Burcham Triplets

Happy Birthday to Us!!!

2012-01-08T18:20:00.001-08:00

Yay! We just had our birthday party (yesterday)!! What a great turnout for our special day!!!

This year's theme was Toy Story. Since the kids have been into Toy Story ever since last summer, I thought, let's continue the theme for their party. They LOVED it!! The party was held at our home for the first time......and most likely the last! It was extremely convenient; however, we had such an overwhelming response of guests, our house could barely hold everyone!

Aunt Stacy made incredible Toy Story cakes for each of the Birthday Kiddos. They turned out amazing! Above, Woody is sitting on Andy's bed. Below, you see the awesome detail of all the characters for cake pops....and it was all DELICIOUS!!!

Overall, I counted about 24 adults and 15 kids! We even had another set of triplets come!! Bronson and I decided in addition to the swing set and playhouses in the backyard, we would have a Toy Story bouncy set up. It worked out perfectly!! It was nice, too, since we were able to keep the bouncy until the next morning.

There was so much to do and so many people to see, the trips did get a little overloaded at one point. And after it was said and done, we decided we really can't go a full eventful day without a nap!

Nevertheless, they enjoyed themselves and the company that was with them. It was another big hit birthday party!!

I want to personally thank each and everyone that came out for helping when a hand was needed and sharing this very special day with us!!!

We are extremely blessed to have such loving family and friends!!!

3rd Year Check Up!!!

2011-12-29T19:27:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again where not only do we celebrate Christmas and birthdays, but we also find out how well the kiddos are doing developmentally both physically and intellectually.

The morning started off with a bang! I'm very surprised at myself that I'm actually going to admit this (especially on here)...but we almost missed the triplets' appointment! For some reason, I kept telling myself that I scheduled it on Friday when all the while, it was scheduled today. It was on my phone calendar. It even chimed at me yesterday and this morning!! Go figure. We got there in the nick of time and was able to keep the appointment (thank God!).

Bronson has off this week so he was there to experience this neat little milestone we have every year. It was so nice to have him with me.
As always, Mollie was first. If you haven't noticed yet, I do EVERYTHING in birth order. It's easier that way (for me). Mollie did very well. Although, once we weighed everyone and recorded their height, she knew what was coming. Once we put her on the cot, she was frowning and not happy at all. But she took the shots like a champ and barely even cried. She did surprise us both on her height. She's in the 70th percentile (taller than Elise). Her weight is in the 51th percentile.

Next was Elise. We decided to keep all three of them in the same room while the others were being examined and given shots. Probably not a great idea for most people; however, it worked for us. It was originally Bronson's idea. And when the other two witnessed the one getting shots, they didn't scream or get upset. All that was said was, "They got a shot....now it's my turn". Elise did wiggle before hand. She tried to loose her way out of my arms. But after a little "talk" I had with her (basically letting her know that she's going to get it...it's going to hurt...but it will be quick), she was okay. And just like Mollie, took both her shots like a champ. Elise is in the 51th percentile in her height and 75th percentile in her weight. Interesting since she's the pickiest eater.

And last, but certainly not least, there's Preston. Such a sweet boy. By this time, he had already seen both his sisters cry out in pain (but mostly fear) of the shots, so he was prepared. He barely cried out. And ended up laughing nervously.....just like his Momma. I always laugh in awkward or painful moments. I guess it's my release. Apparently, it's Preston's as well. I was shocked that he was only in the 27th percentile for his height. That does not make sense to me as I think of him of being tall. But then again, I am comparing him to the two children he's with all the time....his sisters. His weight did not surprise me at all. He's very skinny (and eats like a horse!). His weight is in the 50th percentile.

As for intellectually, the doctor seemed very pleased with all they were able to do. In fact, he said, "You're just the little 1st grade teacher, huh?" I took it as a compliment.

Daddy thought it would be a great idea to take the little champs to eat donuts afterward. They were such good little troopers that they deserved a small treat. We then took them home and had them ride on their tricycles for over an hour! We needed something for them to exhaust all that energy!! Needless to say, they slept soundly during the nap and Mommy and Daddy got the rest they needed as well. We made it another year!!!

And the three turned three!!!

2011-12-23T21:14:00.002-08:00

What a fun-filled, special day we had on our 3rd Birthday!!!! Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE birthdays!! I love celebrating them, I love decorating for them, and most of all, I love planning them!!! So, of course, for the triplets' 3rd birthday I was going to go all out. But not too much. Their actual birthday party is not until January, so I didn't want to overload them. That morning, when the kids came downstairs, they got to see that I had put balloons on their chairs and cooked them their favorite breakfast....pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

Instead of the usual syrup, we put whipped cream on their pancakes. Very nice surprise for them. They never had whipped cream, so it was something new that they thoroughly enjoyed!

Here's Elise enjoying her Birthday breakfast.

Preston wanted more (of course).

Another surprise was that my Aunt Becky came in from San Angelo, along with my Mommy, to visit them on their special day!!! I call her BB (since I could talk) and they call her Konka (her grandchildren's special name for her....but we couldn't let it stop there!). The kids were extremely excited.....especially Mollie. She was overcome with Konka. And for anyone that knows Mollie, that is rare. She couldn't get enough of her Great Aunt.

And the surprises just kept coming. Mom, or GaGa (what the trips call her), took all of us out to Pappasito's!! Yay! The kids were sung to and were given a HUGE chocolate sundae (I almost had a heart attack at the sight of all the SUGAR!!!).

But they enjoyed it immensely (duh!).

So I did let this one time slip....it was their special day. And to top it off, my nephew and niece, along with her husband and baby joined us! My niece now lives in El Paso, so this was a huge treat for me!! And my little great nephew is so adorable!! The kids knew him right away from all the videos they watched of him. (Gotta love technology!)

All in all it was a great time spent with family. I'm so thankful we got to see my Aunt BB and my niece, Paige, her husband, Joe and son, Ayden. I always love seeing my nephew, Tyler. He's such a joy to be around.

There's nothing like family!! And I know the kiddos had an awesome time! All day long they were singing Happy Birthday to one another (and to Jesus!!!).

Once we got home and settled down, friends of ours came over and brought them gifts for their birthday. The trips adore Taylor, Colby and Haley! And from not being able to see each other for quite some time due to conflicting schedules, you can imagine how happy they were when they came through the door. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day! Thank you to everyone who made it special for them.

Christmas Tree

2011-12-09T12:53:00.001-08:00

Bronson and I continued my family tradition on Thanksgiving weekend by taking the kids to pick out a Christmas tree. In all of my 36 years of existence, I have yet to have an artificial tree. When Bronson and I got married, I informed him that this was a family tradition that was not negotiable. And after the first Christmas we spent together, he understood why. The aroma alone was enough to fill the whole house and your spirits with the season.

This year was extra special. It was the first time the triplets were out of their stroller to walk around and pick one out. We allowed them to fully participate on which tree that would go home with us (of course we narrowed it down to two for them). While there, we looked around at all the Christmas decor they had. One of them were giant pine cones. All three of them were enthralled with the size of the pine cones. It was quite humorous!

And just like my brothers and I did during our annual Christmas tree hunting trips, the babies ran around and hid from each other behind all the trees. They got a kick out of being in a "Christmas Tree Forest". Above is Elise and Preston hugging (apparently very happy to be there).

Once we got home, Bronson set the tree up and I put lights on it. Decorating was set for the next night.

Another tradition that began the year Bronson and I got married was the ornament and pajama tradition. This was Jimmie's (my Stepmom) tradition for her family that she continued with my dad and us. I absolutely LOVE this tradition!!! Every year, all of us kids and grandkids receives an ornament that resembles our personality, as well as pajamas (all the girls' pjs matched and all the boys' pjs matched). It was always so exciting to find out what ornament was chosen for you that year. And every year when it's time to decorate the tree, you get to pull out the previous years' ornaments and reminisce that moment when you opened it. It's just the coolest thing. I always received angel ornaments and very elegant, beautiful ornaments. Bronson always received the weirdest, strangest, and sometimes the most ugliest looking things you have ever seen! In fact, it became an inside joke with all of us....eager to see what was chosen for him that year. We will definitely continue this tradition with our kids (and have already started). This year's ornament for the kids was.....you guessed it, Toy Story!

Bronson jumped in on the decorating this year. I usually do all the decorating while our favorite Christmas movies are playing and Bronson is "directing" on where all the ornaments should go. But now that the kids are old enough to "help" decorate, he had no other choice but to help them hang their own ornaments.

It was a delight watching him as he guided each one of them where to hang their treasure.

He was so patient as he explained what the ornament was, when they received it, and who gave it to them. He also made sure they understood why you have to select sturdy branches for the heavier ornaments, no so sturdy branches for the lighter ornaments. So cute!

