Your Questions: EXTRAS

{ I know you have the Diapers for Divas (it was set up for the triplets, right?). Is that still how you get diapers? }

We don't still receive diapers from Diapers For Divas. It lasted a long time which was so wonderful and we are so thankful! Here is the post that I wrote when it finished up at 16 months.

We go through about one box of size 4 diapers from Walmart every 6 days. Sometimes it lasts 7 days, sometimes only 5. Each box is $19.99, so that's about $80-100 dollars a month, which honestly I don't think is that bad. 13 cents a diaper I think it is. Target brand is a dollar more but if I remember you don't get as many in the box. I can't remember. 

Why spend extra money on the name brand? Stupid, if you ask me. Walmart is JUST as good. Trust me, I have tried all the diapers out there and even though I swore Kirkland (Costco) brand would be the best, they ALWAYS leaked for my girls. Soo...we stick to Walmart brand and it works for us!


{ You mentioned your laundry, I want to see a picture of the mountain of laundry that 4 children under 2 must make! I know my laundry is crazy with only 2 girls, I can't even imagine 4! And very random question, did you even find shoes for them? You blogged about it a while ago, and I was just wondering. What size are they all in for shoes? }

My laundry is crazy but it hasn't ever piled up to where I should have taken a photo, well I take that back, last week when I had strep and stayed in bed for three days, everything in the house got done but the laundry and the amount of laundry I had waiting for me took three days around the clock to do. I kid you not. Sheets, blankets, regular clothes, bibs, towels, everything in the house it seemed! I do about 1-2 loads each day, if I don't it gets very overwhelming, very quickly. I don't think it's too much to stay up with because I don't mind doing laundry. I like things organized, hanging in the closet and put away where it should be. That's just me. But have laundry baskets full of clothes stayed put for a week...hell yeah, who's hasn't!? 

And yes I got the girls a pair of white shoes from Walmart about a month ago (I just looked to see if I could find a photo of them but no luck). They are pretty good for now, but I will most likely buy them another pair when it gets super cold. Natalee wears a size 4 or 5 and Madelynn and Claire wear 5 or 6.

{ Do you ever get asked questions in public? If so what kinds? Rude or nice usually? }

We always get asked questions in public. It's not nearly as bad as it was. Thank goodness. We are like celebrities wherever we go and sometimes it gets a little overwhelming. I have written about this many, many times over the past 22 months but it just isn't as bad now that the girls are older. When they were babies, we got some very mean, rude and uncalled for comments from strangers that left me speechless. But now, it's just more along the lines of, "wow you have your hands full", "did you have them all?", "I've never seen triplets!", "you must be busy", "they're all yours?", "are they quads?", "are they two sets of twins?" and the famous "do you have help?" and "how do you do it?"

Like I said in one of my other posts, I normally just say, God gives us choices every day and I choose to praise my blessing he gave me. I may have sat in the corner and cried at times but I get up and keep going! How could I not!? I have strength, hope and faith. Each day is a blessing with my children. I have been BLESSED!

I normally just try to answer the question and KEEP MOVING! I constantly hear people comment about our family, "oh look at all those kids!", "do you see those triplets?" and I just tell Tim to keep walking, keep walking!

Sometimes people can be really nice and sweet, especially when they notice me from the blog world. That's the best and nothing makes my heart smile more.

So, really we can't go anywhere and not get asked at least one or two questions. Even people we see on a regular basis, ask questions all the time. It's okay, I know people are just curious. I would be too. I look up to people who have way more kids than I have and what other moms of multiples do, so I firmly believe it's in the way you go about asking the questions. Just remember that. When some of our friends or family go places with us they get a small glimpse of what we get when we go out. I remember last year when we went to the beach and Nathan came with us and he was shocked at all the attention we got every time we left the hotel room. We are so used to it now, it's just our normal.

Nothing gets me more mad though as when people compare. I know everyone does at times, but when I may be having a bad day struggling with something and someone says how they are busy with their 2 kids who are close in age...I just laugh. It isn't the same. I carried THREE babies in my belly at ONE time! I gave birth to THREE babies at ONE time. I have THREE children the same exact age. I just smile and nod my head. 

People have said, "I had a bunch of bad luck"....LIKE WHAT!?! I almost punched that lady. Again, my kids aren't excuses or a burden. They are nothing short of a blessing and a miracle. Each and everyone of them. They were meant to be here. They are gifts from God. 

Your Questions Answered: About Tim and I

{ How often do you get out for dates with your hubby? }

Not very often. But it's not like we couldn't if we wanted. My MIL, SIL, sister, best friends and parents would babysit at anytime! We are very lucky and fortunate to have them all around. We never really have the money to spend on ourselves to a dinner, unless it's a special occasion, like our anniversary or a birthday. But then again, we normally would prefer to stay home a cook an elaborate meal together anyway. That's just us. We love to cook together and cook something that is better than just our little average weeknight meals. And to be honest, I don't think our relationship suffers because we don't get time outside the home alone that often. We have plenty of time together because we make it a priority to do so, no matter what.

