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

TWO!

The triplets turned two last week (This has been a post in the works.) They love telling everyone that they are two and a few times I have told them they couldn't do something and they look at me and say, "Mom we two" like that means they can do anything they want now. We had a small get together over the weekend with lots of swimming and some cake too. They had a lot of fun playing with all of their friends enjoying their day. They had their two year checkup on Friday and it went really well. The girls were very friendly with the doctor and told him all kinds of things. They pointed out their body parts to him and were very cooperative while he checked them. Jack wasn't quite so thrilled about it, but he didn't get too upset and nobody had to get shots this time! Jack does need to see a couple doctors to double check a few things but nothing major. He is going to have some labs run just to check his thyroid and have some blood tests. He also has to see a Pediatric Ophthalmologist to make sure he doesn't have a slight lazy eye. The doctor wasn't too concerned but being Mike has horrible eyes that could have been fixed as a child, I don't want to take any chances. Developmentally they are doing great. The doctor was very impressed by how much the girls talk and what they know and said Jack talks like "a normal two year old boy." They are still on the small side, but more or less following their growth curves so all is well. Here are their 2 year stats:

Jack- 36ish inches, 24ish pounds (he wouldn't stand still) which is 90% length and 15% weight
Marissa- 33.25 inches, 22 pounds which is 59% length and 9% in weight
Makayla- 32.75 inches, 21 pounds which is 34% length and 3% in weight

They haven't grown much (physically) since their 18 month appointment but there's nothing wrong with being petite! Jack is our tall, lean boy but he has a lot of big friends who can protect him when he's quarterbacking a football team one day.

Makayla is still the boss of the group. She is super smart and very observant. She can talk really well, often using complete sentences. I can ask her a question like, "Where is dad?" and she will answer "Daddys at work!" The other day we were sitting outside and two birds flew by. I asked her if she saw the bird and she said, "No mama, two birdies." Well excuuuuuse me! She can be very bossy and opinionated, but she is also very sweet and silly. She loves to mimic faces and body language and has mastered the stomping foot and crossing arms while sighing at me act that her big sister often does. She always wants to go somewhere and would leave in a heartbeat if somebody offered. Last week a good friend was here and for two days after Makayla kept telling me she wanted to go bye bye with her. She put her backpack on and looked out the window just waiting for her ride to show up. So, if anyone wants to spend a day with a super little girl, just let me know! ;) She is very clever when it comes to fighting with her brother and sister and usually let the other two duke it out while she sits back and waits for them to get in trouble so she can grab the wanted toy. The girl keeps me on my toes for sure. Marissa is a little comedian. She has a hilarious fake laugh and often busts it out when she wants everyone to notice her. She makes really silly faces and loves to "scare" people or pretend she is sleeping and surprise you when she yells that she's awake. She talks really well too and uses phrases and sentences too. One of her favorites is, "Mama, I need that!" though she is usually referring to something that is definitely not needed. She still loves electronics and often asks to play the Ipad. She is the bravest of the group right now and has no fear of anything. She really thinks she can do anything her big sister does and follows right behind. Jack is my favorite little boy on the planet (can't say that about any of the girls!) He is the sweetest boy and always thinking of others. He still passes out food to his sisters, takes their snacks to them and just makes sure they are not getting left out of anything. Earlier I gave him and Makayla a lollipop while Marissa was still napping. He asked for one for her and went and slid it under the door so she could have it when she woke up. He just melts my heart! He loves hugging us and all of his sisters often. Him and Marley have a great relationship. They are always playing together and he adores his big sis. She loves what a clown he is and how he makes everyone laugh. She also loves she can be a big rougher with him than with the girls and takes advantage of that! He does not talk quite as good as his sisters, but he is getting there. He has many words in his vocabulary and if his sisters would be quiet long enough for him to speak, he'd probably be right there with them! He tends to have a one track mind at times and if he sees something he wants, it is hard to get his attention from it. I think that is a boy/man thing.
Together they are so much fun. They definitely keep me busy and sometimes a bit crazy, but they are such special little people! They continuously amaze me with what they can do and say and know. They all feed off of each other and at times it can be REALLY loud here, but it's always a lot of fun. They like hanging out upside in their beds together, climbing out of their cribs together (eek!), climbing over the (extra high) gates together, climbing up the walls together, climbing over the back of the couch together, and anything else that requires mischief. (Notice a theme here!) They are becoming very friendly with people out in public, often telling the person how old they are first and then a few random bits of information. Jack does like to pretend he is bashful and hide his face but there is always a huge smile that gives him away. The most recent new accomplishment they have done as a group is graduated from their wagon to walking when we arrive/leave somewhere. I used to automatically put them in their wagon because they didn't always want to stay by me or each other. They really wanted to walk and caught on to the fact that if they listen and stay with me, I will let them. So, now I don't have to haul the wagon out every time we go somewhere which is really nice! Marley just loves her babies still and has so much fun with them. They love playing Barbies with her and anything else she asks them to do. They all really love playing Hide and Seek and even know to cover their face and count to 10. She has really taught them a lot and some of the things they do are things I know they picked up from her!! Age 2 is off to a great start and I can't wait to see what else it brings!! :)