Believe it or not, we had to tell them only a few times not to touch the tree the first night. After that, they have given no attention that the tree is even there. Well, except for the occasional tricycle running into it by Elise. She tells me every time, "Oops, sorry Momma. I not do that again!" And yet every other day, she does it. I'm thankful that no ornaments have been broken yet!!!

I'm so thankful that my parents and Bronson's parents instilled the true meaning of Christmas in us at an early age. While it's fun to decorate, watch Christmas movies/shows, and look at all the wonderful, magical lights and ornaments that's on display practically everywhere, it's not what truly makes us happy, or even more importantly....joyous. All the traditions may give us a sense of a family bond that seem to be disintegrating every where we look; but it doesn't makes us whole. It can't fill our hearts completely. It is Christ alone that makes us whole. As Christmas Day approaches, I challenge you to reflect on the One that is the reason for this wonderful season.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

This year was the first year that we spent Thanksgiving at GaGa and PawPaw's house since they've moved. We had such a nice, relaxing time (well, most of us did....Mom and I worked!).

While the women worked in the kitchen getting dinner ready, the men and kiddos watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. This was the very first time the trips have seen this parade. They were fascinated with all the floats. Daddy sat with them and pointed out all the characters. And when one broadcast went to commercial, Daddy flipped the channel to go to another one that was showing the parade. This kept them entertained for well over an hour!! (Way to go, Dad!)

Thanksgiving turkey and all the fixins' were a hit with all three babies! They thoroughly enjoyed the meal and had seconds....and thirds, and fourths (which is rare for Elise).

While they sat at the big kids' table (the huge island in the center of the kitchen), the adults sat at a nice, well dressed "adult" table. The kids felt very special with the Thanksgiving plates GaGa put out for them.

I think Preston was getting a little tired of Momma taking so many pictures. This is his, "Mom, really? I'm eating!" look. Oh sweet boy.....Momma hasn't even started!

It was so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I love going to Mom's house. Even though there were three running, screaming, squealing toddlers carrying on, I had such a serene time. Oh how I can't wait for the Christmas party!!!

Halloween!!!

2011-10-31T21:48:00.002-07:00

This year we went to Bouncin Bears for "Halloween". Our church rented out this incredible fun place with nothing but bouncies for all the members, their kids and any invitees the members brought along. I thought it was a GREAT alternative than the traditional Fall Festival or trick or treating.

Given that you only wear a costume maybe once or twice, Bronson and I opted for dressing the kids up in pajamas this year. For their 2nd birthday, Bronson's cousins, Rachel and Kevin, bought the kids cute little pajamas (princess, princess angel, and batman). They were perfect for the occasion (and everyone thought they were costumes!).

After the kids ate and Daddy got home, we headed to Bouncin Bears for nothing but bouncing fun! To enter, it only "cost" a bag of candy. And when we left, every child got a bag of candy and other goodies (so much that we're still eating it!). Over all, I thought it was a great success....no scary monsters or ghosts (or explanations of anything we don't care to explain right now), great fellowship with other church members, and a ton of fun for the kids!!

Pumpkin Patch!!!

2011-10-31T21:48:00.001-07:00

Our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch was a hit! We did things a little differently this time, but I believe the kids had so much more fun!!!

This year, Brooke, the trips' cousin, joined us! Aunt Ginger, Uncle Richard, Gamma and PawPaw tagged along too!! We made an evening out of it with riding on a train around the Patch and having the kids jump in the bouncies that were on site. We ended it by going back to our house for chili hot dogs! What fun!!

Mollie was a little camera shy this year. Either she's getting tired of Momma saying, "Cheese!" all the time, or she just doesn't want to have anything to do with being center of attention. We're finding out that she's doing this toward people as well. Nevertheless, she still enjoyed her time picking out a pumpkin and playing with Brooke (they are like two peas in a pod!).

Elise was having a great time, too! Her big deal this year was not only taking the stickers off the pumpkins (she's fascinated with stickers), but sitting on them as well. Every time I looked around, there she was...sitting on a pumpkin. Well, at least she wasn't jumping off of them like her brother!

And then there's Preston. Oh, he did have a good time (despite all the estrogen). He may have had a better time than the girls since his Daddy was by his side. And to add to that excitement, PawPaw was giving "his boy" some attention too! He felt right at home....with the men! (And jumping off of every single pumpkin he could climb on).

Carving the pumpkin was definitely interesting this year. Mollie enjoyed the idea of pulling all the seeds and gunk out of the pumpkin; but after about 10 minutes, she was done.

Elise was enthralled to say the least! She kept digging her hands in and pulling out all the pulp and saying, "Look at all the stuff, Momma!". She had such a good time.

I don't know if Preston was liking it or just fascinated that Elise was having such a fun time! Every time she would pull out more "stuff", he would reach in and say, "Momma, I can't get any". Bless his little heart! But he stuck with it until we had it all cleaned out.

As most of you know, the kids are head over heels for Woody on Toy Story. So, to go along with our Toy Story themed year, I carved Woody. I was curious to see if they would be able to tell it was him. Satisfaction came within seconds of them seeing the pumpkin, when they exclaimed in unison, "WOODY!!!!" A sigh of relief.....another Mommy success!!!

FRAGILE

2011-10-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to write about this for over two weeks now. But as always, time has eluded me.

October has been somewhat busier than expected. And this time, it started off with a bang (literally). Two Saturdays ago, October 1st, Bronson and I took the babies to Richmond to celebrate Poppy's 91st birthday. For those of you who are not aware of who Poppy is, he's Bronson's grandfather on his mom's side. We were pretty excited!!

Just to give you a little foresight as what was to happen that day, that morning, I was dealing with the thought of losing one of our children. It's not something that I take pleasure in doing; however, Mollie had contracted yet another staph infection and I was having difficulty in understanding why we keep having these recurrences. And I thought to myself what if I lost a child due to an infection (they can be fatal). And literally the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "These children are only on loan to you while you're here on earth. They are ultimately Mine. And if I choose to take one of them, understand it's all part of a bigger picture." I then felt a peace wash over me and finished getting ready.

We were all meeting at a restaurant (the same one every year) to celebrate. And as always, we reserved the party room in the back for all of our clan. Beyond the room, french doors opened to another room that looks like it has been vacant for quite some time. And as every year, we allow the kids to run around in the room(there isn't a sign that tells us otherwise, nor are the doors locked). This year, another toddler was added (Bronson's cousin's little girl...20 months old). So instead of leaving one adult back there to man all the children (usually Uncle Reed), I decided to join in. After about 10 minutes of running around and playing games, Elise (with Preston following close behind her) tripped over a folded piece of carpet. Preston then tripped over Elise knocking the wind out of him. When I saw Elise, I knew she was fine. She was more scared than anything. But looking at Preston, he let one yell out and then looked as if he fainted. I rushed over to him and began to pick him up. It was at that time that I realized he wasn't breathing. His face was already turning white and his lips blue. His pupils had dilated the size of his iris's (absolutely NO blue was showing) and they were rolling to the back of his head.

Panic took hold and I started screaming, "He's not breathing! He's not breathing! Call 911!" I then laid him on the table while everyone started to gather around. Kim, Bronson's cousin, tried to pry his fists open as they were clamped shut. His body was lifeless. Bronson's mom swiftly came behind me and took a position on my left side and put her hands on his chest. She let me know that she couldn't feel his heart beat and she would start compressions. As she counted them, I waited, watching his little face slowly go far away from us. I exhaled into his mouth and nose. We did this for four sets until he began to breathe again. All the while, I could hear everyone praying silently. I was also calling out to my Rock and Salvation. His life didn't flash before my eyes, but instead, a life without my son. How would I continue to be a mother to my two living girls? Could I find the strength to be everything I needed to be for them?

The EMT showed up and checked his vitals. As a precaution, we went ahead and took him to the hospital for an exam. Chest x-rays and a CAT scan proved he was fine. Thank you Jesus!

Once everything settled and Bronson and I were back home with all three of our babies safe and sound in their bed, it amazed me how the Lord kept us calm and at peace. While Bronson was talking to the 911 dispatcher, he was able to say everything that was required of him clearly and thoroughly. We stared into each other's eyes several times in between me breathing into Preston. Although I knew there was some fear there, I also knew who our Healer is. Not many people know or have that peace. Even if the outcome was much more tragic, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt who my Comforter is. All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

It begs me to wonder, how about you? Do you have the Almighty to call on when your life is in turmoil? Are you on a direct line to the One that can give you the peace that passes all understanding? It was never about religion or the law. It's always been about a relationship with Jesus. He is the only way, the truth and the life. NO ONE can come to the Father except through Him. It is my wish that you know this kind of peace. It is my desire that you know the One that can fulfill the void in your heart. For when you are faced with trials here on earth, it's comforting to know you're not alone. Matthew 18:11.

