Play time for boys (rest for mommy!)

We had a great weekend celebrating my mom's birthday. She had all her kids and grandbabies there and we had brunch catered from Mimi's. Even a few brave souls ventured out into the pool. According to Nate it was "freezing" which if you know Nate, it must've been pretty dang cold for him to say that. Alexander had a meltdown when we made him get out to go take a nap. I swear he was a fish in his former life.

Since the triplets began sitting up, we have actually rediscovered something: it's called REST. Especially when all 4 boys play together, it gives us a chance to just sit back and watch. That is until someone bops their head on something or starts fighting over a toy. But until then, they are learning to entertain themselves. I honestly can't wait until they are mobile so they can fetch their own toys and change the scenery themselves. I know that creates a whole other set of issues but we just need to become baby proofing ninjas and we'll be fine!


Everyone playing nice together! (for now...)

Mom followed up the weekend by spending the day with Alexander today. His nanny is on vacation for the week so we are all taking days with him. Today I came home and they were making an apple pie. They had a great day. Grandma (aka, Nama) reported that they were at the park today and Alexander not only identified a girl, but a "pretty girl." Oh my. He also made a special request for Wendy's for lunch and Nama gave in! I can't wait for the next 2 days I get with the little guy. Tomorrow's agenda = ZOO!



Mommy of 4 Moment

Dinners at the ranch are pretty "active" (aka, stressful and loud). After we feed the babies in their highchairs, we get Alexander up to the plate with his dinner, while trying to keep the babies entertained with toys at their highchairs, picking up toys when they crash to the floor, and trying to inhale our food as fast as we can. The other night after a particularly crazy dinner time, Alexander wanted to get down from the table, put on his shoes and go play outside in the amazing weather. With a baby in my arm and adults and dogs whizzing around trying to clear off the table, I find Alexander's shoes and put them on him. He runs off and then I hear Papi yell out to me, "Prinny, his shoes are on the wrong feet!" Whoops.

Alexander's shoes on the wrong feet

 It was pretty funny. I had to document the "mommy of 4 moment."

Speaking of feet, yesterday morning the triplets were all chowing down on their bottles, playing footside with each other. It was pretty sweet.

Boys playing footsie and holding their own bottles - at 7 months

Another breakthrough!

It was a week and a half ago that I removed Winston's meds from our daily routine and he has been doing great! I was so hesitant to stop the medicine and then to declare it a success, hence the week of waiting and watching. But everything has worked out and now I have 3 babies who all are on Advanced Similac formula (the regular stuff, no sensitive, no alimentum, nada!) and none are on meds, none have cereal in bottles!! I am inclined to attribute these breakthroughs to the cranio sacral therapy because it was only after we started therapy that these changes began to happen. Nate is still super skeptical and thinks this is all coincidence. All I know is they are better and that's what matters! While I cannot with 100% certainty give all credit to the cranio sacral therapy because I just don't know, I would highly recommend it to other mothers and I have already. There is nothing to lose and in my opinion, it works.
An update on my boys: the little ones are 7 months old and all sitting up. They love me singing and reading to them, and are starting to fight for toys already amongst themselves. Alexander is starting to interact with them more and they are just captivated by him. Today cousin Oliver visited and the two big cousins ran around having a great old time. I could tell the babies, especially Winston, really wanted to get up and go play chase with them. I kept telling them, "someday soon enough!" Winston has 5 big teeth and a huge wide smile. Benjamin has two bottom ones and two "I" teeth as my grandma calls them, which are the teeth beside the two top teeth -weird I know! It's going to look like he has lost his two front teeth already! Theodore finally got two bottom teeth this week- he is still a mouth full of gums and has his bashful big smile.
As soon as I can get my stupid camera to work, I'll post some new pics!

Turning 2

Sometimes I think it's too bad that Alexander more than likely will not "remember" his life right now. For the most part, he has it made: grandparents and caregivers around the clock lined up to meet his emotional, physical, and mental needs; parents (or mommy atleast) who probably over-compensate (when it's physically possible) with attention because they feel guilty that he instantly had to share EVERYTHING with 3 needy little human beings. But, I guess there are reasons why our minds block certain things out early in life, like turning 2. Your appetite starts to wane (unless sweets are involved), no one seems to understand that everything is about "me!", you have to start doing your business in a weird chair with a hole, and your parents throw you an overwhelming birthday party that you didn't ask for and invite people you don't know and their kids of all ages (and then say "No gifts please!). Alexander just turned 2 and had to endure (poor kid, I know) all of those things. His birthday party at an inflatable bouncy/slide place was fun but sometimes a little too much for Alexander because he left the room a couple of times opting for some relative peace and quiet for a few minutes. The triplets were great and no one had a melt down but we probably could have gone without a big party this year. I guess the 2 yr old party is more for the parents. I enjoyed getting out of the house with the whole clan and enjoyed seeing friends, although the entire morning was a blur. All in all, Alexander had a great birthday - getting to eat cake on his birthday morning for breakfast (made by nama- my mom's title), few presents (including an awesome train table), time with his Grandpa D and Rose from Houston, and time with some other buddies, namely cousin Oliver. Even though he won't remember exactly what he did and where he went on his birthday, he will remember he was loved.

I have pictures to share but something is wrong with my camera.... Will add later.

Breakthrough!!

Only a mother could be as excited as I am that Benjamin no longer needs cereal in his bottle!!
A little over two weeks ago he was being served each and every bottle with two heaping tablespoons of rice cereal in it, due to reflux. I believe he is now the chunkiest of the three because of that. It was around that time that I actually tried to cut down on the cereal to see if he had outgrown the reflux but when he threw up everywhere, I realized the problem still existed. That's when we went to see the cranio sacral therapist. After our first session, she suggested that we start cutting down the cereal gradually, which we have done over the past two weeks.  By yesterday, we were down to one small teaspoon of cereal in the bottle (which I was nervous about) and by chance (or a diminishing store of brain cells), I accidentally served Winston the cereal bottle and Benjamin the bottle with no cereal in it. He did great! So the rest of the day we fed him bottles without cereal and he continued to do great!! Next, we will start to take him off the meds. We went to therapy again yesterday and she said he is still a little twisted but definitely getting better. I am so thrilled about this, not to mention the past 5 nights of great sleep everyone has had. They have all been little angels and Benjamin overall has just been happier. The jury is still out on Winston, I think mostly because he has been teething like crazy (he cut another two teeth this weekend for a total of 4!) so it is hard to detect a happier mood for him.

All of you non-believers out there (ATTN: NATE!!!) pay attention - therapy is working! We go again next week. Maybe I will cut out meds then. Fingers crossed! xoxo