Happy Birthday x 3!

Alexander making birthday muffins

We made it!! The babies turned 1 last week and boy did we celebrate. On their birthday morning, Alexander, daddy, and I woke them up with blueberry muffins singing "happy birthday to you!" Alexander helped each one of them blow their candle out. He was such a proud big brother.

We let them eat their muffins in their cribs and it was hilarious how each of them approached it. Benjamin stood up to receive his muffin and ate it immediately, he didn't even sit down to enjoy it! I barely had anything to clean up. He is my sweet little piglet. Winston was kind of perplexed about the whole thing, took a few bites then kind of rolled around in it. Theodore sat down with the muffin between his legs and quaintly picked at and ate his muffin. He is the epitome of cute.

Winston with muffin crumbs wondering what's going on

Theodore with his muffin in bed

Benjamin standing and eating on birthday morning

 

Alexander was so funny about eating the muffins upstairs. We have a rule that you can't eat upstairs (because it is carpeted) and he was very concerned about the babies eating in their cribs. I told him it was a special occasion but he still wouldn't eat his muffin until I sat him down, put a blanket over his lap and assured him multiples times that it was OK. He gobbled it up very fast in case I changed my mind. :)

At one year, we have a great routine and things are so much easier than they were in the beginning. Alexander is more forgiving (although he still wants to rip their heads off sometimes) and seems to find more humor in the everyday chaos. We find special time with him and he really appreciates it. He is potty trained but has an occasional poo-poo accident and sometimes it is a struggle to get him to go when we need to leave the house, etc. All in all, he is thriving and Nate and I comment everyday what a great boy he is.

Benjamin is our chunky, cuddly teddy bear. He is tough and sometimes a bully, but he definitely has a soft side and loves cuddles. My dad nick-named him "rodeo" because of his fearless and fun nature. His deep chesty laughs crack us up and his eyes are so expressive. He weighed in at 28 lbs and 31" at his 1 yr doc appt. Benjamin is cruising well but not standing or walking alone yet. He is the biggest guy by far so I don't expect him to walk first.

Happy Benjamin

Benjamin AKA "Rodeo" riding the pony at their birthday party

Theodore is pure sunshine and mellow as can be. He is a little on the sensitive side but he is definitely getting better. When I said he is the epitome of cute, he seriously is. I don't often look at the other boys and say, "awe, how cute!" But we are constantly looking at Theo and saying, "now that is freaking cute." He has this megawatt smile and is content with just playing by himself in a corner for a long period of time. He does this thing when you're holding him on your side and looking away from him (in our case, watching other kids), he will peek his head around to stare right into your face, as if to say, "Hi there, how are you?" I have never seen another kid do that. He loves eye contact. Theo weighed the least at 24 lbs (still in 73rd percentile) and also at 31". He doesn't seem too interested in walking although he cruises just as much as the other guys.

Winston Winston Winston. This guy is a handful and I would say the biggest "momma's boy." When Winston is happy his whole body shows it. His face is so expressive and he has these fierce eyes that show you he is either up to no good (and very happy) or very upset. He is probably the most advanced and really close to walking any day now. He just needs a little more confidence but physically I think he could do it. I wonder if when he takes off walking one day the others will follow soon after. All of the boys adore Alexander but Winston is probably the most in awe of his big brother. In fact, I could see him aligning with Alexander when they get older and the other two boys pairing up (with Benjamin being the protector of Theodore). Winston weighed in at 25 lbs and 30".

 

 

They are all saying "mama", "dada", and "uh oh", but they clearly understand much more. They are all on whole milk (good riddance formula!!) and we are down to one bottle at night. They are eating everything which is such a relief. Each of them have their favorites but it is nice to just make one meal for everyone now.

They had an amazing birthday party. Lots of friends and family came to celebrate three amazing boys and the journey we have all had this year. Here are some pictures from that fabulous day.


My mom outdid herself as usual and made the cutest (and extremely yummy) circus cakes for the boys.

Great-grandma got the boys their very own trains (shown here with Grandpa D) and they love them.

All the boys chowing down on cake (including the big guy who is addicted to icing like his mother.) It took them a little while to realize they had a big block of deliciousness in front of them but they finally got it.

Alexander posing on the pony.

 

 Theodore was not so crazy about the pony ride so he stuck with Papi.

 

Winston with GMA and the goats who did a great job of trimming our weeds (yes we had ponies AND goats.)

 

Now on to year #2 of life at the ranch...

How do I do it?

