First Family Vacation to the Beach - Part Two

So I left off from Part One...we made it to the beach bright and early by 9am! When the girls wake up so early, it's easy to be out and about early and I wanted to start a new day as the sun was shinning and the water was warm!

Oh and I must add, each morning Madelynn went with her Daddy to get coffee! She enjoyed her time and made sure she was the first one up so she could go with him!

Here they are enjoying some one-on-one early morning time after getting coffee!

This is how we found "the nanny" in the morning, which started the whole "that nanny is worthless, who hired this nanny?":

Claire enjoying some ESPN with Daddy while Mommy gets everything ready!

And finally were ready to go!

My beautiful girls!

Miss Claire

Miss Madelynn

And of course, Miss Natalee

And one more of sweet, smiling Madelynn

I was setting up the beach tent for the girls, while Tim went to get everything else from the car and well, it was super easy to set up and NOT so easy to put away! It took us four days to figure out how to put it back together! I did love the little flag that went on top!

Each day, we did the same....relaxed, went into the water, ate, napped and played...

That "nanny" finally doing something...

Claire, telling "the nanny" what she wants for Christmas...it was a very serious conversation...

Natalee, enjoying herself to the fullest...my beach babe!

Claire

And then I took each little miss to the water for the first time to put their piggy-toes in the ocean! So exciting!

Madelynn was first....

First time in the ocean!

And then Miss Natalee's turn...

And of course then Miss Claire...

Of course she has her tongue out and one of her feet buried in the sand...

We did some more relaxing and enjoying the beach...

Best beach chair ever for a little one...Claire sat in her bumbo chair for hours!

Natalee hanging with her Daddy, her favorite place to be! In the background you can see all the hurricane mess that was brought in from the rough surf, but it was cleaned up the next day!

And always enjoyed some time at the pool in the afternoon...which was by far the girls absolute favorite time as they splashed from the moment we got in the freezing cold water.

I think my sister and I are looking more and more alike the older we get, execpt she has the body I used to have!

Tim refused to get in the water, as he prefers bath water in the pool before he'll get in!

Chill-axin in my water-melon bathing-suit and my floaty! Ya know, just another hard day!

And in the evening, Nathan (Tim's best friend/the girl's godfather/my sister's boyfriend) arrived and we went to a great beach BBQ place, which was super yummy! We just hung out and enjoyed catching up and talking on the balcony.

More beach photos of day 3...coming soon!

Madelynn's First Trip to the ER!

On Saturday Madelynn woke up very fussy. Flailing her arms and a little warm, I took her temp and it was 101.1, a little high to "just be teething". So, I gave her some Tylenol and she seemed much better.  She ate, drank her bottles, played, slept, but just didn't look right in her eyes. My wonderful MIL was down for the day, as each and every Saturday, GOD BLESS HER, and she agreed with me that Madelynn just wasn't looking right.

By the evening, her temp was 101.4, gave her more Tylenol and she went to bed.

When she woke up at 12:30am, she was BURNING UP! I mean, to be honest, I have never felt anyone, let alone an 8 month old, feel so incredibly hot! It scared the crap out of me and I screamed at Tim to wake up as I dialed the number to the on-call Pediatrician. While waiting on the phone, I took her temp with the temporal artery thermometer, and it said 107.7, the second time, 106.8, the third time 106.5...I thought for sure it couldn't be that high, and expected the doctor to say to call the ambulance. While waiting for our doctor to call, luckily our favorite doctor was on-call, she is absolutely wonderful and one of the sweetest, most knowledgeable people I know, I quickly got dressed, threw everything we needed in the diaper bag, grabbed some pedi-light, which I keep on-hand, called my mom (thank goodness she lives across the street), and we jumped in the car. She said to take Madelynn immediately to the hospital, which of course we knew and were ready.  I didn't even have time to take her temp rectally; I just gave her a does of Tylenol and off we went.  Luckily one of the closest ER's is only about 15-20 minutes away, and we flew there to find not one person in the waiting room, amen! During the ride there, Madelynn didn't fuss, in fact, she was babbling and talking the whole way while playing with her toys and her lovey. I was not as calm, I was so scared and so nervous, I though I would have a panic attack!