{ What does your husband do for work and if you were working, what you be doing? }

My husband, Tim, works for a small electrical company that does work for Lockheed Martin, mostly at the headquarters but occasionally at a few other locations around the DC/MD/VA area. There are only 3 employees and the boss. He really likes it and has been working there since before we were married. My dad introduced him to the boss, since he had known him since he started working at Lockheed, and Tim started the next day. We are forever grateful he has such a wonderful job, that he likes and is so flexible. If I was working, I would hope that I would be doing some sort of social work job, since my Master's degree is in Social Work. I would love to be working at a jail, or a private practice under another LCSW. It would have to be something that was interesting and within mental health. I LOVED working at the jails and with severe mentally ill criminals. I miss it a lot, but I know I have many, many years ahead of me to work outside the home.

{ How do you financially plan for 4 kids? }

This is a loaded question.

Well, what can you do? There are plenty of things. You start preparing for the tooth fairy funds and go from there. Haha! Just kidding, kinda. Anyway, we firmly believe that no matter how much money you have, it will never be enough, but we don't want to base our happiness on money. We don't base our happiness on things. We base it on our happy children, our love between us, and our family as a whole. We have a great home, food on our table and we are able to live a comfortable life. Do we worry about bills, sure. Who doesn't?  Do we wish there was more money, sure. But it's okay the way it is. 

To be completely honest, and this might sounds terrible to some, but the future is the future. Things will work out. Money is not everything. But we budget and do the best we can for now to hope for the best in our future.

Will our children go to college? Absolutely, if that's what they choose. They will have to choose something, but education is very important to us so I hope they go to college. It's something I value and I want my children to have that same value. How they get that education will be a variety of ways. Yes, I firmly believe that it's a parent's duty to help your child go to college, at least the first four years, and our children will have an education savings account. Very important to us. Once they want to go further than four years, I think we may help, but that will most likely be up to them, as it was for me. We shall see. It's so hard to predict the future and wonder what our financial situation is in 15-20 years. 

So, in the meantime, I do things to help our financial situation stay the way it is or become a little better. Am I cheap? No, but where it counts I am. But do I budget, clip coupons and buy on sale? ALWAYS! I can't ever buy something full price. No. NEVER!!! I will have guilt for a month and nothing is worth that. Tim and I make sacrifices every day for our family, but what parent doesn't? Do we splurge on some things, yes. I like to shop for my home. My husband prefers to have Sunday NFL Package. So we compromise. But if it came down to food on our table and keeping the lights on, the NFL Package is going first. Ha. 

I make out a weekly menu for the week, and even though I normally have to go to the store once for something I forgot or came up during the week, I think it saves a lot of money. Buying bulk at Costco if you have the room. Example: A package of thighs of chicken - around $10 dollars for 8 packs of 4 thighs each. How do you beat that? Around $15-17 for two pot roasts. Kirkland Mayo in a tub the size of my head for $3.99. You can't even get 1/4th of that at the grocery store for $4.99!

When things are on sale, I make a lot of my homemade stuff and freeze, all the time. Chili, spaghetti sauce, ect...

I shop a lot at Walmart. No shame there. I love Walmart. And those commercials about how you can really save at Walmart versus a grocery store. Totally true. One example. Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Check it out for yourself. I kid you not. But, recently on things that I know are the same price at our grocery store, I get there because they have the whole gas points reward thing and well, we eat A LOT and so therefore I can save A LOT on my gas by buying there. 10 cents per $50 you spend...let's just say over the course of a few months, those points easily add up to over two dollars off of each gallon of gas. And our SUV, not the best with conserving gas, so any assistance is welcomed!

I shop Goodwill, thrift stores, Tot Swap, and yard sales for great deals on things I can fix up or just random things for the house or for the girls. If the girls need a black shirt to go under their halloween costume, I'll check Walmart and Goodwill or another thrift shop. Why not? The only time I won't buy used is if it's something I can get the same price somewhere else brand new. No shame! I love a good deal.

Tim and I were just talking about diapers for four kids the other day and I was saying at most it costs us $80-100 dollars a month in diapers. I don't think that's bad at all, to be honest for FOUR children. Now I buy Walmart brand because that is what works for us. I buy wipes at Costco, that are Kirkland brand and the box lasts us at least 3-4 weeks.

When we moved from Poolesville and left our $400-650 dollar monthly electric bill behind, our new home is built so much better since it's newer and so the electric bill is maybe $100 dollars. And then on the budget plan, it's very reasonable. If you aren't on a budget plan, I highly recommend it.