Our First Movie!!!

2011-08-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read the headline right.....the triplets' first movie! I thought they were too young for movies (until they were 4 or 5)...but it came a surprise to me they were ready for one particular movie.

It all started with a plush Woody doll that was bought for Preston on their 2nd birthday (thank you Kisha!). After a few months of Preston playing with it, the girls took notice. Interestingly, all three of them became intrigued with this doll. So I wondered how they would respond to the movie, Toy Story.

All I can say is, "WOW!!!!" Absolutely unbelievable! It's a whole new phenomenon to them. Not only did we pick up the first Toy Story, but we had to go back and get #2 and GaGa picked up #3 for us. The second and third one is the one they watch the most. And they can just about say every work verbatim!

After hearing this and how crazy they were over Woody....GaGa (also know as Grandma, my mom) had to buy them their first original Woody dolls. They went wild over them! They sleep with them, carry them everywhere they go, and even set him on the dining room table so he can eat too!
I thought they might try another movie so they're not watching one of the Toy Story movies all the time. Nope....not interested. All they want to watch is Woody, Buzz, and Jesse.

The one who is most enthralled with Woody is Preston. He's so amazingly cute showing me all the things that his Woody doll can do (ride the scooter, jump on the couch, walk around the house, etc.) Thank goodness this doll has an off switch as Preston wants him in bed every night.

Needless to say, their 3rd birthday party theme just may be Toy Story. Now we just need to incorporate all the other characters into their imaginative play.

Big Girls and Boy!!!

2011-08-31T19:23:00.001-07:00

Last month we experienced a lot of different changes. One of them being....toddler beds!!! Well, only for the girls. Preston can't quite crawl in and out of his crib...so we thought it would be easier on me to leave him in his crib until we knew for sure he was ready for the toddler bed (and we could train the girls to stay in their's).

Mollie and Elise both were SO excited to see their new "big girl" beds (as they call it). And like all toddlers of this wonderful age do, they climbed in and out, jumped up and down, threw everything out and then back in the bed. Pure chaos for the first week or so!

It's interesting to see how well we've trained them on their sleep habits. So far, they don't dare get out of their beds in the evening. They know it's time for sleep and they normally don't play. On the other hand, naptime has become somewhat of a novelty. It has gotten to the point of me sitting in the room, by the door for about 20 to 30 minutes waiting on them to go to sleep. At first I viewed it as a little bit of an inconvenience for me. It takes away precious "Mommy Time" of which I utilize to clean, work on my quilt, read my book, etc. (you get the picture). But now, I've realized this time can be used for reading my emails, reviewing my calendar, write out a grocery list...pretty much anything that doesn't cause a lot of distraction and I can do sitting down in their room.

Bless Preston's little heart! He loves the girls' beds and I know he wants his changed too. But right now, I can't imagine having to sit between both of their rooms, trying to watch all three. I know it's coming.....I'm just trying to slow it down a bit.

Not only did we change the beds....we changed the swings! They finally got comfortable enough to allow me to swing them on the "big kids' swings". For over two years now, we've had the baby/toddler swings. It was a hassle for Bronson and I to pick them up and put them in and then of course when they were done, we had to pull them out. Now, they just get on the swings themselves, and then call out to me to come swing them! They haven't quite figured out the "pumping" technique of swinging. But I'm showing them as quick as I can!!

Seems like every day there is something new for them and for me to experience (them experiencing the world and me experiencing them). I'm enjoying them so much! Once again, God knew what He was doing giving Bronson and me three at a time....but much later in life. We both take the time to teach and train them in everything we possibly can (and as much as their little minds can understand). They are our little world. We can't imagine anything different.

Six Week Update on Elise

2011-08-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Elise had a follow up visit with her cardiologist on August 16th (I know, I'm a little late). The appointment was to find out if the device had moved, if there were any concerns I had, and just to review Elise's overall condition. She had an EKG, as well as an ECHO. No murmur was found and everything was awesome!!! Although I knew in my heart the report already, it was nice to hear it confirmed.

The appointment went well; however, the timing was a huge ordeal. Usually I leave Mollie and Preston at home while Elise and I go alone. This time, I thought it would be fun for Mollie and Preston to go with us (and I would get to spend more time with my mom). Of course the one time I decide to have them tag along, the doctor's office was backed up!! It normally takes us exactly an hour to wait, see him and leave. It was THREE hours this time! And on top of the wait, he wanted Elise to have an X-ray (just in case). That took another half hour. Despite the craziness of roaming the huge hospital (almost getting lost)...two hours late for lunch...and no nap, the kids did amazing!!

As if I didn't have enough going on already, I thought going to the McDonald's at the Museum of Natural Science would be a good idea. What was I thinking??? The kids were okay with looking at the butterflies from the outside (instead of going into the exhibit). Everything else was seen the same way....from the outside. But at least I know where to take them when everyone else is back at school!

Overall, it was a good, but hectic day. Of course it was.....Elise is better than ever!

ELISE

2011-07-12T19:18:00.001-07:00

I have finally set aside time to update you all on Elise! It's been quite a hectic, busy week and a half and I'm still trying to catch up.

Elise's procedure was scheduled on Wednesday, July 6th. Above is a pic of her in the waiting room that morning. There's one thing I can say confidently about Elise....she is a TROOPER! She was not to eat anything past midnight before the procedure. She could have clear liquids up until 8 am that morning. The plan was for the doctors to prep her at 11:30 (and we had to be there by 10 am) and then they would be ready. As with most hospitals, that wasn't the case. It's crazy to put a toddler through no eating or drinking for such a long period of time. But Elise was fine with it. She didn't even ask for water or her juice after 8. Amazing! Once we told her that she couldn't have breakfast, she looked up at us and asked, "No breakfast, Momma?" and went on playing until it was time to leave.

Typical of hospitals and doctors.....they were running a little behind. They finally got us in a prep room close to noon. For the most part, Elise was in good spirits. She would play a little, but we knew she was tired and weak from no food or drink.

We took this opportunity to take a few pictures and just love on our little girl! A few times she would take her gown off. She would say she only wanted to be in her diaper and socks. Go figure!

Above is right before she went into the room where the procedure was taking place. She didn't cry or get upset. We couldn't go in, so we had to leave her at the door. She waved to us both and said, "Bye-by Momma, bye-bye Daddy". So adorable!

The procedure took approximately 2 1/2 hours. They began at 12:30 and finished around 3 pm. Everything went better than expected! Right after they completed the PDA closure, Dr. Brown called us into a room and showed us the video they took of the catheter going in and placing the device in her heart. It was amazing! The device fit perfectly into her valve and no blood went through or around it (which is what they wanted to make sure of). The pic above is her an hour after the procedure drinking juice. She was to lay flat on her back for a total of 6 hours. Not easy for a toddler, but she did just that! She did have a leg brace keeping her right leg straight as to not injure or reopen the catheter site in her groin.

Bronson's cousin, Rachel came up to the hospital shortly before the procedure and stayed with us until Elise's 6 hour bed rest was up. I didn't think we would need another person up there if Bronson and I were there......but little did I know that Rachel's presence was a Godsend!!! Rachel is all too familiar with hospital stays from her brother being a heart patient, that she knows the support that is needed when anyone is admitted for medical attention. Later that evening, her husband Kevin joined us and was a bit of a comic relief for Bronson. We are so grateful to them both for giving us their time when we needed it the most.

What a night! Elise had to be given antibiotics from having a foreign object inserted in her heart so we were woken up several times during the night for those to be administered. There were also her vitals that had to be checked. And on top of that, a chest X-ray was ordered for 3 am!!! We were told several times that we would be discharged around 10 am. I said it would be a miracle if we got to leave by 4 pm that day! The wheels were set in motion from that chest X-ray....the ECHO was scheduled immediately following as well as the EKG. Both tests showed that Elise no longer had the heart murmur and all the blood was flowing in the right direction!!!!

We left the hospital at 10:30 am!!! I cannot thank Dr. Brown and all the staff at Memorial Hermann enough. They made this whole event bearable as well as comforting. I wouldn't say it was a pleasant stay, but it definitely wasn't terrible!

The old Elise was tired and whiny most of the time. When Mollie would wake up first, Bronson and I would make a mad dash for the room to get her out of there before waking Elise. We tried to allow Elise as much rest as possible. The old Elise could barely keep up with her siblings running and playing. She would come sit by me and just play with her small toys. And she wanted to be held all the time. What a difference a day makes! The new Elise is constantly running, jumping, giggling and being silly. Now that she has more energy, she puts up a fight like a normal two-year old that doesn't want to do what you want them to do. The new Elise doesn't always want to be held or carried....she would rather "do it herself!" The Friday after her PDA closure, we went up to my mom's to spend the weekend and eventually bring Mollie and Preston home. My mom asked me if I gave Elise speed! She couldn't believe how different she was. It's like the real Elise finally emerged. I was not expecting this. Not so soon. But I'm so happy! I'm so thankful that she feels better and she can finally be herself. Thank you to all that prayed for her (and for us!). Now I'm asking for prayer for me to have strength to keep up with 3 very active toddlers!!!!