We only waited maybe 5 minutes before being brought back and Madelynn was still very rosy-cheeked and hot but smiling. The ER was like a ghost town for a Saturday night. The nurse took her temp, which was still at 103. She gave her some Motrin and asked if there were any symptoms, and I said no. Madelynn was fine expect for this super high fever and a little fussy. No runny rose, no vomiting, no coughing, no nothing. Since it was so quiet, so many other nurses came by to see her and say hello and Madelynn was as happy as ever to meet new faces and make some new friends...and of course when they found out she was a triplet, she was the star of ER! And then came the 100 questions and the "oh my gosh are you crazy for having another one!?"

I expected them to give her an IV and draw blood, but no, thank goodness. She drank the bottle of pedi-light that I had packed and then some of her formula, so I was happy she was feeling well enough to eat. She was crawling around and smiling on the bed and just wanting to play. They did say they would have to do a catheter, which broke my heart. It's so incredibly painful and I hated watching Natalee have one when she was rushed to the ER before her surgery. Madelynn did great though, she screamed of course, but it was only about a minute or maybe two. I was more upset than she was, I think. There is nothing more painful and heart-renching than watching your baby in pain, especially when they can't understand what's going on. It makes me sick to my stomach. I hate it, but I knew it was for her good, and thank goodness we did.

Within about 15 minutes the sweet ER doctor came back in and said she had a "rip-roaring bladder infection"...ah, I felt so bad but so glad we knew what was wrong with my poor little girl. And if there could be a good part to this infection, it was that it's not contagious! Amen! I was all ready to quarantine the house for the next few days and wash every toy and blanket in sight if she had something that she could give her sissy's or I.

The doctor explained to us that it could be just a one-time thing as it isn't that uncommon in baby girls and she could have just gotten some bacteria in "there" but it could also be reflux of the ureter. To read more about, click the link. I have done extensive research on it, but it only affects about 1% of children. So we were given the first dose of anti-biotic and given a prescription to fill the next day and we were out of there by around 3:00am. Not too bad!

On Sunday, she still had a fever and was very fussy. Almost to the point where I wanted to take her back to the ER. The doctor said that I probably wouldn't see any improvement in her until Monday, after 24 hours on the antibiotic. She was just so fussy and refused to eat anything expect sweet potatoes and applesauce, so I just kept giving that to her throughout the day. She would not drink any bottles and didn't have one for over 16 hours. No formula, no water and no pedi-light! I was worried but finally around 10:30pm Sunday night she drank a whole 8 ounces of formula and then early Monday morning around 4am, she drank another 8 ounces.

Monday I took her into the pediatrician, and I was explained the whole reflux of the ureter and given a referral for Children's Hospital to have Madelynn tested for it. In a nut shell, it's where the ureter enters the bladder higher up, rather than low, and so when the bladder is trying to empty itself, it can't and urine flows back into the ureter and could possibly go all the way to the kidneys. With the test, they basically they insert the catheter, and put some dye into the bladder and see if the dye goes into the ureter. There are different "stages" of issues, stage 1-5, with stage 5 making it all the way back to the kidneys. Surgery can fix the issue but most kids grow out of the condition. However, if Madelynn is positive, even at a stage 1, all her sisters will be tested too! Sad Momma! But I rather know so we know, but the likelihood of her having it is still rare.

I asked a million and one questions, like, wouldn't she had gotten an infection prior to being almost 9 months and the answer was no, some kids have it for years and no one picks up on it until one day the child is given a urine test and it comes back positive. If she does have it, she will go on a low-dose anti-biotic and will hopefully outgrow the issue.

So we will see. Her appointment is coming up, so hopefully we will find out right then and there and won't have to wait for test results.

I will be praying she doesn't have anything wrong with her. My poor little girl! I am not looking forward to the test and I know it will be traumatic day, but thank goodness she won't remember it!

As of now, she is feeling much better and is back to her normal, goofy, silly and very determined self! Thank goodness!