Everyone asks me, "How do you do it?" or they say something like, "I dont know how you're doing it." Depending on my mood, my response is usually something like, "Well, I just do it. It's amazing what you can accomplish if you have to." or "It's hard, but I just push through. It's getting better and the boys are so great. I am really lucky." Those responses all genuinely reflect how I feel but the truth is lately I'm not "doing it."
Before I explain, let me give a full disclaimer: working full time and running a household with four young children is the most difficult thing I've ever done but I would not change a thing. This crazy life that Nate and I have made for ourselves is the best thing ever. It is a daily struggle but it is worth it times ten.

Back to the painful truth.. I don't feel like I'm "doing it" because I am exhausted and there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do. I don't feel like I can do anything 100% and there are days when I feel like a failure in some if not all aspects of my life. Some days I feel like I accomplish a lot at work but then I go home and nothing goes right - kids are whiny and unhappy, the house is a mess, Nate and I are not on the same page, etc. On the flip side, there are days when everyone is happy and healthy at home, but I can't get anything right at work. This is the story of my life and I have accepted it, but lately my patience and confidence is wearing thin.

Alexander has these fits and wants to be held a lot lately, I think that is what has been especially wearing on me. I blame it on the terrible two's but I'm sure he also feels like he has to compete against his brothers for attention. The babies have been passing around this virus too that makes them cranky and clingy. There is really nothing I can do about either of these things except for give them lots of love. But momma is getting tired and somehow admitting to the world that I can't do it all makes me feel better. So there, I'm not doing it. And we're going to be just fine.

A month later

Forgive me friends and family, for the last time I posted on this blog was a month ago. On June 9th, we moved out of the Nash/Anderson ranch to our new family of 6 Evans ranch. While we still have boxes to empty and pictures to put up, we feel right at home and very comfortable in our new house.

Unpacking the kids :)

The boys have been amazing during this transition, in fact us adults have probably had a harder time than they have. I can only attribute the kids' confidence and security to the past 9 months of love they have received from grandparents and other supporters at the former ranch. For this, Nate and I are eternally grateful.

Happy and loving each other for the moment!

The babies love their new space and are still exploring the house. Last night for the first time we watched the babies chase and laugh at each other in the kitchen. It was pure pleasure for Nate and I to watch them interact with and make each other happy. At 10 and a 1/2 months they are starting to acknowledge and entertain each other almost as much as they annoy each other.

Alexander has taken ownership of "my house" and although he has hit the terrible two's, he has been a trooper through all the changes he has endured. He has not only moved into a new house, but he has transitioned into a big boy toddler bed, started "school," started wearing underwear consistently and going potty in the toilet, and got a trendy new summer cut. All of this and he continues to be a big helper and sweet big brother. Yes, there are times when he it is clear he wants to rip a baby's head off for trying to take his toy, but he shows great self-control and we are so proud of him.

Outside watching daddy mow the grass. Let's hope he's still this interested when he's of lawn-mowing age.

I struggle daily with setting boundaries and establishing discipline for Alexander while making sure he gets a lot of love amidst the chaos at home. I have learned to praise him a lot when he has earned it and hug him a lot when he is struggling with how to express himself.

The triplets are so amazing. They are all crawling like crazy and pulling up on furniture at every opportunity. But each of them are special in different ways.

Benjamin is our biggest boy, the least agile but actually quite a quick crawler especially when he's in "chase me" mode. His biting has cut down, probably because we catch him and he responds to "No!" He chows down at dinner time, so much so that I am looking for where his food could possibly have gone. Benjamin is such a sweet boy and probably the most playful with Alexander.

Benjamin!

Theodore is still the most sensitive and needs lots of hugs, but he is also most prone to be playing in the corner by himself for extended periods of time. He has the best fine motor skills but is probably the most clumsy with gross motor skills like cruising and crawling. He is most sure to brighten your spirit with a smile and his fro anyday.

Theodore 

Did I mention Theo is the messiest eater??

Winston has been labeled the "alpha" because he is the toughest and acts as the leader, but he has lately also relished in lots in cuddles and kisses from momma. He is undeterred when Alexander scolds him from encroaching on his property because Winston is very focused and doesn't back down easily.

Winston

All four boys need cuddle time and I basically rotate them on my lap during play time. Someone always needs to calm down, needs some extra loving or comfort, and I am happy to provide it. They all respond to light-hearted fun and jokes. Remarkably they seem to be learning how to share. Alexander is learning how to "trade" toys that he wants for other ones to keep the babies pacified.

I am very proud of my boys and our new home. Come visit if you can!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE JEFFREY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE JEFFREY!!

Proud momma keep on rollin

We hit another milestone this week as the triplets turned 9 months old and the last to crawl finally decided to get up and go (Go Benjamin!) I am so proud of all my boys. The babies are good eaters although we have a picky one emerging. I swear all they want to do is eat what we are eating. Whereas it was heart-wrenching to wean Alexander off of the bottle at 1 year, I have a feeling it won't be as bad with these tough guys. They want to hang with big brother and bottles seem to get in the way. 3 more months, I will be glad to toss those forever!