Tim and I do not have Iphones, Ipads, or any expensive gadgets. We don't need to waste our money on things like that. And we don't care to. We rather go on a vacation or save the money to take the girls somewhere. We aren't missing anything. ANd I don't need one more thing in my hand or buy for my attention. No thank you. We have a nice camera and a video camera. That is important to us. Documentation of our family and the events over time for our children. Like this blog. Free and so memorable for my children. Priceless. 

{ What beliefs do you want to pass on to your children? }

Another hard one. I feel like I am answering essay questions in college again. It's so hard to put into words all the things I want to pass down to my children. First, I would say the belief of God and faith. Second, the importance of family. Third, the importance of love, responsibility, and honesty. Do onto others as you want them to do onto you. Teach love and friendship and how to care for each other. Put others first before you, but don't forget that it's okay to put yourself first at times too. I want to teach them to be happy, healthy, productive women to contribute to making our world a better place. There are so many things.

Family is one of the most important things I want my girls to know. My MIL is one of five girls and I see the love and friendship that her and her sisters have (they are spread out over ten years) and I only hope my girls will be as close as them, always. I love it. It's so neat and I hope my girls will see how close they all are and want to be the same. It may sound morbid, but I honestly think how any day could be our last and I am so glad my girls have each other, since one day I won't be here. What a beautiful blessing to have siblings. There is no better gift. 

I could write a book on all the things I want to pass along to my children and what I hope to teach them in their lives, but honestly, I can't put it into words right now. My day is wasting away and I need to finish so many things before this hurricane hits.

Tomorrow, I'll have any extra questions that anyone has had. And hoping I still have power by then! I'm sure we will, so I am not too worried!

Your Questions Answered: Motherhood

{ Sorry I haven't been around much this past week and weekend. The wedding is over. Amen! And then just when I thought things would calm down, I got a sore throat which turned into me going to Urgent Care on Monday night and being diagnosed with strep. It's been nothing short of HORRIBLE...fever, and all. I haven't been this sick in years...that wasn't from being pregnant! :) I am slowly catching myself up after two days in bed and having Tim home from work to care for all five of his girls. And just when things were looking up, Claire has a fever now! It never ends...but that's just motherhood! }

{ How do you manage with 4 kids? / I've always wondered how you handle having four kids SOOO close in age. I'd imagine you just take it one day at a time. }

I get this question A LOT. People always ask me how I do it, and the answer I always give is: what am I supposed to do? Sit in a corner and cry?! God only gives you what you can handle and so he knew I could handle these precious little girls! Don't get me wrong, there were days when I cried right along with the girls, but those were the days were I was puking my guts out when I was pregnant with Emily...and that didn't last as long as I thought it did, looking back. My days are not that bad. I think people think it's a lot more work than it really is. When you only have one baby, you think, oh my, how could I do this times three or four. 

But the secret is, I think I have it easier in some ways. First, my girls entertain each other. They play with one another so they aren't so needy when it comes to being attached to Momma. They have built in play-mates, who are all the same sex and same age as them and that is a true blessing! They honestly could care less about me and if I am around, unless they get hurt. Second, once I am done with a certain stage, it's over. Teething, bottles, potty-training, when it's done it's done. I don't have a fourth grader, first grader, preschooler and a newborn. That is MUCH worse in my thoughts! For example, which I always use is, we can all ride the rides together. Again, I don't have different age groups to tend to and make happy. No one has to pout because we are riding the tea cups for the hundredth time. Everyone being so close in age and all the same sex is such a blessing! So really, to be honest, I don't think of having multiples as anything but super awesome and in some ways totally easier. God picked me. He knew that I could handle this. He knew my strengths and what I could do, so therefore I trust in Him.

Just the other day I was at our Infants and Toddler play group at the park and one of the therapists told me that I had the best personality when it came to dealing with my children. She said I was so positive and had such a great attitude. It seriously made my day. I am much more laid back and easy-going I think because I have had four kids in such a short amount of time. You don't have time to dwell and worry about stupid little things...that in the long run probably don't matter. I'm not sitting here comparing my kids to others, because I just don't have time for stupid things like that.

Another thing, I don't make excuses for having four kids and doing things all by myself. Yes, I may complain that things take much longer or that I can't do what others can easily do but I don't use that as an excuse NOT to do something. One of my best friends was just telling me that she met another woman with 6 year old triplets and she and her husband took them on their first vacation this year (at SIX YEARS OLD!!!!!) and that it would be their last because the kids were so bad! Umm, that is just ridiculous to me!!! Maybe they were bad because they had never been away from the house before? Those poor kids, and those poor parents!!! I am not going to get into how horrible that is because I could honestly write a whole post on it. We went to the beach when the girls were 8 months old and I was 4 months pregnant. Again this year, we didn't think twice about going to the beach and EVERY year we will go somewhere. We don't NOT do things just because we have a large family. NO WAY! My girls deserve just as much as a family with only one or two children. I can't stress this enough. No matter what it is, I will always try to make it work for my girls. They deserve it. It may be harder, and Tim and I may have to remind ourselves that we aren't using our children as an excuse at times, but we will make it work and I am very proud of that.

