Glue & Staples & Gray Hairs (Oh My!)

There's a study that says that redheads turn gray much later in life than the average person. However, I highly doubt this study takes into account redheads that are the mother of triplets plus one. I know in the past 3 weeks, I have probably grown many new gray hairs on my head. About 3 weeks ago, I was just finishing up making dinner when I heard Marissa crying. And it wasn't the normal "he took my toy" or "she won't let me drink her juice" cry. It was a high pitched, something really hurts cry. So I ran toward Marley's room (where she was playing) as she ran toward the living room and saw blood streaming down her face. Marley, Makayla & Jack all started screaming when they saw the blood and we quickly got a rag and slowed it down and asked Marissa what happened. She said she fell on Marley's window ledge. The cut was definitely one that required medical attention so off to After Hours we went. When we got there Marissa went right up to the counter and introduced herself as well as Marley and I and told them why she was there. The nurse called up back and asked her if she could please step on the scale, to which Marissa replied, "I sure can!" and I don't think the girl stopped talking for more than 10 seconds the entire visit there. Luckily they were able to glue her head together and as of now it is healing very nicely and becoming less noticeable by the day. Though I know quite a few people who probably hope a small scar stays so they can tell the girls apart. Ahem, grandmas!

Fast forward three weeks to yesterday. All three of the babies took long, late naps. I knew this would mean a late bedtime. At midnight they were still awake and Mike went in there and told them they needed to stop playing around and get to sleep. Five minutes later I heard them all screaming. I went in there and saw a lot of blood on Makayla's bed and the girls crying, "Jack's hurt!" but saw no blood. Then Jack came up to me to hug me and I saw the blood rushing down the back of his head. They all said they were jumping on the bed and he fell and hit his head on the side of the bed. He had a very large gash in the back of his head that also required immediate medical attention. I ran to get some jeans and a jacket on (it was actually chilly last night) and grabbed a jacket and shoes for him and off to the Emergency Room we went. We got there a little before 1am and were taken back immediately. The doctor said she would have to staple his head. So they came in and put the numbing gel on it for about 30 minutes and came back and put 3 staples in it and off we went. I found it a little odd they didn't shave his hair around his cut and I feel like the staples are too far apart and there should possibly be one or two more, but I guess they know more than me! He was very brave thru it all and whined for about 5 minutes after they left saying his head hurt. He was so concerned about a baby we heard crying in the room next to us and kept asking if it was okay. Such a kind hearted boy. Today he is doing good, he only cries if he accidently bumps his head but he is very careful to try not to. He goes next Tuesday to have the staples removed.

I told Mike the other day that his beard is getting a lot of gray hairs in it. I imagine my head will look like that soon. Though I do have to say, as I told the ER nurse, I think the first trip to the ER with triplets happening at 2 1/2 years old is pretty darn good! (Though we won't count the After Hours visits that we've done because that technically isn't the ER right?) So, pray that Makayla doesn't join the head gashing club in the next few weeks. I may have to go buy my first box of hair dye if so.

Marissa heading to After Hours

Jack in the Emergency Room

Flash Back Friday!

My little girl turning 1. It doesn't seem possible that this was 4 years ago!

Update #2

Okay, as promised, an update on the little people who think they run our household. I'm not even sure where to begin when it comes to those three. They will be 2 1/2 on the 16th of this month which is pretty hard to believe. They are doing really good though. They have some of the best little personalities around and they are really amazing little people. I will go into detail on each of them individually...