Independence Day!

2011-07-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

This year, 4th of July was very low-key for us. Like every year, we go up to my mom and stepdad's house, either watch or be a spectator in the Rusk parade, and just enjoy being with one another. It was a little different in the fact that we were the only family that visited (Tommy, Gina and the kids have relocated to New York and Jason, Ashley and their kiddos decided to stay home this year). Needless to say, it was about as quiet as 3 toddlers running around the house can get. This trip served two purposes: one because it was our regular 4th of July vacation; and two was to drop off Mollie and Preston while Bronson and I took Elise home with us to prepare for her procedure (I will explain in the next post).

The annual 4th of July parade held in Rusk is your typical small town parade.....which is why I LOVE it! There's not a lot of participants or extravagant floats. Just nice, small town folk celebrating our independence and the history of those who brought about that independence.

Unfortunately on our way up there (mere 15 minute trip to town), I got motion sickness! And since I'm the photographer, we didn't get many photos. Oh well! But I survived and the kids still had fun.

Words cannot describe how much I love my parents' place. It's so relaxing and peaceful. Bronson and I don't receive cell phone service in that area....so no texts or phone calls. Although cable is available as well as the Internet.....we stay outside on the front porch a majority of our time. Above is Bronson with the kiddos right after they had a swim. The view from this seat is amazing! All you see is rolling hills with cattle scattered over them. Occasionally you'll see a few deer peering out of the woods and sometimes running across the pasture. Also my parents' horses are in plain sight from the porch. Every once in a while you'll catch them running the fence.

One of the highlights of the visit is PawPaw's tractor ride. PawPaw takes us around part of their land on his tractor. It's a bit of a bumpy ride, but the kids enjoy it so much! We get to see wild rabbits running around as well as spot more deer.

The kids seem to never run out of things to do up there. An imaginative play area is set up for them in the house; the drive has a Playskool desk with an abundance of sidewalk chalk; they even have their own little playhouse outside as well as two swingsets; and let's not forget to mention the barn! That barn has tons of stuff for the kids to get into. And just like being on the farm, every night all three of them are dirty from head to foot and tired enough to go straight to sleep. It's no wonder they don't miss Momma and Daddy while they're up there. I consider it a blessing! I'm so glad they have that comfort of being where they know they have the freedom to do what they want (play) and the security in knowing that we'll always pick them up ('cause GaGa does NOT want to raise triplets!).

Overall it was a nice, long weekend. But come Monday afternoon, it was time to say goodbye to two of our little ones and prepare for what was to come......

World's Largest Sprinkler!!!

2011-06-24T18:18:00.001-07:00

Yes, you read the headline correctly....the World's Largest Sprinkler (sponsored by Target) was in Houston this weekend at Discovery Green. So of course we had to go!!!

We arrived a little after it opened and it's a good thing we did! The line was somewhat long and the wait ended up taking almost an hour. The event wasn't exactly what I had expected. I thought the World's Largest Sprinkler would resemble the sprinkler system that is used on huge crop fields and that it would be on the open field of Discovery Green for everyone to run under (all at the same time). But history has proven that it is better to have organized chaos than crazy chaos. Target and their organized way allowed several children/adults to enter in a gated area where the sprinkler was located and "play" for about 5 to 10 minutes (depending if you're waiting or playing.....10 minutes if you're waiting in line, but only 5 if you're the one that's playing).

Thankfully, all of the kids did very well on waiting......well, up until it was just about our turn for the fun. That's when my kids started getting a little anxious. For two year olds......I think that was remarkable!

My close friend (and neighbor), Bobbi, went with us, bringing her crew: hubby, teenage daughter Haley, and young kiddos....Colby and Taylor. I would like to take this moment to give them a HUGE THANKS for being there. This trip wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for them. So, thank you!

The kids LOVED it! Above is Mollie running around and getting water up her nose. After we had all entered in the area, a group of teenage kids trampled in on the other side. And wouldn't you know it, Mollie decides she needs to go over there to join in their fun. She's a gluten for dangerous situations! They were rough housing and wrestling....never once minding children around them. It was expected....they were teenagers! Either way, keeping her on our side of the sprinkler was a challenge.

Elise had a great time! A few times she did want to get down to see what it would be like to jump in all the puddles of mud on the ground. But a little coaxing is all it took for her to stay put. And unlike Mollie, she didn't dare go toward the teenagers. She saw the damage they could do from afar!!!

Preston, for the most part, stayed with Haley. He did enjoy himself getting "rained" on. And he kept in the same area. He doesn't like to go too far off......well, unless he knows I'll chase after him.

Then off we went to the splash pad. This is an area where fountains of water is shot up from the ground. The kids were ecstatic! Above is Taylor and Colby goofing around. They were a huge help in keeping the babies close to us.

Nothing is better than a picnic in the park! Especially after a lot of fun in the sun. After our lunch, we went to the playground nearby and another fountain to get drenched. Before going home, I decided we needed to top off our great fun day with a snow cone! It was the trips' first real snow cone!!! They thought it was great! And they all had blue mouths (and blue down their swimsuits) to prove it!!!

Another crazy event documented! Even though it was a lot of work.....I would do it all over again.

Singing In The Rain!!!

2011-06-22T20:42:00.001-07:00

It rained at our house!!! Finally, after so long, we got the wet stuff!! The kids were so excited. They asked me if they could go play in the rain....and since I'm crazy enough, I said, "Let's do this!"

So on with their rain jackets and rain boots and off they went. Splashing, jumping, dancing, and even singing! They were so giddy that it became contagious and I went out there too! Elise usually doesn't like to get wet or dirty. But on this special occasion, she enjoyed herself. She even took of her hood and let the rain fall on her head.

Preston always has to get into something.....so why not the gutter??? He kept getting tickled by the fact that water was coming out so fast. All he would do is stick his hand up there and keep saying over and over, "Look Momma, it's water!" So silly!

Mollie surprised me. She went out for a little while and even took her hood off when Elise did. But she was the first one to want to come in. She did have fun....and slide down the slides a few times. When it came right down to it, she just wanted out of the wet clothes and boots and get into a soft, warm, dry towel. And that's exactly what was waiting for her. I had towels in the dryer for when they were done and their favorite video ready to play. Soon they were saying, "Night-night!" and were cuddled up for a long nap. How nice it is to be 2 years old.....

Visit With Elmo!!!

2011-06-22T20:41:00.001-07:00

Yay! It finally happened.....we got to see Elmo! The Chick-Fil-A near our home had Elmo stop by for the evening on Tuesday, June 21st. So I thought it would be a perfect time to have the kids meet him (especially since they're getting more comfortable around big characters). It was hilarious! We were sitting there eating (got there before Elmo showed up) and Elise saw him when he walked in. She started screaming, "Mommy, there's Elmo! Look! He's here!" The area we were sitting in was tucked away in the back, so when he kept going (what looked like to the cashier), she then started screaming, "Where is he going?" And without skipping a beat, Preston answered her, "He's going to eat, Elise!" So adorable!

Mollie was such an Elmo HOG! Oh my goodness!! She wouldn't leave the poor Elmo alone. She was constantly climbing up him, hugging him, kissing him, etc. Apparently he/she liked it. After a while, Elmo would pick her up and give her a big hug. He had her sit on his lap, give him "high 5's", and just snuggle with her. It became a little difficult when more and more children demanded his attention. But Mollie was a good sport and stepped back for them to have the fun as well

If anyone knows anything about Elise it's that she is Elmo's biggest fan in the whole wide world! She has about 5 or 6 Elmos that she carries with her just about everywhere. She would have more if we purchased them....but Bronson and I had a limit. She's always talking about him and to him as well. It's hysterical! She was really tender hearted toward him that evening. All she wanted to do was hug him and crawl up in his lap. She wasn't interested in playing with him at all. It was so sweet! But that's how Elise is.....very sweet!

I thought Preston would be really scared of Elmo. He rarely goes up to any big characters we come in contact with. Surprisingly enough, he was the first to hug him! I guess the idea of a huge Elmo overpowers the fear of a big, furry creature roaming around a fast food restaurant. I would have to say his reaction was in the middle of Mollie and Elise's (as usual). He didn't want to really play a lot with him, but wasn't interested in a lot of affection either. He took his pictures with Elmo, gave him hugs, a few "high 5's" and he was done. But that is Preston....laid back and not high maintenance like his Daddy.