{ Do you follow a strict routine? }

YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! I am a FIRM believer on a scheduled routine! I wouldn't know where to begin without one! My motto is PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE!!!

See next question.....

{ What does your typical daily schedule look like? }

Our typical day looks like this:

7:30AM - Emily wakes up. I change her. I get her dressed (most days). Bring her downstairs and she eats her two jars of food and plays in her high chair.

8:10AM - Big girls get up: I change them. We pick out outfits. Everyone gets dressed and then they go downstairs right to the kitchen to their high chairs. We say "hi" to baby Emily and blow her kisses.

Normally, I have already started breakfast or made it, because they are normally starving. I give them their breakfast, fill their water cups and give them out. (See below for foods they eat.)

While the big girls are eating, I am either feeding Emily (if she didn't eat earlier), snacking on something myself, making my coffee/tea/hot chocolate or sneaking over to the computer for a split second. 

Girls finish up. We wash hands, give kisses, count the sheep (there are 7 sheep and we point to and count each one every single morning) on this Americana country picture in our kitchen and they go play.

I take Emily out of the high chair and she goes on her play mat/chick pen, so she can crawl around and be safe.

I stay in the kitchen and clean trays, empty dishwasher, clean up all the dishes, and kinda figure out what I'll be making for lunch. I wash out the bottles, wash bottle tops if I need to and pick out Emily's lunch and set it next to her high chair. Sometimes I throw the laundry in the dryer or washer. Clean up upstairs: diapers, bottles, find binkis that were thrown under/behind cribs. I take out what's for dinner.

9AM - I talk to my MIL for about 15 minutes.

9:20AM - The girls normally are starting to get antsy about now and so I put on Barney and it always calms them down from fighting with each other.

I am normally either doing more laundry, vacuuming, making something, checking emails, making phone calls. 

I switch Emily from time to time from her play mat, to the walker, to the bumbo, to sitting with me, ect.

10AM - Make Em a 4 ounce bottle and she practices feeding it to herself, with Momma's help..but she can pretty much do it herself now.

We all play, do play-dough, color, dance or go outside on the deck. Just depends. I still do laundry, put away clothes, ect...

11:20AM - Lunchtime. I make up lunch pretty quick, and get the girls in their chairs. They eat and I fed Emily her two jars. She plays in the high chair while I finish lunch for the big girls. I prepare bottles for nap time.

When the girls are done, they wash their hands and go back to playing.

I clean up the kitchen, the trays and set everything out for dinner that I will need.

12:15PM - We go upstairs for nap. The girls climb the stairs and go into their room and wait by their cribs for me (we are working on them listening to my directions...ha!). I change their diapers, put on the sound machine and they drink their bottles and go to sleep.

12:30PM - I give Em another 4 ounce bottle and rock her. I put her in her bed, turn on monitor and sound machine and she goes to sleep.

Now, I normally shove something to eat down and finish up my chores around the house before laying down and watching TV, browsing the internet or taking a nap myself. I must say, it's normally watching TV and then falling asleep for at least an hour. I make it a priority to lay down. I need it. I make time for it.

3PM - Tim gets home. We talk. He showers. Sometimes, I go and run errands or go to the grocery store during this time if I need to pick up something quick.

3:45PM - We get all the girls up. Change them and come down stairs. We all play and I start dinner. Sometimes we go for a walk or to the park. if it's a nice day.

5:30PM - Dinner for the girls. Tim feeds Emily her three jars and she plays in her high chair. I make bottles for bed time and wash bottle tops if needed. Emptying the dishwasher, putting more laundry in...it never ends.

Tim and I sometimes eat now with the girls, or sometimes we wait until after they go to bed. Just depends. We clean up the kitchen and toys and get everything ready for the following day.

6:45PM - Bath time. We all go upstairs. Emily goes in the swing and we bath the big girls all together in their bathroom. One at a time one of us takes each out, and gets them dressed. They sometimes can play in their room or the go straight in their beds for quiet time. They get their bottle and a few books. We give kisses and hugs, say prayers, ect. They sometimes watch a few shows such as Elmo, Barney or Sing Along Songs. Depends on how the night is going.

Tim gives Emily a bath and I take my shower. If we haven't eaten, then we eat.

7:30PM - I gave Emily a 8 ounce bottle and rock her. She goes in her bed and falls asleep.

8PM - If the girls are watching a show, I go in their room, collect bottles, give them all their lovies, blankets and such (because normally they have thrown everything out) and turn everything off and give last kisses and hugs and say night-night.

Phew, that's my day...day in and day out!

I must say the girls are very good listeners and follow my commands pretty well for only being 22 months old. I like to keep my chicks in a row. :) They can find their shoes, sit where I tell them, come when I call them...and listen to most things I say. But don't get me wrong, let's keep it real....they ARE only 22 months old and love to wonder at times. I have a pretty good routine to get out of the house by myself with them all. Loading everything we need and then the girls, and myself...and maybe not forgetting anything...I have it down to a science and like I said, I can be out of the house in record time. 