Marissa. She is currently 34.75 inches tall and weighs around 23 pounds. She is the oldest of the trio and she often acts that way. Several people who have observed them playing have even asked me if she is the oldest. She is very outgoing and has no sense of  "Stranger Danger." She will talk to anyone about anything. Definitely not like her big sister in this aspect! She is a little daredevil and the one who likes to test me the most out of the three. If there is a line I tell her not to cross, she is the one with her foot dangling above that line while looking at me and smiling. She has excellent speaking skills and can say a whole lot for a two year old, some of which I attribute to having a big sister she watches and listens to intently. She recently had to have her forehead "glued" together because she fell on Marley's window and gashed it open. Even during that, she was fearless and was talking to the doctor about cartoons and puppies as he glued her forehead together. She will answer questions other people ask her and willingly go to people she does not know. I don't necessarily think this is a good thing and I make sure to always keep my eye on this social butterfly. It's funny because we used to always say we wish Marley was a little more outgoing and now I am thinking that I wish Marissa was less! She is very smart and picks up on things quickly. She is currently obsessed with Peppa Pig and asks to watch it all of the time. She is the only one of the three who will sit for an extended period of time to watch something that interests her. She loves to be the one to tell me if something happens when I am not around. For example, if Makayla starts crying when they are in their room for nap time and I go in there, Marissa will tell me and demonstrate in great detail on what happened. She has no problem bossing her brother around and often uses him to do things she either can't (like open a drawer because she knows he is stronger) or knows she shouldn't (because she knows he will if she asks.) She loves to run, especially when we are outside and she is very fast. She is a super fun little girl who definitely brings a lot of laughter to this house.

Makayla. This child proves to me almost daily that she did not survive all of the odds stacked against her before she was born by chance. That girl does not back down from anything. She is definitely the little diva of the family. She is currently 34.5 inches and around 22 pounds. She is a small little thing but that certainly doesn't mean much to her. She can be extremely loving and sweet and is the cuddler of the group, but she can be full of attitude and quite dramatic. For the past couple of weeks, instead of just saying "no" to us, it's "no way!" It is just so funny to hear this big ol' attitude coming out of this little girl. She also likes to test me, but not quite as much as her sister. Instead of looking at me smiling to see what I will do after I tell her no, she gets her feelings hurt and runs to her room pouting for a few minutes. She also speaks very well and has a great vocabulary. Makayla is more of an observer than Marissa is and this makes her a little more selective of whom she talks to. She won't go up to just anybody, but she is still pretty outgoing and is always ready to go somewhere. She is very smart and picks up on things very quickly. She is physically very strong for her size and I think she will do really well in sports in the future. She loves to play and have fun and also adores her big sister. She really likes Peppa Pig too and often asks to watch it, though she loses interest in it much quicker than Marissa. She does not sit still for very long and is usually the biggest protester at bed time. She is scared of loud noises and is not a fan of thunderstorms but luckily for her summer time is over so those aren't daily occurrences any more. She talks about puppies all of the time and often tells me we need a puppy or a kitty cat. She also likes to boss her siblings around.

Jack. This boy is hilarious. He is such a little clown and will do just about anything for a laugh. I can definitely see some talks with teachers in the future about this. He is 37.5 inches and around 26 pounds. He is long and lanky and the worst eater of the group, but he is very big on personality. He is a follower and would probably follow his sisters into just about trouble they asked. He is not the one who will lead them wrong, but he definitely will be right along for the ride! At nap/bed time however, he is the instigator and it is usually him I hear egging his sisters on or jumping up to turn the light on and play. He is incredibly sweet and always hugging and kissing either us or his sisters. He does not speak quite as well as his sisters. He speaks a lot, he just does not know how to create certain sounds (like P's or S's) so sometimes his words are unclear. He has the best laugh I've ever heard. It is a true from the belly laugh and it always makes me laugh to hear him. He still has a very big heart and will be quick to help his sisters out if they need it. He is very rough and luckily has Marley who will wrestle with him for hours. They are so hard on each other and I always worry one of them will get hurt, but they both love it. Jack's legs look like one big bruise and he usually has some sort of bump or bruise on his head. He loves sports and can throw a ball very hard! He likes to carry a toy around in his hand, especially in new environments. It doesn't have to be the same toy each day, just something random he grabs and keeps a tight hold of. He is just a very fun and entertaining little boy and so much fun to be around.