Overall we had a great time! I was so glad I took them. And they behaved beautifully! We didn't use highchairs this time. I was a little nervous about that since they had access to get up and go without my control. But they didn't. They sat down, ate their entire meal (boy, can they eat!). Mollie even waited on the other two to finish before running to see Elmo (she always finishes first...like her Mommy).

The best part of the evening was that Daddy met us there after work. I had kept it a surprise for the kiddos. So when they saw their beloved Daddy walk through the door of the play area, they squealed in delight! He received a more excited welcome than Elmo himself!!

An Ode to My Husband

2011-06-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

It being Father's Day, I found it very appropriate to "give props" to my husband, the triplets' father.

You've heard it said that anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a Daddy. Daddies participate in every area of their children's lives. They put their own hopes and dreams on hold while they help fulfill their kids'. Daddies not only exist in the home, but they influence; they embrace; they help mold their children into what they will become. And although they're only 2 years old.....the triplets' Daddy is doing just that.

Bronson was thrown into unknown territory (Fatherhood) at an unbelievable level. He didn't get to ease into his role like most fathers. No, he was catapulted into it! Going from no babies to three in 3 minutes.

The first year he did great! I never had to ask him to change a diaper, feed a baby, entertain another....he just did it. Sure he had some difficulty getting to a comfort zone (changing a preemie's diaper is more challenging than it may seem)....but he got there. That's what counts. After the first year, we both had time to relax a little as everything started slowing down a bit. But as much as it slowed down, it proved to be a difficult time for both of us....but we pushed through and he stood by me, supporting me and always loving our kids.

Now he is Daddy of The YEAR! This husband of mine throws himself into his very demanding role in fatherhood. You will always find him playing and wrestling with the kids. After a long day at work, he comes home to bathe them, brush their teeth and get them ready for bed. And he always says "yes" to another bedtime story.

Being married to me is no piece of cake either. I'm very energetic and always want to take the babies somewhere or do something special with them. I'm constantly finding activities for us to do. Most Daddies would frown at the idea of packing up three toddlers (not to mention getting them ready as well as all their paraphernalia). But Bronson never does. His answer is "Okay....let's go". We rarely turn down an opportunity for the kids to experience new things. On top of that, he's always smiling showing our babies that he loves them and he enjoys spending time with them. No wonder when he walks through the door every evening they run to him and cling to his arms and legs!!!

I'm so thankful to have him as my husband. But I'm even more grateful for him as the Daddy of our children. I honestly cannot find another man that I would want to share this extraordinary journey with. He's an amazing Daddy. And even more so, he's an amazing man.

Bouncin' Bears!

2011-06-16T19:12:00.001-07:00

What a day!!! We had such a great time and the kids got to experience something a little new (at least to them).....DONUTS!! Yes, I know...we have not exposed our children to donuts and they're already 2 1/2 years old! Bronson and I thought it would be a good day to do just that. Especially since where we planned on taking them, they would burn up all that extra "energy".

Above is a glimpse of what Mollie looked like on her first bite. As she began to chew, her eyes got wide and she couldn't get the second donut hole in her mouth fast enough! It was hysterical!! She kept stuffing them in her mouth that at one point, Bronson and I thought we were going to have to get her to spit it all out.

Elise took hers nice and slow.....but she was keeping count on how many we allowed each of them. Once she put one in her mouth, she would say (or try to say), "another please!" She wanted to make sure she had one waiting when she swallowed the previous one. That's my baby girl!

Oh and Preston.....just like his Daddy! He liked to actually taste each donut. I had to go ahead and give him all of his up front or the girls would have eaten his as well! They're fast eaters (like their Momma). At least he thoroughly enjoyed them!

Then off we went to Bouncin' Bears!! This is a facility large enough to house 9 to 10 HUGE bouncies!!! They do have a toddler area for kids 3 and under; however, Mollie wasn't having any of that. She would run around with the bigger kids. She could do just about everything they did from climbing up huge steps that lead up to a long slide all the way to "rock climbing" on another bouncy. She was insane! It was so hard for Bronson and I to keep up with her. One minute she would be on one bouncy, the next she would be on another at the other end of the building! One of us had to chase her while the other stayed with Elise and Preston.

Elise had a great time as well. She wasn't as challenging as Mollie. She liked the toddler area. In fact, her favorite bouncy was in that area; Dora and Boots. She even hugged the thing several times! At one point she was afraid of the bigger slides and we had to ride down with her. But after a while, she braved them herself. There is one huge bounce area that rests on the ground. She was terrified of that! We had to hold her the whole time.

Preston, as always, was somewhere in between Mollie and Elise. He chased after Mollie a lot. But then was too worn out so he would go his own way. He did stay in the bigger kid bouncies for a majority of the time. He needed a little help with getting up the big slides....but ended up managing to do a lot of others himself. He LOVED the one bouncy on the ground. He would stay on that thing for quite some time.....which meant that one of us (Bronson or myself) would have to hold Elise while on there. We definitely could have used three people, but I think a lot of parents were understanding and helped us when we were being pulled in three different directions. We didn't worry about it too much. They were visible to us no matter what area they were in. It was just getting to them quick enough if they fell. We spent most of the morning and into the afternoon at Bouncin' Bears. We even went back after the kids had their lunch and nap. Needless to say, they wore off all the sugar those donut holes provided!

After a good hour and a half of bouncing....we were off to Chick-Fil-A for dinner and to watch our babysitter and friend, Haley, enter in a singing competition. She did really well and the kids were excited to see her sing. The cow was there to greet them and there were several of our other friends they played with. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day!!!

Toddler Time and The Carousel

2011-06-15T18:39:00.001-07:00

Today we planned on going to "Toddler Time" at the library and then off to the mall to meet our Moms of Multiples group in the play area. We then went to the carousel on the second floor in the mall.

For those of you who are not familiar with Toddler Time, it's story time geared toward toddlers to age 3 with story books, songs, and a craft. We have come to LOVE this special time at the library (especially Momma). However, because I've been taking a class on Wednesdays for athletic training, we haven't been going to Toddler Time on a regular basis. I have felt somewhat guilty (but not too much since my personal time indirectly helps the kids as well). Daddy was home this week and I can't go to the gym until next week.....I thought it would be a perfect time to show him what we do. It was a great surprise for Mrs. Rachel!! She directs story time and is incredible with all the toddlers!! Our kids love her so much! We had such a great time!

Then we made a mad dash to the mall to spend the rest of our time with the Moms of Multiples playgroup. We met several mommas there with their twins. It was a good time for me to catch up on what's going on while Bronson played with the kids. Playtime was short lived when we realized the time. Up the elevator we went to have lunch and then ride on the carousel.

The kiddos LOVE riding on this thing so much that we allowed them to ride twice. I was surprised to see Preston ride this time. Last time we got on the carousel, he wouldn't let me put him on any of them (even on his favorite animals). I think this time it had a little something to do with Daddy being with him. Somehow he seems a little braver with Bronson around.

And as usual, on the way home, all of them passed out (Mollie being the very last one). We didn't do a lot when they woke up from their nap......except go on a snow cone hunt!! I cannot believe we don't have any snow cone stands around our area!! I'm hoping we can find one tomorrow. The weather is perfect for one! Another day down and another exciting one awaits us!!

Children's Museum

2011-06-14T18:39:00.001-07:00

Due to Elise's recent hospital stay, our 2 week vacation to Ohio, New York and D.C. was cancelled. As upset as we were, we decided the best way to handle our unfortunate setback, was to make the best of it. Bronson continued with his vacation for this week to spend time with us!! So today, Bronson and I took the babies to The Woodlands Children's Museum. We have never been before and didn't know really what to expect. Surprisingly enough, we had a great time!! The museum was set up purposely for children under 6 (although some older children were there and seemed to be enjoying themselves). We spent 2 hours there and still didn't get enough play time.....well, according to the kids.

Mollie was a hoot! She wanted to be so independent from us. Every time we turned around, she was at a different station. It was as if she couldn't take it all in fast enough! Above is her "driving" the fire truck. She definitely took charge wherever she went!

A huge playhouse was set in the middle of the museum complete with a kitchen, dining area, front porch and doghouse. Mollie spent most of her time here.....which I did not expect. She kept rearranging the food on the table. She was also inspecting her produce (you'll have to see the pics on our shutterfly account). But I believe it was the magic show that caught her attention the most. She was the only one out of all three that sat there and was mesmerized by all the tricks the magician was doing (mostly juggling).