{ What is your favorite thing about being a mommy of multiples? }

I think many people think being a mom of multiples is sooo hard, but yet, I think it is a lot better than having one at a time (see above questions). My favorite thing would have to be watching the relationship of my girls unfold. It's amazing and so interesting to see the dynamic between triplets with having a set of identical twins and then a fraternal and then also a singleton, but so close in age. It's neat to see how they interact and how alike or not alike they are at different stages. Just because the triplets were born together and just because Madelynn and Claire are identical doesn't mean that they aren't completely different individuals. Not many people can experience sitting back and watching multiples day in and day out. The dynamic is so neat. I love seeing how sometimes they really seem to be like quads and other times like two sets of twins. Just in the last few weeks Natalee has been SO attached to Emily. She always wants to be near her, sit next to her and play with her. It's so cute and I hope it continues and they are always best buds.

{ What kinds of meals/snacks do you feed the girls what kind of foods do they like? }

The girls loved pretty much every single fruit and veggie known to man! They love peas, carrots, corn, corn-on-the-cob, green beans, french fries, broccoli, bananas, apples, strawberries, blueberries, yogurt, chicken nuggets, toast, pancakes, waffles, pizza, spaghetti, pasta, pop-tarts, applesauce, grapes, fish sticks, hot dogs, bologna, bread, pickles, olives, cucumbers, cheese, brown rice, white rice, mac-n-cheese, fruit snacks, any dried fruit, mandarin oranges, fruit-cocktail, pears, pineapple, raisins, chips, cheese curls...I could go on and on! 

They LOVE pizza right now and I can always get them to eat it! I always give them a lot of fruit and veggies with every meal and that's probably why they aren't big meat eaters. Claire loves anything with ranch dressing and they have just discovered ketchup and loving dipping their hot dog into the ketchup.  Madelynn and Natalee don't care for PB&J yet, but Claire loves it.

I don't give them juice but maybe twice a month. I don't give them snacks unless we are out or I know they will be eating at a different time than they are used to and a snack would be like cheerios and raisins or something healthy. 

I have tried giving them sweets, like a cookie here or there and really they could care less. However, Claire, she LOVES sweets and will eat any cake that is put in front of her. I never hold out on them when it comes to sweets. :)

I am a firm believer in you eat what you have on your plate. I never plan on making a hundred different things for each of them every night. No thank you. If you don't eat, then you don't eat. They will not starve. 

I still do give them two 10 ounce bottles a day. I know...HORRIBLE. Shoot me. I don't care. Honestly, I want them to have the fattening calories of the whole milk since they are still so underweight from being preemies. I don't care what the doctor says, I know many people including myself who had bottles until much older and we all turned out just fine. I will start weaning them at two. It's just a calorie thing right now.


Any other questions on motherhood?

Homemade Applesauce!

This was literally one of the easiest recipes I have ever done. I am so glad I finally made some yummy homemade applesauce!

10 LARGE apples

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 half of a lemon peel (I left this in for only half the cooking)

2 cinnamon sticks

8 tbsp brown sugar

Stick everything in the crock pot on low and let it sit for hours, stirring occasionally  I then just mashed it with a potato masher after a few hours which made it stay a little chunky, which is how I like it. Seriously it's like eating the inside of an apple pie!!

It was soooo yummy! I have even put in on top of vanilla ice cream and it tasted mighty fine!

Madelynn, Claire and Natalee: 22 Months!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Here we are once again, TWO MONTHS from TWO!!! AHH!

Just some quick stats of each of the girls:

Madelynn: 23 lbs 8 oz

Claire: 22 lbs 11 oz

Natalee: 19 lbs around

All size 4 diapers.

All brown hair. 

M and C - blue eyes, Nat - dark brown eyes

Mostly 18 month and 24 month clothes. Some 2T. Pants need to be long, shirts need to be a little smaller.

Size 4 (Natalee), 5 and 6 (M and C) in shoes.

You sleep great. About 8pm to 8am, every single night. Although some nights, Madelynn and Claire, you stay up past 11 o'clock just giggling, talking and laughing with each other.

1 nap from 12:30PM - 3:30PM.

You all love to eat. Your favorites this month is still pizza and every fruit and veggie. There isn't one fruit or veggie you won't eat. I love you girls for it, just like your Momma! You all love pickles and olives too!

{ In order: Claire, Natalee, Madelynn }

You all love to talk. You can say, Momma, Dadda, Baby, No, Yes, Barney, Elmo, Shoes, What is it?, I see?, Thank you, Please, Bye-Bye, Night-Night (ni-ni), Belly button, Bubble, Cup, Ba-ba, Hi, Go..probably more, I just can't remember!

You can point out your eyes, nose, mouth, hair, belly button, hands and feet.