As a group, they can be more than a handful. They are currently going thru a slight obsession with poop and I can't even tell you how many times I have gone in their room in the past few months and ended up calling off nap time or delaying bedtime and going in there with a bottle of bleach instead. It is beyond frustrating- and gross- that they do this! They seem to get in the most trouble when they are not tired and all in their room, unsupervised, together. They take the mattress off their bed and turn it upright to climb up it and get things off of their top closet shelf or just to slide down. They can climb just about anything they try. Whoever doesn't think that girls are just as (and if not more) wild and crazy as boys need to come spend a day with my 3 girls. I don't think many boys could hang with them at times. I was really hoping they wouldn't be as fearless as their big sister, but unfortunately that is definitely not the case! They can be the best of friends and play together and have a great time. Some games they really enjoy playing with each other are Tag and Hide & Seek. They also love to dance together and race each other. However, they can also fight like there's no tomorrow and at times they can be overly dramatic over the smallest things. They will yell at each other and hit/bite/pull each other's hair. I often hear, "Stop it!" "No, you stop it!" "No, YOU stop it!" several times throughout the day and I am sure there are many more years of this ahead. They can also surprise me with how good they can be as a group. They are usually very good walking out in public and either hold my hand or each other's hand and they stay by me really well. They all still really love going to the Y and all of the workers there seem to really love them and always comment how well behaved they are. Potty training is going really well and at home they go about 90% of the time in the potty. They will also use the potty at the Y and often ask to use it when we are out somewhere. They definitely keep us busy and on our toes, but they are super fun little people and make life a whole lot more interesting and we realize how lucky we are to have these 4 amazing people in our lives.

Shopping at Home Depot

Worn out

Walking in to Marley's gymnastics

Mak & Marissa after having an eye exam

Makayla

Jack

Marissa

Makayla fighting a nap...she eventually lost :)

Update #1

I have been a horrible blogger. I just feel like there isn't enough time in the day to get everything done and this has been put on the backburner for quite a while. But, I want to be able to look back on these posts someday and recall what life was like at this time, so I am going to get some updates written!! Because it's been quite a while since I have written, there have been a lot of things that have happened in our lives. One of the bigger events is that my mom completed her chemotherapy. Yay for that!!! She did really well with it though the last few treatments really made her sick. She was getting an extremely strong dose of it and it surely did a number on her, but she bounced back strong after each one and we are glad to have that part of it done. She is now in her 2nd week of radiation. She will do this for 6 weeks, 5 days a week. So far she is doing really well with it too. We just can't wait for all of this to be over. She also sold her house (which was 3 miles down the road from us) and moved about 20 minutes away so between that and Mike's new work schedule which doesn't get him home until about 10pm, we don't get to see her nearly as much lately. All of the kids miss her a lot and talk about going to Mimi's house every day. Another big event that happened was I finished school!! I am now certified to teach Kindergarten thru 6th grade. I am really excited about that though we are not exactly sure when I will start working. The cost of having three toddlers in daycare and Marley in aftercare would be pretty substantial. So, we will see what the best decision ends up being. As I said before, Mike got a promotion at work and now works in the Claims Department at Progressive. He is really enjoying it so far and he has a lot more room to move up now.
Now, the main reason most people read this....the update on the little ones. I will start with Miss Marley. Since my last post, my little girl has turned FIVE! And also started Kindergarten!! She turned 5 in August and started school 2 weeks later. August was a very big month for her. She is doing great at school and really enjoys going. So far she has perfect attendance. She really likes her teacher (as do I) and she is learning a lot of new things. Her writing is getting very good and she is starting to read words, do simple math problems and many other things. As always, she is a very behaved student and I think the world would end for her (at least for a day) if she ever had her name clip moved down on the Behavior Chart. She received her first report card a few weeks ago and had all E's for Excellent. She has made a lot of new friends and we've already attended several birthday parties. I signed up to be Homeroom Mom (call me crazy) and try to juggle that along with toting three two year olds around all day and sometimes I think I bit off more than I can chew, but it's worth it to me. Marley is still in gymnastics and is now up to 3 hours of practice a week. I really enjoy watching her, but lately it seems as if I have to drop her off and come back a lot more than I would like to. The babies haven't been taking naps very well since I had to adjust the time they lay down and they usually fall asleep in the car picking her up from school and I don't want to wake them up after 15 minutes so we usually drop her off and then come back after they wake up. It's also a long time to ask them to wait patiently with not much there for them to do. They have gotten to go out and play at her gymnastics place a few times so that is all they want to do when they are there and they aren't happy when they can't. Sometimes it seems like Marley has to grow up faster than other 5 year olds, but I guess that's just how it is when you have 3 siblings the same age. She just joined the Dodgeball Team at school and really likes it. She was the only girl in it under the age of 9, but girlfriend can hang with the boys all day. I've always said she is my Princess Tomboy. She will be out digging in the dirt and catching frogs in her skirt, nail polish and high heels. Maybe that's what having two older cousins will do :) She really wanted to join Daisy's this year but unfortunately we just weren't able to. It's a really big commitment and many of the events I couldn't have taken the babies to and that's not really an option for me. They usually go anywhere I go. Hopefully next year she can join that. She is surely a very busy girl but she makes us so proud. She is very committed to school and to gymnastics and succeeds in both of them. She is still the best big sister these babies could ever ask for. She is incredibly patient with them and the four of them have so much fun together. She took them in as her Show & Tell "objects" a few weeks ago and even her teacher has told me several times what a big heart Marley has and what a caring friend she is to the other students. There are some things in life that just can't be taught, they simply come from within, and it makes me happy to see how much she cares about her siblings and friends. I always say that God knew what he was doing when he gave us Marley first. She is a wonderful example to her three babies and they adore her so much.
I am going to post this update on our lives in general and Marley and then write an update on each of the babies over the next few days. So, if you want to know what is new in the world of Marissa, Jack & Makayla........stay tuned!