Elise spent most of her time with the dinosaurs. She LOVES dinosaurs and everything about them. She would even bury them in the "dirt" and dig them up. Up above she's in the doghouse. Below she is having the dinosaurs kiss one another. It amazed me that she could name one of them (the Stegosaurus...probably because she remembered that one has all the plates on his back). Either way, I was in awe of her. She did enjoy the playhouse and the fire truck.....but her favorite had to be the dirt area.

We definitely need to get this girl some dinosaur figurines pronto!!

And then there's Preston.....he was so much fun! His favorite area was the fire truck with all the costumes. He would not take off the hat the entire time we were there! He has a love for hats. Like Mollie, he couldn't focus on any one activity for very long. Above is him "fishing". He did get a kick out of that. I believe he gets it from me.....I LOVE fishing.

His second favorite area was where all the big trucks were. The dirt was so neat....it was actually chopped up pieces of tires/rubber. So cool! The novelty of construction did hold his attention longer than most of the activities. I had such a great time watching him experience new ways of expressing himself through play.

All in all, it was a wonderful day! I'm so glad we decided to make the best of what we have this week. I know it was in the best interest of everyone involved that we stay home.....but it was such a difficult decision, not to mention hard to let go of something we've been planning for almost a year. Nevertheless, I had peace in our decision and it's where we're supposed to be. Now we're looking forward to a new and exciting tomorrow!!!

Here We Go Again!!

2011-06-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Elise was admitted last Tuesday for a staph infection.....AGAIN! This is her second bout with the bacteria in the last year. In May 2010, she was admitted for two nights with the non-resistant staph (typical, common staph). This time, she was diagnosed with MRSA. This is Methicillin-Resistant Staph. I thought it was pretty serious; however, the doctors and nurses didn't think it was as serious as it could have been. Apparently only about 1 in 100,00 cases of MRSA is serious enough for a quarantined environment. (The doctors didn't even wear masks or require us to when examining her).

This time she stayed two nights and three days. Once again, she was such a trooper. She was poked, prodded, examined and injected with so many antibiotics....but was still able to smile and play silly. My mom took Mollie and Preston home with her Tuesday afternoon while Gamma (Bronson's mom) stayed with Elise for a while. Uncle Reed even came to pay a visit (along with Hokey Pokey Elmo!).

As much as it may sound serious, she was fine. The staff at St. Luke's was incredible! They took really good care of her (and me).

She really livened up when Daddy came for his evening visits after work. They even fell asleep together several times. She was enjoying all the attention!

The good news is she's doing so much better. She was released on Thursday and had a follow up visit today. Our Pedi was very pleased to see how well the wound had healed. And it looks like she's still a go for the PDA procedure on July 6th (it was rescheduled from June 29th).

The doctor also informed us that Elise is not easily contagious (skin to skin) and she is not a carrier of the bacteria (meaning it won't always stay with her). The prognosis is to bathe her in a bleach bath (along with Mollie and Preston) once a week and to continuously disinfect the bathrooms since that's where staph seems to hide out the most. All in all we're thankful that Elise is fine and it didn't get to a dangerous level. Thank you for all of you who prayed.

Update on Elise

2011-05-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

Elise's cardiology appointment (downtown) was yesterday, May 17th. This appointment was to evaluate her for the procedure that her (local) cardiologist recommended. For those who don't know, Elise has a Patent Ductus Arteriosis. This is the valve that usually closes once a baby is born. It's right above the left chamber of the heart and aids in the blood flow for unborn children. The condition is very common. Usually if the valve doesn't close upon birth, it does around age 2. Well, Elise's hasn't closed yet. Her murmur is pretty strong.....strong enough for her cardiologist to be somewhat concerned to refer her to a colleague of his to do a particular procedure to close the valve.

So, we went downtown yesterday to have an EKG and ECHO done on her heart. The tests found that the left chamber of her heart has "mildly" enlarged. Basically her heart is working overtime to pump through a valve that shouldn't be opened. Therefore, we decided to go ahead and have the procedure. She will have a heart catheter enter in her groin area, up through an artery/vein that will reach her heart. Inside the catheter is one of the two devices that can be used to "plug" up the valve. (They will choose which device when they get a better visual of her heart). The procedure is very common. I believe they are done a lot. Of course there are risks, but the risk of not doing it outweigh the procedure itself. It will take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. We were told they would keep her overnight for observation. We have a date set for June 29th (on a Wednesday).

I don't know if it's because the doctors have made me feel comfortable of their ability to do the procedure or if it's God's peace.....but I don't have any concerns. I'm sure it's the latter. If anything, I'm excited for our baby girl!! The doctor assured me that we will begin to see a difference in her energy level about a few weeks after the plug is in place. Watching her trying to keep up with Mollie and Preston is heartbreaking at times. She gets so tired so easily. And often times she would rather sit inside or with me than to run around with them. This is not an everyday issue....just enough that I notice.

Bronson and I ask you to join us in lifting Elise up, as well as the doctors, in prayer. I know she's in God's hands. Ultimately, she belongs to Him.....and she's only ours for this life.

March of Dimes!!!

2011-04-30T12:04:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again! Our March of Dimes walk was today!!! For those of you reading this and don't know, our family participates in the March of Dimes walk (with our group, Mothers of Multiples) every year.

This year was a little different to say the least. First of all, Daddy walked with us! It was so much fun for the babies (and for Momma since he pulled the wagon most of the way!).

But we also recruited an additional walker: Brette!! Brette is my niece through my stepbrother, Dennis. She is such a delight! The kiddos love her and she is so good with them. It was nice to have an extra hand.....especially this year. As you will see below, the kids got to walk as well as ride!

Before we started the walk, Mollie thought it would be a good idea to remove the string from her arm that was holding her balloon. Needless to say, she learned a basic lesson in physics. We finally got her another balloon from one of the booths and convinced her to say "Goodbye red balloon". Within seconds, she was back on track.

Oh Preston.....he's such a ham!!! He was so excited about the walk. I don't know if it was the idea of riding in the choo-choo wagon, seeing the overly crowded walkers, or the pure enjoyment of having his Daddy and GaGa nearby....but he was happy!

And then we have Elise.....our baby girl that takes full advantage of any opportunity of pleasure that presents itself. Here she is laid back with her snack cup full of goldfish, sippy cup full of water, enjoying the ride.

About half way in the walk (1 1/2 miles), Mollie, Elise and Preston decided it was time to experience the joy of walking....or in Mollie's case, running. Oh how she loves to run! Like the energizer bunny, she kept going and going. Everyone around us kept saying she's a ball of energy bouncing off everything. And my response was the same, "Boy, don't you know it!"

Elise didn't do a lot of running.....she stayed behind with GaGa and Brette. Every once in a while, she would challenge them by going off the route. She loved to take off laughing (I'm sure laughing at whoever had to chase her down). Definitely a handful!

Preston was somewhat in the middle with Mollie and Elise. He loved to try and catch up with Mollie and run with her a little bit, but then lagged behind and "wander" to other areas of the route with Elise. He thoroughly enjoyed being with his Daddy most of all.

All throughout the walk, there were signs like the one above. In addition, we saw countless of shirts memorializing babies that didn't make it either past birth or longer than a month after birth. It broke my heart to see these families that have lost precious, beautiful babies that they haven't even gotten to know. And it reminds me of how much Bronson and I are blessed. The triplets may have been born at 32 weeks gestation; 2 months premature....but they were born healthy. It was because of organizations like March of Dimes that have done all kinds of research to increase the chance of surviving premature birth that helped our three little miracles.

Watching them grow in body and spirit every day is a miracle in itself. They have survived the odds of premature birth and continue to excel in every area of life. They are more than I ever hoped for and everything I ever dreamed. I'm thankful to God every day that I have these dear ones in my life. And I'm grateful to all of you who have supported us either monetarily or in prayer. Thank you for being a part of our lives.

Busy Month!!!

2011-04-27T11:37:00.001-07:00

We've been extremely busy since the last post!!! So, I have combined just about everything into this one LONG post. We'll start from the most recent: Easter!!!!
We did go to an Easter Festival that Bronson's parent's church was holding. The kids had a great time. I did get some pictures; however, I'll be posting those on our family photo website (you should see those soon). We tried very hard to take some Easter morning pictures....but as with toddlers, you take what you can get!

The girls were very eager to get their dresses on that G-pa had bought them. But Preston was refusing to change out of his pjs!!! We're going through a phase where pjs are better than regular clothes. It's a fight almost every morning. If it weren't for Easter, we probably would have had him go to church in his little jammies. (Yes, it was that difficult). But alas, he changed into the outfit his Aunt Ginger got for him!! Very cute!

On Good Friday, Bronson and I were both off work (my contract work) so we decided to take the babies to the zoo for the first time!!! They thoroughly enjoyed it! And just like we thought, the monkeys were by far their favorite exhibit!!