You can say the sounds for a lion, cat, cow, and duck...but refuse to say others for some reason.

You go up and down the stairs all by yourself.

When you do something you're not supposed to, you look at me and say, "no, no, no".

You love to be outside. You love the slide and swings. You go to the tallest slides you can find and those are the ones you each go down.

You love car rides. You love to just go anywhere out of the house. I don't blame any of you, I love to get out too!

You love to color. Claire you are still the best colorer.

You love to read.

You all love to be tucked-in at night.

You love to give kisses!

This month we changed around your rooms to Madelynn and Claire in one room and Natalee and Emily in the other. You are doing much better and sleeping longer because it's not constantly play-time.

You love to play together, but you all still fight occasionally. I constantly have to say, "please be nice to your sisters" 1 million times a day!

Madelynn and Claire, you both had strep throat for the first time this past week, but you did fine. You are all on antibiotics now.

You love Barney and Elmo and love watching TV.

You love the dog and she plays so nice with you.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THIS MONTH:

You all were flower girls in your Aunt Megan's wedding on Saturday, October 20, 2012 (photos coming, I promise!). You did fantastic and danced the night away! Everyone thought you were the cutest girls!

You got to go to the airport with Momma and Daddy on Wednesday night to pick up Pop-Pop in your PJ's and everyone thought you were so cute. You were screaming "Hi Pop-Pop" over and over. You were all spoiled with being with so much family for a few days before Auntie Megan's wedding! You visited with your Great Nan, Aunt Suzie, Aunt Stephanie, Aunt Christine, Uncle Tommy, Great Nana, Aunt Jen, Aunt Terri, Aunt Bonnie, Aunt Beth, Uncle Russ, Pop-Pop, and your two cousins Katelyn and Amanda. Everyone just loves you all to pieces!

We have gone to the pumpkin patch twice this month. 

Has Momma bought your Halloween costumes yet? Big fat, nope. Not yet. Opps. Better get on that. I think you are going to be little witches or bumble bees! We shall see. Momma finally bought your costumes on Sunday and I got a mad deal on them! Off the Clearance Rack at Toys R Us, two for $7 dollars each and one for $5 dollars...all the same size and costume! THREE costumes for less than $20! Oh yes, be jealous!

Your Questions Answered: About the Girls

{ One word describe each of your girls? }

Madelynn - WILD

Claire - SWEET BUT SASSY

Natalee - MIRACLE

Emily - EASY

{ Let's say all four of the girls were boys. What would their names be? }

If the girls had been all boys, the triplets most likely would have been named, Jackson Timothy, Nathan Samuel and Benjamin Robert. If Emily would have been a boy, she would have been Jackson Timothy, since we already had three girls. If the triplets would have been all boys and Emily was a boy, his name would most likely have been Michael. And if we have another girl, most likely Caroline Anne or Abigail {no middle name suggested yet} and of course Jackson Timothy for a boy!

YOUR Questions Answered: Pregnancies/More Children

I figured I needed to break these up since I got quite I few questions! Thanks for all the responded and I hope I don't bore you with the answers!

First, Pregnancy
Second, Motherhood
Third, About The Girls
Fourth, About Tim and I
Fifth, anything else anyone wants to ask..

If there are more questions you have after reading my answers, feel free to keep asking, and I'll  keep posting answers! 

So, here goes:

{ I'm not going to say who each and every person was who asked each question. }

{ How did your pregnancies differ? }

My pregnancy with the triplets versus my pregnancy with Emily, it was honestly, night and day. I was sick with the girls, yes, but never, ever as sick as I was with Emily. I was SOOO SICK with her for the first 14 weeks and at 14w1d, it was like I woke up a different person. With the girls, I was on bed rest so early on, which was so hard. I had terrible pre-eccalmpsia at the end of my pregnancy with the triplets and that was so hard. I swelled up to the size of an elephant. I had a terbutaline pump in my leg from week 27 on, which was just oh so lovely. I had gall stones. I had to monitor my contraction twice a day and send the info to a nurse. I was constantly uncomfortable, but no matter what I would have done whatever it took to keep my babies in for as long as I could. And even though I have days where I think I could have done more, I know in all honesty I couldn't have done anything more. The births were completely different. Traumatic versus super normal and easy. 32w2d versus 39w6d. THREE babies versus ONE! I could go on for hours. Honestly, just read the tab titled, "Our Triplets" and you can read week by week how my pregnancy changed so fast. I look back at those posts, honestly, and I struggle to remember who I was then. I wasn't a mom yet. My babies were in my belly and I thought I knew the love I would have for them , but I couldn't have imagined what my life would be like after they were born.