All 3 are crawling at different speeds; think of a tortoise, a hare and some cute little animal in between (that would be Theodore :). All are sleeping well at night and have two solids naps during the day.

I am also proud that all 3 are pacifier free as well. I don't judge people who use them by any means, I just personally hate the darn things and never wanted to get them attached. So although the boys have never used them during the day, we had one last hold out who seemed dependent on it at night time (Benjamin again!) But last week we took it away cold turkey and he has been a champ.

At their 9 month appointment, Winston came in at 22lbs13oz and 29", Theodore was 23lbs6oz and 31.25", and Benjamin topped the percentile charts at 26lbs 30.25". They are all on track developmentally but I can't imagine what our 1 year visit is going to be like with these 3 guys all up on the doctor's table together. It was hard to keep them all up there safely, especially my wild child Winston!

Alexander continues to be such a trooper and I hope I never take that for granted. We move into our new home in 2 weeks and I worry the most for him. The babies will adjust but Alexander has grown so close to his extended family, I know he will miss them dearly. He loves, and I love watching him, making the rounds at night to say 'good night' to his grandparents and great-grandparents before bedtime. When we move we may have to call for the 'good nights' and kisses, but I know it won't be the same. I think Alexander's return to daycare is so important because he will have something that is his own and we can have special time together to/from school. I hope we get lots of visitors at our home this summer (HINT HINT) so he will feel special and attended to during this transition.

I am also proud of my brave grandpa who fought in the Korean War. Happy Memorial Day everyone.

Splish splash!

I have been working up the courage to put all three babies in the bath at the same time and this week we finally did it. All three had a blast splishing and splashing and getting water everywhere!

Theodore, Benjamin and Winston

Big brother Alexander helped momma wash them too.

Two of the babies are mobile and crawling all over the place (Theodore and Winston.)  Benjamin is content with just sitting and watching them roam around. He is such a big guy, his mobility is pretty much limited to rolling around like a beached whale.



Winston and Theodore exploring

Although we are crazy busy right now, life is good and all four boys are happy. We have a new nanny coming on Monday for the babies - everyone cross your fingers that she is strong and patient enough to handle these boys!

Tough times

This week has been tougher than usual, physically and mentally. My work has been very intense and will be for the next 24 days. For those that don't know, I am working to get the local school systems' budget passed, which is requesting an additional $35million and require a tax increase. Our board took the very unique action of passing a resolution fully in support of this budget so that means all of my energy and time that is not dedicated to taking care of family, must be dedicated to getting this passed. The business community has a huge stake in getting this passed, and our community does too, but unfortunately it has been an uphill battle in this very conservative county with a mayor who is adamantly opposed. This is really my first time in a political campaign where I am fully invested and pushing on all fronts, all stakeholders, all avenues to get this accomplished. I have to remind myself to not take things personally, but it is hard when it impacts you and the future education of your 4 kids too. (If you're interested in learning more about this, go to http://www.bethebestknox.com/.)

So work has been emotionally and mentally draining, the boys are good but towards the end of the week got sick, in the middle of the week the nanny declared she is quitting to take care of her sick son, so that meant I immediately had to find and interview nannies by myself because, oh yeah, Nate went away for 3 nights/4 days for work. Phew. Just typing all of this makes me tired.

There have been mornings this week where I feel sick to my stomach because of everything going on and the imbalance of pressure on me. I go to bed exhausted but all amped up because I know the immense challenge before me the next day. So I suck it up and press on because there is no time to sulk and feeling sorry for myself doesn't help a thing.

As I was speed-walking across downtown to make a luncheon, I realized everything in my life before now was just preparation for this moment. I look back and think of all the physical and mental struggles with which I've been faced: family divorces, moves, state tournaments in basketball and softball, break-ups, the summer I took the job at the Chamber, took the bar, and then got married, having all those babies in 3 years, etc. Those were all hurdles I faced and now I am stronger because of them. When people ask how I do what I'm doing now, it's hard to explain because I have the strength of all of those experiences behind me. You just do it.

But all those things were "practice" for my life. And now the stakes are so much higher. I only get one shot at making sure these kids are healthy and happy. I may only have one shot to get 1 of the top 100 largest school system's 5-year plan funded and give my and other local kids a chance to compete against their peers in the world. So I will try my hardest and when this experience is over, it will prepare me for the next.

For now, I will remain grateful for those 4 smiling faces I am greeted with when I get home in the evening. They make my world go round and make the toughest days just melt away.