First day of Kindergarten

Her 5th birthday

Marley & her teacher

Kaden, Marley & Keanu

Following big sis into the gym

My gorgeous girl

Flash Back Friday

Jack about a year ago. Oh how I love this sweet boy :)

Eye Doctor Follow Up #1

It has been 4 weeks since Jack was prescribed his glasses and the doctor wanted to see him so she could determine if glasses were helping his right eye. The first few days of wearing glasses were a bit tough and we had some moments of seeing who had the most willpower. Luckily it was a battle with my sweet boy and not one of the stubborn little girls who seem to believe that "NEVER give up" is the best motto to go thru life with so I always won. After a few days he decided he really liked them and ran in the morning to find them and put them on and often cried at night when I wouldn't let him sleep in them. Marissa and Makayla also got over their want of them and it was smooth sailing. This past Tuesday was his scheduled follow up and I had a good friend watching the girls until my aunt could get here after work. Marley went to gymnastics camp this past week and was there until 4pm. I scheduled Jack's appointment at 2pm which should have given me plenty of time to make it back to pick her up on time. We arrived at the doctor's office at 1:50pm and checked in. Around 2:15 the receptionist called me over to tell me that Jack's appointment was July 2nd. She was correct in that his ORIGINAL appointment was this day, but his follow up was scheduled for August 6th. I told her I had the card they gave me confirming this in my car and she asked me if I could go get it. I went to get it and brought it in to her and she said she would be right back with me. Jack and I sat back down and by 2:35 nothing further had been communicated to us. I went up to the desk to ask her what was going on and she asked me if I had my insurance card. I told her my insurance was the same as it was 4 weeks ago when we were there but gave it to her anyway. She again told me to sit down and she would be right with me. At 2:50 nothing had happened so we went back up and she told me she was waiting on my insurance company to call her back to confirm coverage. By this point I was getting impatient and being we were just in the office a month ago I found this to be ridiculous. At 3:05 I went up to the desk and told her we were leaving as it was over an hour past his appointment time, I needed to be back in Riverview in less than an hour to pick up my daughter and asking a 2 year old to wait this long was ridiculous. The office manager came up and apologized profusely and begged us not to leave and promised we would be the next ones seen. Being that Jack really needed to be seen, I agreed to wait but stood right in front of the window so they could see me. A few minutes later one of the techs called us back. She asked a few questions and then told me I needed to go back up front and sit until the doctor was free. I told her my appointment was scheduled for almost an hour and a half ago and I needed to be leaving in the next 15 minutes. She also apologized as she was unaware how long we had been waiting and went to see if a doctor was available then. She came back in and said the doctor was in with a patient but she had my chart at the front and once the doctor was free we would be the next ones called back. We went back up front and I again stood directly in front of the window and after few minutes we were called back. The doctor came in and did some checks on his eye and determined that the glasses are not helping his condition. She wants to try the next prescription strength, which happens to be the strongest one, and see him again in 4 weeks. If this doesn't help, he will need surgery on that eye. I asked her quite a few questions about the surgery but I am trying not to stress too much about it until the time comes to decide if he will have it or not. Through all of the waiting and all of the checks she did on him, Jack was SO good. He never cried or whined or even really acted up. The only thing he wanted to do was lay on the ground but I think this had more to do with him missing his nap than anything else. When we checked out I asked them to verify the appointment I made for the girls the last time I was there. Well, surprise surprise,  that was not in the system either. And the appointment slot that had been assigned to them was filled. So, I scheduled Jack's follow up and the little girls' initial appointment on the same day at a different office. Hopefully that staff has it together! When we went to leave it was pouring rain. We were in South Tampa and the streets were flooding, cars were going the wrong way down one way roads and I could not see a thing. Of course Jack was asleep after 5 minutes of being in the car. We were also way past 4pm when Marley needed to be picked up but luckily my mom was able to get her. We made it home just in time for me to drop Jack off at home and head back out to school. I will update everyone again in 4 weeks after his next follow up and let you know if the stronger prescription helps or if my boy needs surgery on his eye.