Frist Family Vacation to the Beach-Part ONE!

Last week, we ventured to Virginia Beach for our very first family vacation as a family of 5 (1/2). It was far enough to be a much nicer beach than Ocean City, MD but close enough that it would only take a few hours to get there! My sister came (as "the nanny")...we kept calling her "the nanny" the whole time and she would respond each time by saying, "I'm NOT the nanny, I'm the AUNT!" It became this running joke with everything! It was so funny!

The girls did SO good in the car and never made any peeps! I couldn't believe it! I almost didn't want to stop after 3.5 hours because I was afraid of taking them out and then it not going so well after going back in their seats, but they did great. We stopped at a rest area and put a big beach towel out and let them play and drink their bottles, and they were so happy and went right back in their seats and made it the rest of the way! I was speechless and so proud of my little girls!

When we arrived at the beach, everything that could have gone wrong with our hotel, did! I was so pissed off at the hotel and made it clear to them that I would never be returning. As a reservation under a Starwood owner (my parent's), I expected a little more accommodations but was completely wrong. Here's what happened:

We made our reservation about 6 weeks in advance through Starwood and requested a king size bed, floor/ground level/pool side room. This was because the rooms opened up to right next to one of the pools and we wouldn't have to (1) use the elevators with our huge stroller and (2) when the girls were napping we could still sit at the pool with still being right there with the girls and the monitor. Also, I requested two cribs. Having triplets and traveling would be hard enough and so I tried to make everything as easy as it could possibly be!

I called NUMEROUS times, almost weekly to ask a question or something and would always confirm our floor/ground level/pool side room with two cribs and a king size bed! I changed our reservation ONCE to two cribs and a roll-away (when we decided to bring "the nanny" with us, about two weeks prior and was told it was no problem!

I called Monday afternoon (we were set to arrive Wednesday AM) to make sure everything was ok with the hotel since hurricane Irene had just slammed the hotel and beach and was told everything was just fine and I of course confirmed our floor/ground level/pool side room with a king bed, two cribs and a roll-away! I was told that time and every single time I called, "yes, ma'ma, everything is confirmed and correct, we look forward to your stay."

So, when we were about an hour away (around 11:30am) I called to say we would be arriving soon and was there an option for early check-in, and was told that it could be a possibility but they would know better when we arrived, which was totally fine as I had packed a "day bag" with everything we needed for the beach/pool for the afternoon. It really wasn't a big deal if we couldn't get into our room until 4pm, as I was ready to enjoy some sun!

When we arrived, Tim and I walked in the lobby to check-in, so we could get a parking pass to park there at the hotel while we went to the beach. As the lady was writing the pass, I said, "ok, so about 4pm our room should be ready, we have a floor/ground level/pool side room." She said, "ok, let me check," and then proceeded to tell me that, nope we we're in "a 3rd floor room with two double beds, and a partial view!!!" ENTER BIG MOMMA FLIP OUT AND EXTREMELY EMBARRASSED HUSBAND!  I started explaining to her calmly after taking a deep breath that I never even reserved double beds and I called numerous times for a ground level room/pool side room with a king size bed! She said that all of the ground floor/pool side rooms were still drying after being soaked from the hurricane. I GOT EVEN MORE MAD! I told her that I called on Monday afternoon to confirm my POOL SIDE room and NO ONE, yes NO ONE said or warned me that they might still be wet by Wednesday, nor that THEY WERE WET AT ALL. (Now, side note---if I had been aware of this issue I would have been prepared for the inconvenience and would have reacted totally different!!!) She then said that they could "hopefully" move us to a pool side room on Friday morning...I shook my head in disbelief as I told her that I have infant triplets and would not be moving rooms since we had so much stuff! This conversation of me explaining that my parent's were Starwood owners and this is not acceptable for a Starwood hotel, that I had tried to make everything convenient as it is hard to travel with three infants and so on...and the lady saying nothing more than "I'm sorry" one time and then just starring at me like I was nuts! She could have cared less and that made me more mad. I was fuming and I may contribute that to pregnancy but I was seriously so mad! Oh and then I said, "well, do you even have a confirmation of my two cribs and a roll-away," and THEN she said, "oh, well we don't have any rooms that will fit two cribs and a roll-away!" SAY WHAT!?!? Then why the heck did you let me request that!?!?!?! And why the heck did you let me confirm that numerous times over the last two weeks?!?! Oh, I was ready to just start laughing at this point! Tim was totally begging me to stop, but I was so angry I knew I needed to leave right away and just turned around and walked away!