Sweet girls

Working on numbers

Nothing stops them from getting where they want to be

Love

Playing around

Walking out of the gym

What kind of trouble can I get into now!?

Bath time!

They all just hang out like this

Time Marches On....

I officially have a Kindergartner. And in 11 hours, I will have three 2 year olds. I don't know which one is harder to grasp! At times I feel that Marley should be the one turning two. It seems she has grown up so fast. I will always have a special bond with my first born. I need her and she needs me. There isn't much that we don't do together and unless one of us is at school, you often don't find me without her nearby. If it was up to her, I think we would be together every hour of every day of every year. Give or take a few. I am going to miss her so much when she is gone at school the majority of the day. And I know the babies will too. This week is her first week of summer break and every morning they have run out to her yelling, "Sissy home!" and give her big hugs the minute they see her. Her graduation ceremony was so nice. Her teachers are SO amazing. Not only are they just good, caring, kind people but they are wonderful teachers. They have taught my little girl so much about life and love and of course, learning. She is stronger, wiser and braver because of them. They taught her that it is okay to make mistakes, it is always important to try her best, that she should always believe in herself, when she needs help to simply ask for it, to be kind to her friends, and to start every day with a positive attitude. And that's not even including all of the reading, writing and arithmetic they taught her! I will always hold a special place in my heart for her amazing preschool teachers and hope they realize what special people they all are. Their patience may truly be tested in a year when the triplets start preschool with them!
Speaking of triplets, they are going to be two tomorrow! (I will write a detailed blog about that soon.)Two years ago at this time, I was sitting here in denial labor and thinking I wasn't quite ready for them to make their grand arrival. Obviously they didn't listen. And that was just the beginning of that! They have continuously amazed me since the day they were born. They are some sweet, loving, smart and wild little crazies. But they are my crazies and I am thankful every day.

Marley and her cousins

Mrs. Holly giving the graduate her diploma

So darn proud of herself!

Marley & Mimi

Still itty-bitties!

Always smiling

Jack & Marissa

I remember how Makayla (in very back) wrapped her arm around her brother all by herself and snuggled up as close as she could. Melted my heart

Marley & Bre :)








 

Student Teaching Day 1

I got to sit in my first classroom today for about four hours. It was a lot of fun and now I am REALLY excited to finish my program so I can start! And lucky me got to sit in the classroom of these two handsome fellas....

 

My friend (and Marley's old daycare teacher) Claire stayed with the babies until I got home and they all had lots of fun blowing bubbles and playing together. They really enjoy interacting with different people now. They all hugged her bye when it was time for her to leave but I have another day scheduled at the school for next week so it won't be long until they can play again.

 

I just put Marley to bed for the last time as a Preschooler. She graduates tomorrow!! I can't believe it. How bittersweet.  My little girl is growing up...

Birthday Time....And a New Look!

Today is Mike's birthday. I would say the person in the house most excited about this is Marley. She knows that the order goes daddy's birthday, the babies' birthday, her cousin's birthday and then her birthday! So, each birthday that can get checked off the list and therefore bringing hers closer causes a whole bunch of 4 year old excitement. We are working on a tight budget these days with one income for a family of six and pretty much anything that can break seems to have broken in the past 2 weeks, so we kept it a nice, low-key fun time at home. Mike had to work so while the babies napped today, Marley and I made him his favorite kind of cake as well as a batch of brownies. Not good for our diets, but oh so delicious! We all played out back for about an hour after he got home from work and then came inside for baths and just played inside until bedtime. Marley and I went to pick up my mom this evening so she could come over and see everyone and we sent her home with some desserts for later. Happy birthday to Mike!!

