The things people say!

So, in the past 2.5 years Josh and I have gotten a lot of comments from people and tons of questions. In most cases they don't bother us much. There is always a part of us that plans for quick trips to the store to take much longer than expected because people will stop us. It has gotten better, but we occassionally still have some people stop us. Here are some of the things people ask/say to us just because we have triplets.

THE LEAST OFFENSIVE
*"Are those two twins" (usually referring to the boys)? or "Oh twins!"

*"Triplets! Oh my goodness!" and other such versions of this expression.

*"Did you do fertility?" Josh and I have had a VERY open answer to this all along. We're not afraid to talk about the problems we endured. We wish that when we were going through it that someone would have been able to say, "hey, I've been there". No matter what our friends and family said to us, it only helped so much because they truly didn't know what was going on. So, we tell them that I have POS and that we had a little bit of help.

*"Did you do invitro?" Nope, honestly people think that we either had no help or invitro. There is A LOT inbetween.

THE FUNNY
*"Are they natural?" This used to be a very hard question for me to answer (because of above reasons). Lately, I've found that my quick and simple answer seems to turn people away rather quickly. I say, "Yes, we had sex!" :) Men find it halarious, their wives...not so much!

*"How close are they in age?" My simple answer..."about a minute". They always do a double take, like oh, okay....hey wait a minute.....

THE ONES THAT MAKE MY DAY
*Any comments about how well behaved or beautiful or happy my children are thrills me!

*"God Bless You" I always thank them and reassure that we are truly blessed!

THE SLIGHTLY ANNOYING
*"How do you do it?" I do it just like any other mom out there. Whether you have one or three or more, you just do it. We've always changed three diapers, made three bottles, rocked three babies to sleep, loaded three into the car, etc.

*"Is it hard?" I don't think so. I mean, sure, there are days that are difficult, but don't all parents have those days? Just because I have 3 the same age doesn't mean that my life is so much harder.

*"You must have your hands full." I sure do! My hands are full of three great kids to hug and kiss and hold. I'm just blessed enough to have enough babies to completley fill my arms!

THE RUDE - the following comments will get you nowhere...quickly!

* "Triplets!?!?! I feel sorry for you!" - Do NOT feel sorry for me! I don't and have never felt sorry for myself! I consider my children a blessing. I went through a lot to get them and it's all 100% worth it. (Side note: To the man who said this to me exactly a year ago as he was walking along with his 4 children. I feel sorry for your children that they have to experience their father saying to another person that he feels sorry for them having several children. Children are a blessing and a treasure from above! Under no circumstances would I ever feel bad for having my beautiful children. And honestly, if I couldn't handle it, I wouldn't have been pushing them around in a stroller at the Lenawee County Fair!)

* The following is a converstation that I had with a man at McDonalds. Previous to this conversation, I had apologized for Aiden running in front of him as he was carrying his tray. I explained that he was only 2 and wasn't completely aware of his surroundings and getting in other peoples space. He said it was no problem, that he had several grandchildren and understood. So, off to our seats and we happened to sit at nearby booths...

man - "Do they all have the same birthday?"

me - "yes"

man - "Well, how'd that happen?"

me - "they're triplets."

man - "well I know that buy how'd it happen?"

me - "we had some help"

man - "Well, I just wanted to thank you for having white babies!....."

me - nothing....I turned my back and tuned him out! I thought it was completely rude and honestly, I was so thrown off by the comment that I didn't/couldn't respond.

How can someone thank another person for having WHITE babies????? I told Josh about it later and he said it would have been funny if I would have walked up to any man of non-white color and said, "Hi honey." :)

I'm sure there are always going to be the people who stop, stare, and ask questions of make comments. It makes life interesting for us. Besides, when you are carting around three children who are the same size in a triplet jogger stroller or a choo choo wagon with 3-4 seats, you are bound to attract attention. It's just a part of our lives.

Toddler Group at the LISD

This week we took some pictures of the things the kids do at toddler playgroup. I wanted it for their scrap books (once i get around to actually getting them done) but I thought I'd share a few with you.

We first go to motor time where we jump on a trampoline, we swing in a hammock type swing, roll down the little mat, practice climbing stairs, throw bean bags into a hoop, kick balls, climb the ladder and slide down, and if there are enough ISD people there the kids get pulled individually to make a project of some kind. This time we fingure painted, glued, and used scissors for the first time ever! How fun!!!