It was great to see what their reactions were to seeing "real live" animals opposed to the animals we see on TV or the My Baby Can Read video. They got to experience everything; the smell, the sounds, the behavior....everything!!!

The week before Easter, I participated in the MS 150 Bike Ride from Houston to Austin. It was an amazing experience and I have decided to make it an annual tradition. Since Bronson and I would be gone that weekend and I had contract work the following week, the kids got to stay with my mom (GaGa). Six whole days and six whole nights. Pictured above is the trio eating a watermelon GaGa cut for them. They had a blast!!! And even GaGa had a good time!! I was told they didn't even want to come home (that's a good thing!). We'll get to do it all over again coming up this weekend....but this time, they'll be staying for two weeks! We'll see who lasts....GaGa or the trio!

The Friday before they left, Elise had her cardiology appointment. She was asked to come back this April to find out if the heart murmur had closed. It hasn't. So, our cardiologist recommended we see one of his colleagues for surgery. We made a pre-op appointment on May 17th. We should find out during that time if it's really necessary, what the surgery entails, what are the risks and any other questions we may have. Although this procedure is common and I'm sure they do it hundreds of times a day, please keep her in your prayers.

The Tuesday before Elise's appointment, Ben & Jerry's had a free ice cream day to celebrate their anniversary. I thought it would be great to have an outing with the kids and have ice cream too!

It was CROWDED!!! But the babies were AWESOME! They patiently waited in line to get a cone. To be on the safe side (they didn't like vanilla before), we tried strawberry.

They LOVED it! Mollie inhaled hers (just like Momma). Elise ate hers quickly, but neatly (neat like Daddy). And Preston took his time (just like Daddy). He did take so much time that we ended up having to "share" the rest of his cone as it was pouring ice cream everywhere!

After they finished their treat, I let them play in the bouncy that was there. It was so neat....they had a DJ, a bouncy, games, etc. Needless to say, the kids went to bed very early that night!

This coming up weekend is the March of Dimes walk. Be on the lookout for another posting about the event. GaGa will be taking the kids again this Saturday and keeping them for two weeks!!

Nature.....and kids

2011-03-28T12:55:00.001-07:00

The other day, I was pulled outside by three little munchkins that were screaming, "Momma, lady bug, lady bug!!!" They were so excited to have spot a lady bug in the grass near the house. So, being the outdoors mom I am...I ran out there to see what they were calling "lady bug".

Sure enough, it was definitely a little lady bug. Mollie and Elise were so excited that they ran around calling, "Lady bug, where are you?" all over the backyard. They desperately wanted to find more. But the one that was more interested in the one they already found was Preston.

He was watching every move that bug made. And followed it crawling from one end of the "patio" to the other.

All the while he kept saying, "Momma look! He's going over there!! Momma, look!" He was so proud of himself!! Then he gained the courage to touch it.....

He "pet" it for a little while until his big sister saw all the attention that was given to him. She decided to walk over and.....

Well, let's just say, "Poor lady bug!". Kids.....you never know what they'll do next!!

(No lady bugs were actually harmed in the making of this post. Mollie did miss the bug with her foot and we talked about harming God's creation. Now, all three say, "Don't hurt the bugs!"

First Day of Spring and Houston Fertility Institute "Baby Shower"

2011-03-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the first day of spring!!! And we wore our spring outfits for church. The girls absolutely LOVE dressing up! Every time you put Mollie in a dress, she immediately starts spinning around (or what we call "twirling") and Elise just smiles and does a little "curtsy" to me and Daddy. Preston walks around so proud and says, "Orange shirt, orange shirt!" Just like his Daddy, he loves to look crisp and well dressed. And all three love shoes (I'm thinking they get it from their Aunt Courtney!) They would walk around in nothing but a diaper.....and shoes if they could! Preston can't wait to grow into his new shoes that Aunt Courtney and Uncle Reed bought him. The girls are delighted every time Brooke, their cousin, has more shoes to hand down to them. Later in the day, we went to the annual "Baby Shower" held for all the patients of the Houston Fertility Institute. It's so neat to see all the babies born from the use of fertility treatments. Although ALL babies are miracles.....I call these extraordinary miracle babies!! And the multiples are always a blessing to watch! Last year there were about 8 sets of triplets and at least a dozen set of twins.

We had so much fun at the petting zoo! Mollie walked up to EVERY animal and started petting them. She is fearless!!! She is unaware of any danger around her. Bronson and I had to watch her very closely. I think her favorite was the Llama. She was amazed at the long neck and thick, fuzzy fur.

Elise was a little more reluctant to go up to the animals. However, she loved the chickens! She would ruffle their feathers (surprise) and tried to hold them. Apparently they were used to being handled by humans because they were very forgiving of all the children and didn't peck once. Elise sat down and spent most of her time oohing and aahing over them.

Preston was not into the animals at all! Daddy held him most of the time. He did pet the rabbit...probably because it was the most non-threatening thing there. He was okay with the goats, but was scared to death of the Llama. Mollie tried to get him to pet it. It reminded me of my brother, Jason and I, with dogs. Jason was scared of big dogs, but I was fearless. I always tried to get him to go up to them (sorry to use you like this Jason!).

All in all, it was a great time had by all. Our doctor was there and was pleased to see how nicely the kids have grown. And like every year so far, he joked with us saying now that my system has been "jump-started", watch out for baby #4. I don't think so!

A Day In the Life of Triplets

2011-03-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

After I told my story of today to my sister-in-law, she suggested that I blog it. So here I am, spilling the events of today.....a day not too typical (thank goodness) but not occasionally unusual either. A day in the life of triplets:

This morning Bronson worked an earlier shift (from 8 to 5). He normally works from 9 to 6. So, he left the house before the kids got up. It started normal for me. A cycling class at 5:30 am, then home to shower and get ready before the kiddos woke up. Today was one of those days when the kids actually woke up a little earlier, so, I was having them run around as I blow dryed my hair and got dressed.

We finally went downstairs for our breakfast; all three wanting to sit on the counter as I made it. After constantly picking up towels, oven mits, and anything else within reach they threw down....our oatmeal was made and it was time to eat. During our meal, Elise decided to spoon her oatmeal in her hand and then proceed to lick it off. This is not a daily habit, but every once in a while she likes to transfer food from plate to hand....and sometimes back to plate before it reaches her mouth. Although Preston likes the idea of using utensils to eat, he still resorts to the faster method (grabbing a handful and stuffing his face). He then shakes his hand to rid of any leftover food residue (of course....'cause no one can stand for food to be on their hand!) And then we have Mollie....much like her momma, she has her bowl empty and ready for a second helping before her siblings can finish their first round.

Once breakfast was done, I ushered the kids in the living room to watch a little Sesame Street so I could clean the kitchen, trays and floor. After a little while, I heard a "Yay....we did it!" I rushed over to the stairs to find that Elise and Preston collectively pulled the gate down and was already halfway up the stairs. I shrugged my shoulders and thought, we might as well go up there to change clothes, brush our teeth and do some other things that needed to be done. While changing the sheets on Preston's bed (his diaper leaked the night before), I hear shattering glass. The kids were supposed to be in the playroom/office (open room at the top of the stairs) playing. However, they were all jumping on our bed! They now can open doors (obviously). Apparently, they took a huge tupperware bin, turned it over, climbed on top to get on the bed. We have a big iron candelabra right above our headboard with about 10 glass votive holders. Preston had grabbed one and threw it down between the wall and headboard. It shattered when it hit the baseboard on the wall. That's when we made a quick change of plans and went back downstairs (I'm just glad we had already changed clothes and brushed our teeth!)

Since we still had about an hour and half before lunchtime, I thought we should all pack up, go to the store to get another votive holder and some doorknob holders (to keep them from going into our bedroom without my knowledge). Once we got in Hobby Lobby, the kids went crazy! Normally they're quiet and will sometimes point to items and name them (or look up at me and ask "what's that, mamma?"). This time was completely opposite! They yelled (I was assuming they didn't want to be there). So, I went down the aisle with mirrors so they can look at themselves while I try to find the votive holder. After they calmed down, I found what I was looking for and it was time to go. At the checkout several people surrounded us (this is very normal....and it ALWAYS happens) and started asking questions: Are they triplets? How old? How do you do it? I can't imagine! What are their names? Do you have help? And my answers have always been the same. Oh they're easy! This is not a difficult task. I always go out with them! Today was a little different. I just smiled and said "Oh....we have our days!"

Normally I don't buy them ANYTHING when we're in the store....so, they never ask. This time, Mollie desperately wanted a little plush soccer ball that was at the counter. I thought, why not? Bought that along with a football and basketball. They kept throwing them back in the bin! They're so used to not getting anything that they kept putting them back! When I finally explained to them that it was theirs, we took off.