I walked out of there dialing my dad's cell and explaining everything to him. He was pretty mad too! I could feel my blood pressure rising and knew I needed to get some food asap, so we walked to a close by restaurant and ate lunch while I collected myself. I was just so angry and upset that I had worked so hard to make everything go smoothly with 3 infants and yet nothing was working out! My dad called the hotel and nothing was resolved. So by the time we went back, I just stated again, how upset I was, and the lady barely even acknowledged me! We got our room on the 3rd floor with two double beds with a parking lot/partial view and that was that. Then they brought me a crib and a roll-away when I stated that I would just take the 2 cribs since we had double beds now, but of course no one listened.

The room was small and as nice as it could be, I guess. The bathroom was tiny! Very tiny. The air condition leaked on the balcony, so you couldn't even walk out on the balcony without shoes one. The balcony was right over the air condition until for the entire hotel, so you couldn't put your towels on the railing because they would blow right off and land in the puddles of water from the air condoning unit in the room..yeah, Starwood quality right there! Not to mention, the railing was very flimsy and could not be trusted.

Within the hotel, the breakfast buffet, for $13 dollars a person was HORRIBLE! I have never seen such crap in my life and have seen continental breakfasts at Holiday Inn's that were MUCH nicer and had better food! I waited over 20 minutes from my omelet, of simply eggs and mushrooms! Unacceptable! One of the hot tubs in the indoor pool was empty and not working, not to mention the water was about 55 degrees and therefore freezing! For an indoor pool, that is also unacceptable! The water in both outdoor pools was also freezing, but I understood why since they had just received about 12 inches of rain. The zero entrance at one of the pools was nice, but some days it was filthy and no one seemed to notice it to clean it. The main lobby bathroom was VERY small, along with the beach floor bathroom and totally not conducive for changing if you wanted to go to the beach, and we reorted to changing in our car the first day, since our room wasn't ready.

One of the pools where you can clearly see how people were in the pool side rooms, taken on Thursday.

The bike path right in front of the hotel was like a freeway! Don't think a pregnant woman with a quad stroller would stop anyone! Man, it was like crossing the highway each time, especially Friday and Saturday!

There is a crane that was over the pool the whole time since the hotel next door is being built. This didn't really bother me as we spent most of our time at the beach but still it was annoying to hear the dump trucks and such all freakin' day long!

I had read on my favorite travel website, Trip Advisor, that the two elevators were very slow, and they didn't let down! We had to wait 15-20 minutes some days to go down in the elevator! It was horrible and super hard to keep the girls entertained in the stroller while just waiting in the halls. Oh and speaking of the halls--they reaked of cat/dog pee! It was foul! For a "pet friendly hotel" I found that disgusting and each time getting on and off the elevator it hit you like a ton of bricks!

The pros to the hotel: The beach is right there, barely a few steps which was very nice! There were always plenty of towels for guests to use at the beach/pool. The lady who cleaned our room each day was so nice! I loved her. She asked us everyday if we needed more of something since we had the babies and came in and said hi to the babies each day and said how beautiful they were. I tried to be in the room when she came so that I could disgaurd of all our diapers and baby food containers/bottle liners, so she woulnd't have to do all the extra work. I just felt bad because our room was like a maze with how much stuff was in there! The beds were also very comfy!

There were a few more things, but I left that to Trip Advisor's review!

So after this whole mess, I decided it was time to start enjoying our vacation and not let these idiots get to me anymore!

Madelynn pooped from the long day, she couldn't even sty away during her dinner!

