin remembered going to one. They were all scared to death mesmerised.Every time we go to a restaurant, the staff is amazed that we need three high chairs and a booster. Tonight people probably thought we were a little crazy bringing that many little ones to a restaurant like this. And we got to hear the confusion in Japanese to boot! The kids did really well, except for when the chef lit the fire. They freaked a little the first time. Out of the whole bunch, Tyler was the only one that didn't have that natural fear. He was amazed!Austin had his first experience with chop sticks
. He was so cute. He even used them for his salad. "I get yettuce," he exclaimed to everyone. He was his usual sweet,
John is walking 2007-03-23 15:08:00 Yesterday was John's big day! It has been so interesting to me to observe the developmental paths of 3 kids the exact same age. John was baby A. He was always the biggest during the pregnancy and was the first to come home by 4 weeks. At 4 months they were all evaluated to determine if they met the qualifications of Georgia's early intervention program, Babies Can't Wait. He was the only one that didn't qualify. He was actually ahead of where he needed to be when you adjusted by his "due date". At 11 weeks early, he was doing great. It has been really hard for me not to compare their skill sets. So far it's been easy to see their personality differences and appreciate them as individuals. Since John didn't get physical therapy (PT) in the beginning, he slipped behind Lauren and Tyler. Having so many little ones at once puts individual time in jeopardy. And since most parents aren't trained in developmental issues, doing the right things to advance them is hit or miss. Being a 29
Throwback Thursday #3 2007-03-22 06:01:00 My little girl Lauren, aka princess of this domain, didn't think a nap was a good idea today. I had been looking at a photo album that my Grandma had put together for me when she asserted her princess "come hither" scream.Rather than risk her waking her brothers, I brought her down with me. She sat with me while I looked at some of my baby pictures from the late 1960s. She giggled every time I turned the page. She actually pointed and giggled! It was so cute. It will be interesting to see if she thinks my baby pictures are her as she gets older 'cause right now...she's lookin' like her mama.If it's not painfully obvious, the three diagonal pics are of me as an infant and toddler and the rest are my little Lauren over the last few months. Don't 'ya just love Dad's glasses and Mom's hair?Heredity is a very scary thing...............Join me in throwin' back to your baby pictures!Click on the CD to listen to the sweet giggle. She already thinks her mama is funny...or funny looki Read more:Throwback
, Thursday
Wipe Party! 2007-03-21 00:53:00 Excluding sick days, we have a great deal of fun in our full house. With this many little ones, you can't turn your head for a minute. That's why I usually post after 10pm and many times it's even later than that. I try to get the housework done before I do stuff for just me. But they've learned to be quiet. I was sitting at the table next to them when this happened! Read more:Party
Outings with Multiples 2007-03-19 07:05:00 The smell memory of rotavirus was still with us Saturday morning. We (well, the 2 of the 6 of us over age 3) took a vote and decided to get out of the house for the day. We chose an indoor venue due to the cold snap we're having. We have a couple of nephews getting ready to turn 12, so we figured a trip to the mall was a good choice. We don't make these decisions lightly these days. When you have multiples (especially triplets and more) you are an instant celebrity in public. We now know how celebrities feel with one exception; strangers don't know our name. Now, if you don't have multiples, you don't understand what a trip to the mall entails:There is a lot of stuff to load and unload and load and unload...you get the picture. The number of stops on a trip and the collective moods of everyone involved are carefully calculated before you even decide whether the trip is worth the effort. This particular day, I would have made a dozen stops (12 times loading and unloading) to get ou Read more:Multiples
Supper Time With Triplets 2007-03-18 06:10:00 Have you ever wondered what it's like at supper time with toddler triplets? Usually two out of the three mess with each other. This time it was John and Lauren. Read more:Triplets
, Supper
French Fry Girl 2007-03-17 17:58:00 Yeah! We are out of the house today. Everybody is feeling well so we decided to get some fresh air. This is Lauren munching on a Red Robin french fry. Read more:French
Daddy's Little Helpers 2007-03-17 02:34:00 Clif had to fix the sink in one of the bathrooms tonight. It happens to be the bathroom that Austin (our 3 year old) uses during they day. Apparently, he does more than potty when he goes in there! Daddy
had lots of help.