Poor guy was exhausted after leaving

Loving his glasses

This is what was going on at home while Jack and I were at the doctor's office!!!

Who's Your Daddy?

I have some seriously outgoing kids. Well, three of them are. They love talking to people and they especially love hugging people. Nobody is safe from them. They hug the pizza man, UPS man, every person they pass at the Y, the neighbors and pretty much anyone they see and have freedom to get to. Some people seem thrown off by having 6 arms wrapped around their bodies at once and others love it. The young pizza guy with tattoos all over his body seemed a little unsure what to do but the neighbor who they stand calling for at the front door is a self-proclaimed hugger too so he gets it. They also like to sit by people and talk to them or even ask for help with things. When we go play at the mall and they have to take their shoes off, they find the closest person to help them when it's time to put them back on. And the funny thing is that they don't even need help putting their shoes on. They just want to talk to someone. Marley was never outgoing. She still isn't. She is very much a mama's girl and has just recently started coming out of her shell somewhat. But she would never just go hug the cashier checking us out at Publix. But you better believe that the triplets will. We used to say that we wish Marley was a little more outgoing. Now I say I wish the babies were a little less! They have no prejudice on who they socialize with. Young, old, black, white, tall, short. It doesn't matter to them. Now recently Jack has taken it a little too far I think. He has started calling every man we see "Dad." And then they all laugh about it so I know he is doing it to be funny. When we were at the eye doctor the other day every man that sat near us he greeted with a "Dada?" and when the man got called back for his turn Jack would say, "Bye daddy" and wave and smile real big at him. Um, it was just a tad bit embarrassing! But what else can you do in that situation except smile and sometimes mutter, "That's not your dad." Hey, it kept him entertained! It is surprising to me they are so friendly with people simply because I was a very shy kid and Marley was/is too. I never had to worry about Marley taking something from someone she didn't know but I think these three would be lined up waiting their turn. We will see if eventually they stop hugging everyone or telling them as much as they can in a few minutes time and maybe realize that a little wave or smile is enough, but for now the pizza man, UPS man and everyone else who looks their way (which is everyone we pass most of the time) will have to deal with the hug fest that ensues when they encounter the Boucher Triplets.

The crazy little people of our house





 

Liebster Award!

                             This little blog was nominated for a Liebster Award!

Thank you to Spring (my dear friend who is also a mommy of triplets) over at 30 Fingers, 30 Toes


For those of you who have never heard of the Liebster Award, it’s a fun way for small bloggers to give recognition to other small bloggers (with 200 followers or less) for the contributions they make to the blogosphere.



Here are the rules: 

- Thank the Liebster Blog presenter who nominated you and link back to their blog.

- Post 11 facts about yourself, answering the 11 questions you were asked and create 11 questions  for your nominees.

- Nominate 11 blogs who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen.