Then we go to circle time and sing songs that practice certain skills such as colors, counting, and basic directions, as well as staying in our seats and waiting our turn. Speech is a BIG thing during this time. Everyone has to use their words. Fits just aren't accepted! Then we have snack where (again) speech is really worked on. Then the kids get some free play time. There are lots of adults both staff and family members so usually each child gets some one-on-one time to work on their specific goals.

The play group has been small, but thats okay because our kids are getting lots of individual time. Also, you may notice that Maddie isn't in the pictures much (if at all). This is because she has been moved to a new speech group that is during the same time as toddler group. She still gets some toddler group, but not as much as the boys.

The Zoo...again....but different...

**Updated July 29th at 9:20am - Pictures now included.**

So I took the kids to the Toledo zoo again, but this time it was different. We met my friend Tracey there along with her mom and kids, Annabelle and Madelynn (Yes, our Madelynn's are spelled the same. We had the name picked out before I figured that one out.). Now, I know many of you are probably thinking, "Gees, she's posting about the zoo...again. This is getting boring!" But we did new things this time.

We went into the bird house. Honestly, the only time we've ever done this is when we get caught in the rain and it's the nearest building. There is so much fun stuff in there. The exhibits are great and many of them have birds that come right up to the glass. There is even a play area in there, as well as eggs that the kids can climb in (and mommy's can take pictures of). The trio also enjoyed playing a piano of bird sounds. Each key plays a different bird call. It was really neat.

We also ventured into the new children's neighborhood. We've done this before but only one side of it. We went into the building where the kids could see bird and other small animals, see a real active bee hive and of course play in a make-believe bee hive, and they could climb a life size spider web. Also, they climbed in trees and sat on large mushrooms. Then we went back outside where they played at the beach and then got to take a walk in the stream and collect rocks and logs and such. We also played on the slide again and helped to comb the goats.

Overall we had a TON of fun. All 5 of the kids were great! All 3 adults stayed (mostly) stress free. :) It was a blast.

Allergist Appointments

On Monday we took the kids to see an allergist. The kids did super! The nurses numbered each child's back and ten poked them with a little plastic stick dipped in the liquid form of each allergy they tested. Maddie was first and she didn't cry at all. Malachi was next and was kinda funny to watch. When the nurse poked some areas he laughed...a big belly laugh! Then other spots he yelled, "NO, NO, NO". That part wasn't so fun to watch. He didn't cry though. Aiden wimpered a little bit, but he also got the most. I was able to talk with him and since he likes to count, we counted the pokes he had left. No major crying so that was great. Then all three had to sit for 15 minutes without touching their backs. It went well considering the nurse forgot to set the timer so they went WAY longer than 15 minutes.


Malachi was seen because of recurring bronchiolitis (not sure if that's spelled right or not). He was tested for 33 different things, including cats and grasses. He tested NEGATIVE on everything...good news!





















Madelynn was seen because of recurring bronchiolitis and the skin rashes she gets. She has been previously seen by a dermatologist for the rash and they said she has a fatty acid defiency. They put her on a supplement, but Maddie hated taking it and we didn't see any results, so we stopped it. She was tested for 35 things. Everything that Malachi was tested for plus a couple of things that may cause her skin rash. She tested NEGATIVE on everything...more good news.





















Aiden was seen because of recurring bronchiolitis and awhile back he had a reaction which gave him hives from head to toe. We thought maybe it was a peanut or red dye allergy. He was tested for 41 different things, including all the things the other two got, as well as all the different types of nuts. He tested NEGATIVE to everything...great news! I honetly thought that the nut tests would react, but I guess not. I'm thrilled that we do not have a nut allergy!!! It would have caused us a lot more changes in our lives so that was good news.




















During the time we waited we played with blocks, read books, and they even got their first sucker! Can you believe, they went almost three years with no sucker! I think we'll save those for special times.

We clearly impressed all the staff there with how well our kids behaved and that they didn't cry at all during the procedure. I guess it never happens. We also got lots of compliments for our parenting (which is always nice to hear) because we were on the floor playing with them and reading books to them. It honestly hadn't crossed my mind to do anything else but play with them and entertain them while we waited. We always play with them. I guess another child patient was there while we were and both parents went into the room with the child, leaving two other children (ages 3 and 4) wondering the waiting room by themselves. The children were apparently very naughty, disrepectful, and destructive. The staff had to go and get the parents and tell them to watch their children. WOW! I can't imagine doing that. For us, it's just a way of life. They go everywhere with us. We entertain them to the best of our ability. Sure, it's nice to have a break once and awhile, but I'd never leave my children unattended in a place where strangers can have full access to them. I'm still shocked. Anyways, we made a good impression at the office and they simply loved the kids...everyone always does!!! We'll go back again in October for a re-evaluation.