Throwback Thursday #2 2007-03-15 06:10:00 I'm not really sure what constitutes a sufficient amount of time for a "Throwback
", but it's my blog and I guess it's up to me. These particular memories are of 2003 and 2000.The events of this week got us thinking about Clif's dad. And my favorite picture if him is posted below. That makes my Throwback Thursday
topic "Fun Wedding Photos". I'd love to see some of your photos.This week has been crazy for us. Four sick kids (one spending a night in the hospital) has thrown us for a loop. It was ironic that on the day Austin came home from the hospital (3/13), it was the 4th anniversary of Clif's father's passing.Sitting and watching our little guy hooked up to IVs, I asked Clif if he remembered 3/13/03. Four years ago this week, we were sitting in hospice waiting for Leroy's suffering to end. He had a relatively short battle with pancreatic cancer. During his illness and chemotherapy, I went with my mother-in-law to a treatment. It happened to be the day before IVF #3 for us. Our
Status of Our Village 2007-03-14 04:35:00 The photo above was the scene last week. Everyone was wanting to be held or wanting to cry or needed to project something vial from an orifice. The saying "It takes a village" rings very true with multiples families. It takes a village to raise our brood for sure. Frances currently holds the title of chief member of our village. She's one of those friends that you call up and start to tell her what's going on and she asks what she can do and when can she do it! Thank God for friends like her. Who else would offer to come into the situation pictured above and be able to take over and Mom and Dad not worry while they are in the ER with one of the villagers? Thank you, thank you, thank you.Austin has turned the corner. He's still peaked,but he's on the mend. We've gone from about 12 pull ups per day to 2 or 3. Through all of this he is still going potty on the big boy potty. We are astonished that he hasn't regressed in that area.Thanks for all of your comments and emails. We really Read more:Status
, Village
Going Home! 2007-03-12 21:22:00 Austin and Elmo got to take a wagon ride to the car. We are on our way home! Read more:Going
Hospital visit for Austin 2007-03-12 01:11:00 Things went down hill fast this morning. Austin
is having to spend the night in the hospital getting fluids. He is sleeping and I'm passing time trying to type on this silly phone. He is asking for fries & a cheeseburger. That is a good sign! Read more:visit
Rotavirus? 2007-03-11 06:02:00 Oh, c.r.a.p. Yes, the pun is most certainly intended. It looks like all 4 of our kids have Rotavirus. Somebody call the Calgon truck! (...and the Lysol truck...and the carpet cleaner people!) Last Saturday night, about 1am, John started throwing up. The vomiting lasted through the night and then the diarrhea showed up. That lasted until Wednesday night with a final up-chuck to end his sickness. We were starting to wonder what was going on because the other 3 hadn't shown any signs of anything. Stomach bugs can be so very contagious. Could it be food poisoning? Or something else? I did comment to the nurse that the diapers really smelled. Typically, Austin brings home something from preschool and the triplets end up sick at the same time a few days after him. We have been hermits during cold and flu months last year and this year due to their preemie status. This time, it was different. The only place John had been alone was the doctor's office. Hmmm.Thursday morning confirmed that wh
5 minutes for mom interview 2007-03-10 16:25:00 The girls at 5 minutes
from mom continue to impress me! I registered my blog with them just before their Ultimate Blog Party (which was a huge success). They are completely swamped, both are in their first trimester of pregnancy, and they still got my interview
posted. Kudos to Susan and Janice. Click the graphic above to go to the link to the interview. It already seems a little out of date because I got so many comments from the blog party. I "met" some great women and found some really great new blogs to read. There is so much creativity out there. Now....finding the time.And it's official. I'm a true BooMama fan after her cable tv post that I read last night. Not to slight all of those other blogs, because there are a bunch of wonderful writers out there. But BooMama, you make me laugh!
Your Silly Little Baby Face 2007-03-10 05:03:00 Check out other Silly
Little Baby Faces at Crazy Hip Blog Mamas. This is one of their Photo Fridays. I can't resist posting photos. I was told tonight from my favorite 12-year old (soon to be 13) that I have over 5000 pictures on Kodak Gallery. How bored was she to count up the photos in my albums?
Rescuing Thomas the Train 2007-02-18 07:52:00 "I hope these pictures don't end up on the BLOG!", bellowed my dh as he was swatting at a balloon with a ceiling fan cleaner taped to a flexible tape-measure. How on earth could I resist it now? Just look at these pictures! I replied with, "Oh, yeah...It's going on the BLOG." This particular Thomas
balloon has been at the top of our 2-story ceiling since Austin's birthday (2/3). I say "this particular" because we have had countless balloons on the ceiling. In fact, he understands the balloon concept so well, he holds onto them for dear life now as we leave the store. He also puts his hand on his head if he has a ball cap on in the slighted wind because he fears it will "go up in sky Mommy?" [Everything is a question these days and they usually start or end with 'Mommy' or 'Daddy'.]Daddy [Clif] was too lazy tired bull-headed fatigued from his recent trade show to go to the basement to get the tall ladder. The pictures really tell the story. It must be added that Clif is not an en Read more:Train
Mobile message from the kitchen 2007-02-10 15:39:00 Little LoLo eating breakfast this morning. This mobile phone posting is awesome! I'm going to need a new cell phone camera. You can imagine the look on Clif's face right now as I'm talking as I type. But, hey, at least one of us in a house of 4 kids can multi-task! Read more:Mobile
I love technology! 2007-02-10 05:06:00 Ready for tricycle action! This is pretty cool. I'm testing the mobile blog. I sent this picture from my cell phone. Yes Clif (dear hubby), I'm a nerd.Today's funny quote of the day: Never have more children than you have car windows.Erma Bombeck. I guess this is why we drive a conversion van!