- Display the Liebster Award logo.

- No tag backs meaning you can’t just re nominate the person who nominated you.

 

The questions I was asked to answer are as follows:

 

1. What was your reaction when you found out you were expecting multiples? Very surprised!! And in disbelief I had three in there!! And worried how our 2 year old daughter would react.

 

2. What was your spouse's reaction? He was shocked too. He asked the ER Doctor, "You are SURE you saw three heartbeats? Three??"

 

3. How did you tell your family/friends? Most of them we called as quick as we could.

 

4. What is your favorite activity to do at home with the kids? Before their bedtime we all snuggle and watch Bubble Guppies together. They are all very sweet to each other during this time and it's quite peaceful.

 

5. Where is your favorite place to go as a family? Busch Gardens. Or the beach.

 

6. What is your easy, go to meal for the kids? Dinosaur chicken, fruit & tater tots

 

7. What do you do for yourself for fun?  Not much these days :/  Read?

 

8. What is your dream family vacation? Disney Cruise!

 

9. DIY or store bought?  Usually store bought though I prefer DIY, I usually don't have the time or skill to pull much off.

 

10. Are you a routine/schedule follower or fly by the seat of your pants type? I follow a schedule with the triplets but for myself I am very much a fly by the seat of your pants type.

 

11. Where is one place you would NEVER take your multiples? I am trying to think of somewhere I wouldn't even try? At this age, a high-end, sophisticated restaurant. More so because I know most people are there to enjoy the environment and each other and even on their best behavior, they aren't near ready for that :)

 

 

 

Eye Doctor Visit!

Jack had his visit with the eye doctor on Tuesday. I was really curious the ways they would test a two year old's vision. Marley went along as usual for moral support and I am sure Jack was really glad to have atleast one of his sisters with him. When they first called us back, they had him follow a light with his eyes, just like the checks at his well visits. About 10 feet away, they had the usual letter chart but since he is so young they had a really neat alternative. There was a large cabinet with several different shelves. It was fairly dark and each individual shelf would light up with a different animal on it and his eyes would automatically look at the shelf where the light and fun sounds were coming from. They would cover each of his eyes one at a time and watch how his eyes focused. After this they dilated his eyes and told us to go back in the waiting room and they would come get us in 20 minutes. Well, 20 minutes turned into an hour! Luckily Jack and Marley were both really good and patient. When they called us back the nurse said one of his eyes wasn't dilated enough so they had to put more drops in and make us wait even longer. When the doctor came in she did similar tests to the earlier ones and also put on her super magnifying glasses to check the insides of his eyes. Jack was very good thru all of this and only got upset with the eye drops going in his eyes. They said one drop was extremely cold and the other stung, so I don't blame him for crying! As soon as he could sit up he calmed right down. The doctor said that his right eye is not being used effectively. When she covered his left eye, he would panic a little and try to move his entire head so his left eye could look at the objects. She said his brain has become so used to not using his right eye, that he does not know how to use it when his left eye is covered. His right eye also turns in a little when he looks at objects and he has a hard time focusing it. The good news is that his inner eye is fine and there is no permanent damage done, it just needs some strengthening which will happen once he learns to use it. Our first attempt to get him to use his right eye will be with the use of glasses. At first I admit I was disappointed when the doctor told us this. Going in to any doctor appointment, your first hope is that they will say there is nothing wrong, everything is perfect and go back home. So when we did not get that news, it was a bit hard. Then I thought of the fact that I had three premature babies who could have had SO many other major issues and how many other parents wish their biggest worry was their child needing glasses and I realized I was being silly. I did ask the doctor what would happen if he won't wear the glasses because Jack does not really like things on his head or face and he also happens to have two sisters the same age who may enjoy pulling his glasses off of his face! She said he really needs to wear them because glasses usually work great for this type of issue and if he won't wear them then the next option would be surgery. Obviously I do not want him to have to get surgery so please pray that he will keep these things on!