The biggest differences, for me, were the feelings I had when I became pregnant. With the girls, disbelief that IVF had actually worked (we didn't know how quite how well at that point yet), excitement  thankfulness, love, and just an unbelievable feeling of I AM FINALLY PREGNANT AND GOING TO BE A MOM! I wanted to shout it from the roof tops and tell everyone. I wanted everyone to know. I was so happy. When I got pregnant with Emily, I sat in a different state of disbelief. I had so many emotions over the first few weeks. I kept it all a secret, only to share with my husband. I finally talked about it but it was hard. Hard to accept this was God's plan. Why? How? Right now? I couldn't think. I couldn't breath. I knew people would judge me. Would they think I am a bad mom because I was having another baby so close? People would think we were insane! But after awhile I didn't care what people thought, and now...I couldn't imagine life without our little Ems! God gave us her for a reason. I talked a lot about it all in this post...plus that post pretty much sums up how my pregnancies/births/postpartum were different.

{ How much weight did you gain with each pregnancy? }

With the triplets - 85lbs! Ekkk...I was OVER 200lbs on the day I gave birth! That is SCARY and I will NEVER see that number again on my scale...EVERRRR!

With Emily - I think it was like 35lbs, at the most. Honestly, I don't remember, but it wasn't more than 40lbs.

I was very lucky to loose it all pretty much right away, with doing nothing but running after the girls. The stretchmarks and extra skin, however, well that's a different story! I am constantly learning how to manage my feelings with how different my stomach looks, and although my sweet hubby assures me how it's prefect in so many ways, I hate it. I always had a prefect looking tummy, and now it's far from perfect, but I wouldn't trade  what my tummy looks like for anything because it means I have my girls. It's just a part of me now...and I live with it.

{ Are you still having issues with Endometriosis? }

Luckily, NO! Nothing at all, since getting pregnant with the triplets. And apparently it was NOT interfering with getting pregnant after I had the triplets, considering Emily was conceived so easily! I will say that my first few "times of the month" were very painful and extremely heavy after having Emily. I never had the chance to experience that after the triplets were born because I was breastfeeding and then got pregnant so soon, so maybe that was just my body, after not having a period for almost two years. I hope that was just it and not any endo. I don't think I will have any problems with it in the future, and I hope that's the case!

{ Do you think you will ever try again for a boy? / Do you think about having more children? }

Most likely we will try for another. Who knows. Maybe. Maybe not. We go back and forth. Honestly I can see us living the rest of our lives with our four girls just fine, but I also can never picture my life without another pregnancy and giving birth again. That makes me sad for sure. Tim will say "let's have another", "why not have another", "how could we not have another", "who wouldn't want another beautiful baby", "I'll have ten more babies with you", ect, ect, ect...he drives me nuts! So who knows, maybe we will just see how it goes and if it happens, it happens...and let God ultimately decide. I would love the girls to be like 4 and then maybe try so that they could have the memories of having a sibling, since the triplets never will remember mommy pregnant with Emily, or meeting Emily, or having a new baby sister..that kinda makes my heart sad for them. And would I care if it was another girl...NOT at all. I would be a little scared if it is was a boy because I would really have to start over, and he would have 4 older sisters (God help him), but then again, a little boy makes my heart smile big!!!! I think Tim would love to just have girls, honestly. He loves his little girls to the end of the earth and it doesn't bother him for a second that he doesn't have a boy (another question we get asked all the time!). 

Everyone always just assumes we don't want more children, or would be shocked if we decided to have more, but as Tim and I have talked in length numerous times about it, it is no one's business but our own as to how many children we should have. Every baby is a miracle. Every baby is a blessing. That is my belief. We will grow our family as to as many as God see's fit and each of them will be meant to be. We shall see, It's in God's hands, and we are fine with that. :)

Sparkles, Themes and Characters...OH MY!

This fall has been a little more challenging in terms of shopping for the girls. I can barely find anything I would possibly want them to wear. I go into stores and have to look for hours to find something that fits my criteria, and normally just walk out unhappy.

I would love to be able to buy my girls everything at Gap, Gymboree, The Children's Pace, ect, but the fact that I have to get 3 or 4 of the same thing, is a financial strain. I cannot afford to spend $20 dollars on ONE shirt/dress! It's just not possible and frankly even if I had JUST one child, I don't think I could do that. But, I am forced to shop other places like Target and WalMart and things are covered in crap not-so-appealing things I want my little girls sporting. And everything that I could consider them wearing, is over-priced in my mind for a 2 year old! SO what's a Momma to do?!

Here are my issues:

Everything has too much glitter that makes it look like a porn star would be wearing it. The shoes especially. Why can I not find a PLAIN pair of white sneakers, with a tie for my little girls that are not $45 dollars? I do not want something plastered in 14 different colors, glitter, rainbows, flowers and characters.

I do not want something that lights up either! No thank you!

This has to be the worlds ugliest shoe for a little girl:

The characters are out of control. I do not want my child wearing all Disney princesses, Dora or Elmo. No thank you!!!! NEVER! EVER! The possibilities if you WANT characters are endless at every store.