We walked the boardwalk that evening because it was a little cold and windy for the beach and took some family photos! We were the highlight of the boardwalk and were actually filmed in a VA Beach Hyundai commercial! Stay tuned for it's release and I'll for sure post it! The film crew just thought the girls were so cute and how crazy is this: one of the camera men's neices, cheered with my sister in high school and lives in our town! Small world!

Sleepy girls!

We got carry out from a pizza place called Dough Boys, because ya know, I can't get enough pizza these days and it was pretty good. My sister and I shared a salad which was huge. It was just getting too late to keep the girls out any longer and Big Brother came on and I didn't want to miss it! LOL!

We all slept so good that night and couldn't wait to hit the beach early the next morning, and we sure did, as we were on the beach relaxing by 9am! Whahoo for Momma's great organization!

Stay tuned for Part 2!

God Bless America!

Ten years ago I had something taken from me. It wasn't nearly as bad as some, but living in the DC area (30 miles outside of DC), at 16 years old, my world changed.

My sense of security was taken.

And life was never the same.

Between 9/11, anthrax mail, the sniper attacks; everyday life was changed whether I was ready or not.

The other day I had a conversation with my sister-in-law, Megan. We were talking about "where we were" on that horrible day, ten years ago. Megan, whom has moved to New Mexico, said that so many people ask her about her experience living in the DC area during 9/11 and the aftermath. We talked about how so many people that didn't and don't live in our area (or New York) really understand that terrorist threat we went through and still go through by living here day in and day out. How we had friends with parents who worked at the Pentagon and couldn't get ahold of them for hours and hours and the fear they went through. How my teacher's sister was on a plane coming home that day and watching her cry in front of our class after just a week of knowing her. How we just sat in awe watching the news and seeing the second plane hit "live" and not being able to leave school without a parental hand. How the words "terrorist attack" wasn't even in our vocabulary.

The sense of fear and unknown was not comforting and we learned how to live a new way. A way were you watch just a little closer, you look around when you pump gas, where you, as Megan said "had to run in zig-zags into the mall each day" in fear you were the next hit of the sniper, where you wonder if the plane your getting on is safe...ect! It just goes to show you that my first thought during the earthquake a few weeks ago, was another terrorist attack/plane crash. 

Some might say I am over exaggerating; but you may not have lived here or live here and you don't quite get what I am saying. I'm sure the sense of fear in the middle of Montana is a little different than living in the nation's capital; a nation that so many hate. And yes, anything can happen anywhere, I know that. But as I sit here watching the news, I am reminded once again where I live and the threat that surrounds the area, the threat of more possible terrorist attacks.

And I just received this message via "Alert Montgomery":

This weekend will mark the 10th Anniversary of the attacks on the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001. Residents of Montgomery County may be aware of recent warnings issued by federal, state and local agencies regarding potential attacks that may occur during this time. Police Chief J. Thomas Manger would like to assure residents that the Montgomery County Department of Police has plans and resources in place to address needs as they occur. The police department would like to remind residents of ways they can assist in preventing future attacks of terrorism.

"See Something, Say Something"

The Montgomery County Department of Police joins our federal and local partners in the “See Something Say Something” campaign.  This campaign is a simple and effective program developed to raise public awareness of indicators of terrorism, crime, and other threats and to emphasize the importance of reporting suspicious activity to the proper transportation and law enforcement authorities.  Remember that the suspicious activity does not need to be criminal in nature to report it to the Montgomery County Police.
A video titled The 7 Signs of Terrorism, regarding terrorism awareness, can be viewed at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/police.  The seven signs of terrorism are listed below:
1. Surveillance:   Records or monitors activities. May include drawing diagrams, note taking, use of cameras, binoculars, or other vision-enhancing devices, or possessing floor plans or blueprints of key facilities.

2. Elicitation:   Attempts to obtain operation, security, and personnel-related information about a key facility by mail, fax, e-mail, telephone, or in person.

3. Tests of Security:   Attempts to measure reaction times to security breaches or attempts to penetrate physical security barriers or procedures in order to assess strengths and weaknesses.