I took him today to go get fitted for his glasses and he did look pretty dang cute with them on!! I let him pick which ones he liked and he seemed to be okay with them on, for a few minutes atleast. I have read that once children realize how much the glasses help that they will be putting them on first thing in the morning but it often takes a while for them to realize it and get used to them. He goes back in 4 weeks for a recheck so he better get used to them fast! I was not able to order his glasses today as I received the worst customer service EVER at my beloved Target. I have never left that store so annoyed! There were two ladies working there and when we got there they were each helping someone else. I found the kids glasses and one of the ladies said she would be with us once she was free. Two people came in after us and were seen before us. By this point, Jack and Marley were getting bored and I was getting frustrated so I asked her when we would be seen. (The other lady still had her original customer.) She said she would help us next. Well, two MORE people came in and she helped them instead! I walked over to her and told her since we were obviously being ignored that we would just leave and I expected her to realize how rude she was being and apologize and help us. Instead she simply said, "Have a nice day" and looked away. I could not believe it! If she did not feel comfortable- or just did not want- to help a young child, she should have just said so originally or told me the other lady would be helping us. I will definitely will not be going back to Target for glasses or any eye care! When we left there I drove by the eye doctor Mike and I use to see their selection but because it's a holiday weekend they were closed. I will go on Monday to hopefully get my boy his glasses! So, that is how Jack's eye doctor appointment went and once he gets his glasses I will be sure to update on how that is going.
On a sidenote- they are all doing GREAT in their new beds!! So proud of them.

He really liked seeing himself with glasses on!

Jack & Marley waiting at the eye doctor

Big Weekend!

We had a lot of excitement around here this weekend. The most exciting would be that my nephews turned 9!! I really cannot believe that those sweet little boys are already so grown up. It makes me a bit sad actually. I remember the night of their birth like it was yesterday and also remember us always saying that, "Twins are tough but atleast you have two hands and often two people. What do people with more than two do?" Little did we know! I have- and will- always hold a very special place in my heart for those boys. My brother and I are neighbors so I have literally watched them grow up and we all love that we can look out the front window and spy on them. My brother is such a good dad to them and it's obvious just how much they love him. Happy Birthday to Meatball & Kadencakes :)

On Saturday Marley also had a gymnastics meet. She did so good in all of her events, especially vault. She had a near perfect score and the man behind us said, "Wow, she's not messing around!" Lol! She was so excited to get another trophy. Her coaches have been telling me she needs to move up to the next level, but the practice increases to an hour and a half two days a week and that is a long time for the babies to wait in a small waiting area for her. She is definitely ready though so hopefully I can figure it out soon.

And the last big thing that happened this weekend is the triplet's moved to BEDS! They have been climbing out of their cribs for quite some time now and I kept putting it off because I really dreaded when they would have free access to everything. Well, two weeks ago my cousin called me to see if we wanted a twin sized trundle bed and of course we did! It happens to be the same line of beds that Marley has which I thought was pretty neat. We planned on converting one crib to a twin size bed and using the trundle. We didn't realize until today that the cribs actually only convert to toddler bed then full size so Jack is sleeping on the toddler bed until we can buy a twin frame. Nap time today was spent with them playing and having a good time not sleeping. However tonight they all went straight to sleep and actually stayed in the same spots they originally laid down in. I couldn't believe it!! So proud of my little munchkins. So, here's to hoping that tonight wasn't just first night's luck and they continue this! :)

Jack Jack sleeping away in his bed

Happy 9th Birthday Keanu & Kaden!

Mike & Marley at her meet

Love these 3 faces!

Precious little Kaden

Brothers :)

As little babies <3

Kaden & Keanu at 8 months

Best friends

Keanu playing ball

Makayla (bottom) & Marissa in their new bed

Fun in the Sun!

Living in Florida, between the months of May and October, unless you are in water you probably do not want to be outside between the hours of 10am and 8pm. It is SO hot and it lasts forever. The past two summers we spent a lot of time indoors because the babies were too little to do much swimming and I didn't want them outside for too long unless it was late in the day. This summer however, we will be spending a lot of time outdoors because we have some.....

                                                                      BEACH BUMS!