Oh, and I forgot to say that the doctor decided to put all three kids on an allergy med once a day. It seems as though he's leaning toward seasonal allergies, which is no suprise to us.

Happy Birthday Bryan and Larry

Okay, as I promised, here are some of the pictures of the birthday party on Saturday for Bryan (the triplets' god father) and Great Uncle Larry. Happy birthday to you both. We enjoyed seeing you again and wish it could happen a lot more often.

Our attempt to get a group shot of Bryan and the triplets.

I can't seem to get the captions to line up with the pictures but they all go in order so you should be able to figure it out. :(

Daddy and the kids playing.

Daddy twirling all three at the same time.

More rough housing with daddy.

Daddy and Malachi.

Cousin Corey visiting from the Washington DC area. We miss you Corey!

Corey and Bryan playing with the trio. This picture brought tears to my eyes. I wish we could see it more often.

Malachi all dressed up for the occassion.

Aiden dress up and enjoying it!

Madelynn...always posing for the camera. This was one of about 10 super cute ones of her from that day.

Playdate in the Park

Time flies when you are having fun! The weekend has been filled with fun and lots of activities to keep us busy. I think it's safe to say that we have lived in the mama-mobile for the last 4 days. For those of you who don't know, the mama-mobile is my Ford Expedition. It seats 8 people including the driver and I've yet to find something that I can't haul in it. From the triple stroller to the choo choo wagon to a whole bunch of kids...it all fits! Now, on to the fun...

On Friday we attempted to have a playdate with a friend of mine and her two kids. It was at a park that we'd never been to before and I had heard good things. It had rained overnight and so the ground was a little wet, but we decided to go anyways. We got there and were disappointed that our friends didn't show. I could have gone home, but we stayed and had fun anyways. The kids had a blast and the great part for me was that it was fenced in on 3 sides so I only had to watch one side and the kids could run free. I think we'll be going back again soon!

There were some other kids that showed up, but quite frankly...they were mean! The other moms sat their talking and reading their books and didn't interact with their kids at all. I didn't know that's how playdates worked, as this was supposed to be our first and we were all alone. Anyways, Aiden and Madelynn ventured out and made "friends" quickly (and I use the term "friends" loosely). Malachi wandered by himself for a very long time. It was sad to watch. Then, to my suprise, he approached another little boy. Malachi's vocabulary isn't huge so he was attempting to play with the other little boy who was probably a year older than him. The little boy put his hands up in Malachi's face and screamed, "No, get away! I don't want to play with you!" Malachi attempted again and the boy got even closer to his face. I stepped in to get Malachi away and interest him in something else, but I was so sad. The remainder of the time we were there, he played by himself. I seriously wanted to cry...and I have to be honest...I only held it until we got in the car. My little boy who seems to not fit it, was really trying...and only to be treated so poorly. The boy's mom did nothing.

Later on that same boy's sister was yelling at Aiden. Aiden wanted to go home so I told him to go tell Maddie we were going home and she needed to come down off the play gym. He went up there and then came back. I sent him up again and this time I listened to the conversation. The girl was yelling at him, "Get away from my friend. You can't talk to her!" By this point I was ticked. I tried to be an adult, but I looked at her and said, "That's his sister and he can talk to her whenever he wants to!" Then I told Maddie we were leaving. Again, the mom did nothing.

After we went to McDonalds and met daddy for lunch. It was fun except for the ignorant man who made rude comments. More on that one later. He really deserves a post of his own!

On Saturday, we went to Aunt Helen and Uncle Larry's house for a suprise birthday party for Bryan and Larry. It was tons of fun. It can be summed up with pictures...I'll post those tomorrow when my internet connection is a bit better. More to come on the rest of the weekend.

Malachi James

I did a post on Madelynn quite awhile ago and so much happened that I never gave the boys their own posts, so here is Malachi's turn.

Malachi James is our first born and the first that I held. He looks a lot like me when I was younger, and he looks a lot different than his brother and sister. Malachi got his first name from me. I heard it in one of my favorite movies 'Save the Last Dance'. His middle name (James) came from his daddy, Joshua James.

He's a lover and cuddler. While he doesn't always know and acknowledge personal space (both his and that of others), he cares about his siblings and always asks, "okay?, okay?" when someone gets hurt or upset. He also tells them, "It's okay".