Here's the list of characters that Wal-Mart let's you choose from:

Dora

Toy Story

Cars

Disney Princesses

Disney Fairies

Hello Kitty

Sesame Street

Sponge Bob

And, then I know this is just my issue, but it is SO hard to find three of the same thing in a store. Even now, I will mostly let the outfits just be coordinating and not completely the same, but still many stores only have two of a certain size and that's it. Err! I know a store isn't going to cater to people with multiples, but even IN the Carter's store, I couldn't find three of the same size in an outfit I finally found that I liked. 

I just want plain, pretty things. Things that can go with other things without making it a big deal. I don't want my little girls in khaki pants, a purple shirt, a white sweater and then porn star Dora sparkle shoes. No!!!!! I want cute little white shoes with that outfit, and most of their outfits.

Or what about the fact that nothing has a TIE on a shoe anymore. I get that parent's are too lazy and apparently don't want to TIE a shoe, but please, I have four little girls and I WANT a tie, because my girls know how to undo Velcro and it's a little annoying putting on their shoes (x3) for the 5,739 time that day! Give me a darn TIE! Can I get an AMEN?

Not to mention, that most of the shoes are not the proper footwear for little ones just learning to walk and balance. Why are we putting such an importance on style and not on proper footwear to teach our kids to walk correctly and safely?

Thank goodness there are outlets and Carters. I have a few issues with Carters but they mostly have things that are MUCH better than Target and Walmart, and much more affordable when it comes to buying multiple items, plus with coupons. I think the sweet ladies at the outlets know me by heart now.

And don't get me started on Halloween costumes! My little, precious, sweet girls are not going to be walking around EVER in so many of the costumes that are advertised. I still haven't decided what they are being this year, one for the ridiculous prices they all are and second, the ugliness of so many of them. We shall see.

I just think I might have to start a children's line (for multiples) myself soon. Whatcha think?

Life Lately...

This past week has been busy so I thought I would let you all in on it!

I was busy entering, tagging, sorting and packing items for our local Tot Swap. After a few hours of trying to print on my printer, I gave up and went to Office Depot to print all my tags and $2.52 later I was done! I just wish I hadn't put a new $26 ink in it! Err! Anyway, finally last night, I dropped everything off and had a sneak peak around. I must say, I wasn't too impressed with everything this time, even though it seems every time there is SO much more than the last, but some of the stuff can really be nasty. I look at stuff people are bringing in and I swear I wouldn't put it on my dog. I don't get why people think someone wants their nasty, stained and dirty things. There is not one thing I sell that I wouldn't buy myself. People price things WAY over than what it should be too, which irks me! There are so many rules and regulations to what can and cannot be sold, and obviously people can't read or half the stuff in the place wouldn't be there! But with all that said, I am excited to go and dig through to find some treasures for my littles. I am having a sweet friend come along who is pregnant with boy/girl twins, and hopefully we can find some good things she needs for good prices. Oh, and I hope I make a good amount of money on all my stuff selling...let's hope!

I'm a little sad that this is the first year since I was pregnant with the trips that I am not volunteering/selling/shopping at the Mom of Multiples Sale this Saturday! Boo! IT just isn't worth driving all the way to it two days in a row, and most likely I can find the stuff I am looking for at the Tot Swap which is less than two miles away. Still, I hate not participating and giving my time to support it.

Colorfest in Thurmont is this weekend, another reason I am not going to the Mom of Multiples  sale Saturday am. We go to Colorfest very early and are done around lunchtime, so the Mom of Multiples sale just didn't fit this year.

Emily's two bottom teeth have finally popper through and I think she is finally starting to feel a little better, amen! I hate seeing her so unhappy, when she is always such a happy girl!

I keep thinking about things for the girl's 2nd Birthday and since I have been up all night, it hasn't been hard to think about things I want to start making.

We are making progress cleaning the one room left in our house that is a total mess. It's the throw-all room and it is housing everything that should most likely be in a garage. We have plans of making it an adorable playroom for our little ladies when they get a little older, and slowly it's starting to get uncluttered to possibly make that happen.

I keep thinking of something, but I can't share it. Right now all I can think about is the yummy food I will be eating on Saturday morning at Colorfest. Alone. With NO children tagging along. Adults only. Can I get an AMEN?! Shopping, in the fall crisp air while the sun beats down on my face and pumpkin spice latte...picking up cute little country things for my house that I don't need and most likely Tim will not understand why I just HAD to have it... YES PLEASE! 

Oh and the girls have this random happiness of standing on top of things these days. The table, the couch, chairs...all in order to get things they can't and shouldn't have, even at other people's houses. They work together and manage to get the wipe container and then take out the hundreds of wipes and begin cleaning the house...I'm appreciative but they don't realize how expensive wipes are and how quickly we go through them. 

They are obsessed with vacuuming and always love to help Daddy clean...I told you my husband is wonderful... The girls seriously would ride the thing if we let them.