Marley and Mike going swimming

They also got to go in the big pool for the first time ever. A lot of moms, especially those with multiples, have recommended Puddle Jumpers for the babies. A local friend (and mom of twins +2) had one she was getting rid of so I got it and two more. They work great! The only problem is outside of the water they tend to slide off of the babies tiny arms and waist, but in the water they work great and they can float to their heart's content. Makayla took to the pool right away, though she was more scared of the ocean at first, and was jumping in off the side after a few minutes and pushing us away so she could float alone. Jack was also jumping in after a few minutes and floating around by himself. He will learn to keep his mouth closed if he keeps drinking pool water! Marissa, who is not scared of the ocean water at all, was the most hesitant but even she was jumping in and floating in no time. Marley loves all of it. Anything that has to do with the sun, sand and water is perfect to that girl! She is a true Florida girl at heart and I think all three of her siblings are following closely in her footsteps!

Makayla getting ready to jump in

They were really good at climbing out

My little fishies all ready to go!

Makayla loves just floating around

Marley swimming

Marissa having fun

Blood Work & Dentist Visits

At their two year checkups, the doctor said he would like Jack to have some blood work done to check a few different things. Jack is always in a very high percentile in length and very low in weight and he still drools quite a bit and these could all be indicators that his thyroid may not be functioning as it should. I think he is thin because he doesn't eat a whole lot and I think part of his drooling is due to the fact that he still has a ton of teeth coming in. And I think it has become a bit of a habit for him. But, I definitely want to know for sure, and it will be good to have baseline blood work incase there are ever questions in the future and we need comparisons. I originally scheduled his appointment on a Saturday morning because Mike is off of work and that way I wouldn't have to drag all 4 kids to an appointment I wasn't sure would go so smoothly. As a baby, Jack had horrible veins and would have to have IVs in his scalp because of it. When he was a few months old, he had to have blood drawn and they poked his poor little body all over the place and had a terrible time. So, I was really dreading taking him because of this. I took him on that Saturday and when we got there they said they can only do what he needed Monday thru Thursday. Frustrating! But, I made the appointment for the following Thursday because Mike was going into work late anyways because Marley had a dentist appointment. So, Thursday morning Jack, Marley & I went to his appointment together. They had him sit in the chair and the nurse starting tapping his arms to find the best vein and then she looked at me and said, "He has no veins." I was worried she would say that. She then picked his left arm and called another nurse in to help hold him down since he is so young. She stuck his arm, wiggled the needle a tiny bit and out came blood!! Woohoo!!! She had to take 4 vials from him and he did not cry, whine, complain, or even move. The other nurse just stood there talking to us. When she was done she gave him high fives and told me she had never seen such a cooperative two year old. She said she also couldn't believe she got it on the first try. Yay for Jack! Now we just have to wait a few more days for the results. After that, we drove down the street for Marley's dentist appointment. She really, really loves going and was really excited that Jack got to watch her. She had a super friendly hygienist named Cricket and it went great. Jack sat on my lap watching the whole time (they are such good babies when you get them individually) and then the dentist checked Marley and told her she had no cavities. They make a really big deal out of it there and she got to ring a bell, pick stickers, a (sugar free) lollipop, and a coin to choose a toy. When we finished up we were up front setting up her next appointment and I asked them when I should bring in the triplets. She said why not now? I figured, well we are here and then I just have to have the little girls done, so why not! We went back in and sat down and the hygienist told me that the dentist would be cleaning his teeth. Then what I heard her say was, "We will have you sit in the chair and Jack sit on your lap. Then you will lean back and put your head in the dentist's lap." I laughed a little bit and said, "Ok" and I am sure I gave her a crazy look. The dentist came out in the next few minutes and I turned my chair and started leaning back in her lap and she said, "Um what are you doing?" I was like, "She said I needed to put my head in your lap for his cleaning" and she said, "No, HIS head goes in my lap for the cleaning." Talk about embarrassing!! The whole staff got a chuckle out of that. But, he did really well for his first cleaning and just whined a little during it. No cavities for Jack either so he got all of the goodies big sis had. I am glad everything went so smoothly and now I just have to schedule Marissa and Makayla's first teeth cleaning!

No cavities!

Waiting to be called back

Ready for her cleaning

See this mom?! We need one at home

Tough boy after having his bloodwork