He loves animals, especially cats. Lately he's been acting like a kitty. He crawls all over and meows. He scratches his ears and likes it when you pet him like you would a cat. He has attempted to eat like a cat too, but thankfully it didn't last too long.

Recently, he's also been exploring with his eyes shut. He closes them and walks through the house...he's pretty good at it. He is certainly at the stage of 'if I close my eyes, you can't see me'.

Malachi is care free and generally happy in life. Oddly enough, he's the one I worry about the most. There is just something about him that makes me want to protect him...like he can't take care of himself. Maybe it's because he is my first born and the first I held. Maybe we just have a special connection. All that I know is he means the world to me and melts my heart each and every time he smiles at me. He even started calling me 'mommy' a few weeks ago and I cried every time I heard it or thought about it for the first two days!

As for an update with his ISD services, he's doing very well. He's talking more and is making more eye contact with us. Most importantly, he seems to be interacting with Aiden and Madelynn more often. That's always been a huge concern for me because he was a bit of a third wheel in the group. He's been playing with the other two a lot lately and since I'm hope with them right now, I get to see every moment of it! :)

Malachi is a special kid and will always hold a very special place in my heart...my first born child, my son, and one of the loves of my life.

Salsa Anyone???

On our way home from Muskegon, we stopped for lunch at Applebee's. It was WAY past lunch time so we order some chips and salsa for an appetizer to help keep the kids happy. All three of our kids love chips and salsa. We didn't realize that it was something that wasn't 'normal'. At the table next to us was a mom, dad, and little one probably a year or so older than ours. The dad got our attention and asked, "How do you get all of your kids to eat salsa...especially at the same time?" Josh and I were stumped at how to answer that. They just do...we eat it at home all the time. It's not a big deal.

After that family left the resteraunt, Madelynn decided that she wanted to drink the salsa. Luckily we had the camera there to get a shot of it. She drank quite a bit of it before her food arrived. I kinda wish the other family could have seen her drinking...the dad would have really been speechless then! :)

More Swimming Pictures

First Time Swimming in a Big Pool

Okay, so I'm way behind on posting with all the happenings in our family this past week so bare with me as I play catch up.

On Saturday we drove to Muskegon again for a family reunion. The kids did great and slept a good chunk of the time. We had a blast while there, but I have to say that the highlight of the trip was taking the kids swimming in Shelly's pool. This was the first time the kids had been in a swimming pool, besides their kiddie pool. They were hesitant at first, but the really enjoyed it...and mommy and daddy too. I just wish we could take the kids swimming more often. Maddie surprised us that she could actually swim. She has been laying in the tub and kiddie pool and kicking her legs and paddling with her arms, but we never expected it in the big pool. I think she swam the width of the pool 6 or 8 times before she became too tired to do it anymore. We'd get to one side and she'd push off to go again. At first I put my hand under her belly, but after a few times I didn't even need to do that. This was certainly motivation to get them in swim lessons...we kinda fell of the wagon in getting the scheduled...oops....:)

We stayed the night with Kris and Dan..thanks for letting us stay. The kids enjoyed running the length of your porch and of course playing with Elliott and Precious...and their toys. :) Can't wait to see everyone again!

Fun with a Diaper Box: The Answers

Okay, here are the long awaited answers.

Box #1 is Aiden.

Box #2 is Madelynn.

Malachi didn't participate when we were playing. He had played the game earlier with Daddy and it wasn't fun anymore when Mommy got out the camera.

Thanks for playing....Corey! Maybe next time I'll get more participants...I hope!!!

The Big Announcement

And now... the big announcement. Malachi, Madelynn, and Aiden are sleeping in big kid beds now! No more cribs and crib tents!!!

The kids and I were at Toys R Us on Saturday while Josh was getting fitted for his tux for Bryan's wedding. The two stores were in the same complex and we thought the kids would enjoy the toys more. I was looking at summer/water toys and Aiden says to me, "car" and points to a higher display of toddler beds. There was one of Lightning McQueen that he seemed to like. Anyways, we talked to the kids about having big beds and no more cribs. They seemed on board with it so when we got home we made all three cribs into toddler beds. The loved them instantly.

Now, we thouht we'd be in for a few rough nights, but...THEY ARE ALL STAYING AND SLEEPING IN THEIR BEDS!!! Can you believe it? How lucky are we???? They are still sleeping the same amount too. We just remind them to stay in their beds when we tuck them in and they do it. When they wake up, they all have been climbing into Aiden's bed and reading books together. It's so cute. I'm very proud of my big kids and how well they're doing sleeping in their toddler beds.