I am working on a new look for my blog. It is turning out to be more of a pain than anything, but hopefully by time I am done it will be worth it. So, if you are on the page and it looks a mess, please just bear with me until I finish.

Tomorrow is my first day of field experience and I am so excited for it so off to bed for me....

Brownies and cake! Yum!! And yes, those are '33' candles ;)

Makayla sat on Mimi the entire time she was here

Helping dad open his present

My little baker

Showing off his Yankees doormat and steering wheel cover. Can't say I will mind wiping my dirty shoes on that mat!

 

We Are Still Here!!

Life has been way too busy lately and blogging has not been a top priority. A few weeks ago I went to update everyone and the website kept giving me issues, but now it seems to be working fine. I am not even sure where to begin. There's been great things happening around here and not so great things. Let's start with the positive!

- Marley is graduating preschool. THIS Friday!
- The triplets will be 2 NEXT WEEK!
- I am back in school to be a teacher! And will be certified by THIS September.
- Mike has lost 80 pounds. Yes, that is 8 0.
- Marley & I were in a wedding this past weekend.
- We had a quick visit from Mike's brother & his wife recently

I am in disbelief that my little Marley will be turning 5 in August and a couple weeks after that she will be starting Kindergarten. It is just amazing what a sweet and loving little girl she is. She is doing so good in gymnastics, t-ball and swimming and hopefully will get to go to some summer camps in the upcoming months. She loves her babies more than I could have ever imagined and I am so proud of her. She is an awesome little kid!!

The triplets are almost 2!!! In 9 short days, they will officially hit the "Terrific Twos." They are doing great. The girls talk my ears off and are so dang smart. You can have actual conversations about things with them. Such as this recent one- Me: "Good morning girls. How are you this morning?" Makayla- "Good. I'm uppppp." Me- "I see that. Who made this mess in the living room?" Makayla- "Not me. It was Jack Jack." Me- "You didn't do any of it?" Makayla- "No. Just Jack Jack." It is amazing how quick they pick up on things and all that they know. I will give more detailed updates on their 2 year post. Jack is doing great too. He is not quite as developed in the speech department as his sisters, but he communicates in his own way. He is still a little ham and always so happy. He's a great brother to his three sisters. He's shown he can be very protective, very caring and very silly with them. They have a great bond and I have really enjoyed the age they are all at lately.

I decided to pursue a dream I have always had and am back in school to become a teacher. If all goes as planned, which so far it is with A's in my first two classes, I will be done by September. I hope to teach Kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grade. I will be certified to teach thru 6th though and will take what I can get!

Mike has still been going strong at eating good and exercising and is now down 80 pounds!! So proud of him. He has done really good and needs a new wardrobe. Maybe he should replace those Yankee shirts with Rays shirts!

This past weekend Marley and I were in a very good friend's wedding. It was so much fun and Marley rocked it out as a Flower Girl. I can't even count how many people came up to us to tell us how beautiful she is and what a good job she did. Girlfriend loved all of the pampering she received and is already asking to go back to get her nails done.

Mike's older brother and his wife came to visit us in March. It was a short visit, but we all had a lot of fun. The kids loved playing with them and we hope they come back really soon!

So, that is the big, good stuff quickly. Now the not-so-good stuff. Many of you know my mom and know what a wonderful person she is. My entire life, anytime I have met someone who knows my mom, they talk about how great she is. Or how she is always smiling. Or how she is just so sweet. Roughly 2 months ago, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer. Words cannot describe the shock and sadness we felt when we found out. Life just isn't fair sometimes. She has already undergone two surgeries and is about to begin several months of chemotherapy, radiation and hormone replacement therapy. It really doesn't make sense sometimes, but I guess all we can do is hold on and keep moving forward. She's got 6 grandbabies who aren't slowing down for some stupid thing called cancer and I hope soon that this is all just a bad memory.

So, that is our life in the past couple months in a nutshell. I know it's been awhile and I rushed thru this, but I will be more diligent now :)

Playing in rain puddles at the front door

Marley loving on Makayla

My four loves

Jacqui & Justin's wedding

The beautiful bride....almost two years ago with Marissa!

Jack enjoying the warm weather

Gymnast girl doin' her thing

Oh I love these little faces

Before my mom's first surgery. Even smiling then!

It's gotta be fun to have built in playmates

They are all so silly

Uncle Shane & Jack

Some girl time with Aunt Jenn