A Camping We Did Go 2007-03-29 05:49:00 How many hours at a camp site constitutes a "camping trip"? We didn't spend the night, but we went fishing, ate grilled steak and hot dogs, and got filthy, dirty. I'm calling it our official first camping trip. Our friends Frances and Steve and the girls are camping for the girls' spring break this week. My dear friend Frances convinced me that it was a good idea for me to load up all 4 kids (alone, because Daddy was working out of town today and tonight) and join them. It turns out that it was an excellent adventure.We left home after I picked up Austin from preschool (1:30pm) and didn't get back home until around 8pm. Everybody was wiped out! My cousin Kristin joined us with her son Evan. He and Austin caught a couple of brim. You would have thought they caught a prize winning bass.The triplets got their daily dose of camp ground dirt and dust and were like little pigs in mud. Read more:Camping
Video Baby Monitor 2007-03-30 05:29:00 After our oldest came home we purchased a video monitor that didn't have many frills, but the reception was great. It not only allowed us to keep an eye on him, we were able to learn about him. As first time parents, we were able to keep our distance a little better. I don't think first time parents always realize that babies need some space to learn to comfort themselves. Video monitors give you a little peace of mind and a visual to go by. Sounds over monitors can be very deceiving.Fast forward 20 months and we started bringing home triplets. Our no frills camera wouldn't get all of the cribs and it had no pan feature. This crazy, hormoned, stressed out, NICU mom ordered a new system with 3, count 'em 3, cameras that hooked to one handheld monitor. It was a little comfort for a mom and dad that still dreamed of NICU monitor sounds. The babies were in our room for several months, but we I needed to be prepared.Great idea! Two monitors could go in the babies' room and one in big b Read more:Monitor
ITunes on Mommy's 'Puter and the Masters on TV 2007-04-01 04:06:00 Several times per week Austin pleads with me to "watch Einsteins on Mommy
's 'puter?"For $1.99 each you can purchase movies and tv programs that toddlers l.o.v.e. on ITunes. I have purchased 4 or 5 of Austin's favorites and he's now sharing them with John, Lauren, and Tyler. I also have an old, old episode of The Three Little Pigs. This is what they were watching in the photo.This gave me enough time to get the kitchen cleaned up before I had several little ones trying to get into the dishwasher! Have you ever tried to clean up after 4 toddlers after a meal when they are trying to crawl through it? We're gonna have to do this more often!*******Azaleas blooming in my back yard mean one thing. The Masters
Tournament is just around the corner. This is one weekend of the year when Clif wants to spend as much of Saturday and Sunday as he can in front of the HDTV. It is a gorgeous television broadcast in hi-def. Clif and I are fortunate to know someone with tickets, so we have both been
Dyson Vaccum Contest 2007-03-31 01:28:00 The girls over at 5 minutes for mom are giving away a Dyson
Slim vacuum. You don't have to have a blog to enter. Check out the details here. This would suck up the massive amounts of pollen drifting into my house every time the doors open! Read more:Contest
Austin's Top 10 God Blesses 2007-04-02 08:10:00 My little enthusiastic prayer child, Austin
, is learning to say God bless ....(fill in the blank) after his night time prayer. Mommy and Daddy have been encouraging that he remember his siblings, grandparents, and other members of the family and friends. Each night we mix it up a little so that he can figure out on his own who needs to be blessed.It didn't take long for him to take over control of who he blesses because, well, he's 3. He is in the "me do it" phase of his pre-school years. Tonight I have Austin's first top 10 God Blesses. God Bless Bailey (my parents' dog)God Bless Nana (my mom)Bod Bless bananas (maybe the rhyming thing?)God Bless Granddad (my dad)God Bless MommyGod Bless Mommy (I guess I needed it twice)God Bless DaddyGod Bless John, Lauren, and Tyler (once a group, always a group)God Bless Grandma (Clif's mom)God Bless Tommy (our next door neighbor; Austin is his biggest fan)
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