4. Acquiring Supplies:   Attempts to improperly acquire items that could be used in a terrorist act. May include the acquisition of explosives, weapons, harmful chemicals, flight manuals, law enforcement or military equipment, uniforms, identification badges, and the equipment to manufacture false identification.

5. Suspicious Persons:  Someone who does not appear to belong in a workplace, neighborhood or business establishment due to his/her behavior, including unusual questions or statements he/she makes.

6. Dry Runs/Trial Runs:   Behavior that appears to be preparation for a terrorist act without actually committing the act. Activity could include mapping out routes and determining the timing of traffic lights and traffic flow.

7. Deploying Assets:  Placing people, equipment, and supplies into position to commit the act. This is the last opportunity to alert authorities before the terrorist act occurs.

Montgomery County residents are encouraged to contact the police if they observe suspicious situations by calling 9-1-1, 1-800-492-TIPS (8477), or the police non-emergency line at 301-279-8000.

I hope with everything I have that my children will only hear the stories of that day and never have to experience what I and so many others went through on such a tragic day for our country.

I will never forget all those lives that were lost and all that gave there lives to save others and continue to do so, so that my family can be free and be safe in our country. My children will not grow up in complete security, but I will do my best to teach them how lucky we are to live in this country. Life before 9/11 was different, just as life is now. It's a difference I wish we didn't know, but one we live with and adapt to.

I am such a proud American and will always teach my children just the same. Our flag has flown outside of our (my parents) house since September 11, 2001 and it will always fly outside of our home too!

God Bless America today and everyday.

18-19 Weeks!

How Far Along: 18 Weeks! (I didn't post when I was 18 weeks, since I forgot to take my photo and was so busy preparing for vacation...so this is both for 18 and 19 weeks!) Now, 19 weeks!

How Big is Baby: 18 weeks- The average fetus is the size of a YUMMY sweet potato, about 5.6 inches and 6.7 ounces! Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon (thebump.com).

19 weeks- The average fetus is the size of a mango, about 6.o inches long and 8.5 ounces.

Weight Gain: I don't think anything but that one lonely pound.

Symptoms: Headaches, sore boobies, and my back has really been starting to hurt. Just peeing a lot of course and more and more hungry, especially in the evening. Belly popping out!

Emotions: Fine. I was pretty upset that I didn't get to have a sonogram last week at the OB, but I accepted that's just the way it is with one baby.

Best Moment of the Week: Hearing the heartbeat at the OB's office! That's always a wonderful sound and brings the biggest smile to my face! And going to the beach!

Maternity Clothes: Mix of both, but my tummy is definitely expanding!!

Stretchmarks: None, other than what's left from the girls.

Cravings: Pizza! And anything Italian. We had pizza twice at the beach, and I had an Italian cold-cut, which was divine!

Aversions: I can't think of anything this week.

Gender: Even though I would have loved a quick sneak peak at what this little bean is, I am kinda glad I didn't get my hopes up either way for a boy or a girl on the ultrasound, if we would have had one. If they would have said boy and in three weeks, it showed girl again, I would be totally pissed and vice verses, so I can wait until 20 weeks to be completely sure what is in my growing belly! Still keeping my fingers crossed for a boy, but another girl will be fine too.....IF we can decide on a name!

What I Miss: Wine and margartias!

Sleep: Totally fine! I try to take a nap every day right when I put the girls down for nap because, well I'm up a lot at night still and this baby deserves just as much rest as I gave the girls while in utero (even though I NO WHERE NEARLY rest as much as I did with them!).

What I am Looking Forward to: VACATION!!!!! (that was at 18 weeks) Now, I am so looking forward to next Thursday to find out what baby bean is!!!!

And here is my belly photos from last time and this time! I was so big last time...but I had three in there, I can definitely tell the difference!!!

Slowly Updating!

I know I am super behind on posting and I'm sure some of ya'll are anxiously waiting for photos of our family beach trip and updates on our little bean but for some reason I have been having trouble uploading photos so I am trying to work things out! It's driving me crazy and I have no extra time to spend on it!

As soon as everything is fixed I will post all that I have written so far!

So stay tuned and sorry for the delay!