By the time we got home, it was after their lunchtime....so I knew they would be getting to their nap late. I didn't mind and hoped that it would allow them to sleep a little longer so I can have more time to unwind from the events of the day. No such thing. Preston only slept an hour. The girls slept for an hour and half (their naptime is usually 3 hours long!). Thank goodness Gamma, PawPaw and Uncle Reed had stopped by to take them off my hands while I ran yet another errand.

The rest of the evening consisted of us going to Conroe (meeting Bronson there) to eat with family and not getting home till late (but it was so worth it). Bronson and I finally got in bed by 12:30....only to wake up at 6:30 to do it all over again! (Except that I had a 41 mile bike ride - training for the MS 150 ride in April). With all that happened.....I wouldn't trade it for the world! I love my life with triplets. It's pure organized chaos.

Pumpkin Patch!

2010-10-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again!! Bronson and I took the babies to the pumpkin patch. It was completely different this time around!!! Instead of the babies just sitting there and crawling away.....they were running EVERYWHERE! (And in all 3 different directions!)

We decided not to take the stroller. I really don't know if that was such a good idea. Instead, we put their monkey packs on them and allowed them to walk. It was so much fun watching their reaction to all the people and pumpkins surrounding them. Mollie liked to climb all over the pumpkins (of course). Elise peeled every price sticker she could off of them and put them on different pumpkins (hopefully they were all the same price!). And Preston, well, he would just stand there and observe everyone around him. Every once in a while he would see a plane and yell, "Airplane!"

We finally were able to pick out a pumpkin and decided to carve Elmo. It was my first and only attempt. The kids recognized him right away.....which made me feel good about my carving skills : )

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit this year. And we hope to continue every year.

Catching Up - June - 18 month Photo Shoot

2010-09-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? The trips are already 18 months old!!! Time is flying by so fast. Everyone (or at least every mother) told me it would. But I had no idea it would be the speed of light!

Mom and I took the babies for their 18 month photo shoot. We decided we would bring all the props and make sure we used them! We thought, "Surely now that they're 18 months it will be SO much easier, right?" Boy.....were we delusional! I think we had it easier when they were 6 months.....or better yet, 9 months (when I went alone!). Nevertheless, we got it done and the pictures turned out beautifully. Of course, they are the cutest babies in the world!!

Oh Miss Mollie! She is such a handful! I know if I had her first.....she may have been the only child we would ever have. Although she is a challenge, ironically, she is the most obedient. It's interesting to watch her, too. When she enters the room, she demands attention. She doesn't have to do much to get it though. Most people are drawn in by her personality. She's very hard to overlook or ignore. She keeps us entertained.

Our sweet Elise! Or as Bronson calls her, "Baby Girl". She is the sweetest thing on earth! Her smile can lighten a darkened room. She's definitely Mollie's polar opposite. She doesn't demand anything but affection. She's a Momma's girl all the way (however, recently, she's starting to cling to Daddy). She freely gives her toys away instead of hoarding them. And she TALKS A LOT! Whether its gibberish or actual words, she's constantly going. Hmmmm.....I wonder where she got that from???? Elmo is her favorite toy, character, playmate, etc. You'll see him in the group picture. She doesn't go anywhere without her Elmo.

And then there's our special little guy, Preston! Of course you would know that he has me wrapped around his little finger. I think every mom of boys has that something special with their son(s). His smile is contagious. You can't help but laugh every time he gives that open-mouthed, toothy grin. And laid back......boy, he is made just like his father. However, every once in a while, he gets a little frustrated when he can't seem to get a toy to work. I would even go as far as saying I believe he will be mechanically inclined. He loves ALL boy toys. Trucks, cars, airplanes, trains.....you name, he loves it. If it makes a loud noise, all the better. And the best thing about my little boy getting older.....he's starting to outgrow the shyness he had several months earlier. He doesn't hide himself as much anymore.

Once again I'm in awe of how wonderfully blessed we are. God is amazing!!!

Catching Up - June

2010-09-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

We had our share of excitement in June as well. We bought our first "new-to-us" family van! I don't know how many times I said it in the past, but I thought I would NEVER buy a minivan!!! Guess what? Never say never.

After looking at countless vehicles that would suit our needs, a minivan was the only practical solution. Because SUV's take up more room, use more gas, and their doors open instead of slide, we decided that would not be the best vehicle for us. We needed something that would seat at least 7 passengers, have fold down chairs (captains chairs as a second row and bench as a third), plenty of cargo space, and a few bells and whistles (tv/dvd player, leather seating, low mileage). It wasn't until several weeks of searching that my father-in-law found the van that was meant for me (specifically me).

Although I had been looking at white, gray, or black vehicles....I settled for fiery red! It just suited me best. I thought, "If I'm going to drive a minivan.....I might as well be flashy!"

I have to say, it's the best vehicle I have ever owned (and that's including my Mustang). I do miss my little sports car, but this is just so much better!!! More than I could have ever asked for, it has all the bells and whistles....and then some. God truly does go beyond all that we ask for. And the best part is....the babies LOVE it!

Catching Up - Late May - "FIRSTS"

2010-09-10T11:25:00.001-07:00

After our scare with Elise's trip to the hospital, Mollie developed something similar on her thigh. Thank you, Lord that it didn't get as serious. The doctor's office was able to take care of it and after being on her 10 day dose of antibiotics, we haven't had another episode with either of them.

The rest of the month was filled with several "firsts". It was the first time the triplets have ever been in a pool; we had our first (of many) beach day inside; and we had our first long trip to Dallas to celebrate our cousin, Titus' FIRST birthday!!

Below is Mollie, Elise, and Preston's first time in the pool:
As most would have guessed, Mollie LOVED it! In fact, she was already going under the water! I had to teach her (quickly) how to hold her breath. She couldn't get enough. When it came time to leave, she made sure everyone knew she was not ready.

Elise was a different story. She liked the "idea" of the pool, but didn't like to experience that idea! She clung to me most of the time which made it a little difficult to play with Mollie and Preston. I'm just grateful they didn't mind me staying with Elise. By the end of summer, the water was growing on her.

And then there's Preston. He's a mixed between Mollie and Elise. He loved it....but after a while, he was tired of it. He liked to splash everyone around him more than "swimming". By the end of the hour, he was ready to go home.

Below is our first "Beach Day Inside". They all thought it was hysterical that mom would put the swimming pool inside the house....not to mention blow bubbles all around them. We brought our pails and shovels and pretended to dig everywhere.

We also thought it was fun to dump just about every toy in the pool just to throw them out again.

They were all smiles. Needless to say, we had "Beach Day" almost every day from that moment on. It was nice since the weather was too hot to be outside. (And I couldn't go to the pool by myself).

They all love the little pails that Aunt Courtney and Uncle Reed had given them earlier this year for Easter.

Preston was always wanting to touch the camera. He's about done with that phase. Now he just says "cheese" every time I get it out. He's such a ham!

Then we took a long trip (twice as long as going to GaGa's house) up to Dallas to celebrate the trips' cousin, Titus, first birthday. Below is Titus blowing out his candle.

We had so much fun! It was a great day to have a party outside. The trips were excited to see all of their family (with a couple of new members added this year).

We stayed the night with my brother, Tommy and his wife, Gina. Somehow, we were able to get the trips' picture with their newly one year old cousin, Titus. It was a great time!!!

Catching Up - Early May

2010-09-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been a crazy few months in the Burcham household!! Well, crazy enough for me not to post anything. I'll have to start where I left off.

The Monday following Mother's Day, I noticed what appeared to be the beginning of a boil on Elise's rear end. By Tuesday evening, it grew so much that it caused great concern for both Bronson and I. Wednesday morning, I took her to our Pediatrician (while Gamma watched Mollie and Preston) and was immediately sent to the ER at St. Luke's Hospital!!!

In the ER, the doctor had to lance the staph infected boil and then admit her for a two night stay. Elise did extremely well considering the circumstances. It was very difficult for me to watch the staff perform surgery on her with absolutely NO anesthetics!! They gave her something to keep her from moving....but as for pain, there wasn't anything they could do. She didn't scream....just moaned. Bless her little heart! Which....speaking of her heart....that also posed some obstacles in her healing. Because she still has the PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosis), we were VERY conscientious of the danger the staph would cause if it reached her heart. Thank God....it didn't get that far.

By Friday, she was released with a 10 day dose of antibiotics, new soap, and an Elmo. GaGa (also known as Grandma) came to stay with us in the hospital and brought a special present for Elise......Elmo.

GaGa did more than be a support for me....she was Elise's security during this stressful time. I had other issues to tend to and I knew that Elise could sense the toll everything was taking on me.

And as always.....God turned something so terrible into something so beautiful. Both GaGa and I believe that her and Elise's relationship has grown a very special bond that is evident everytime they're reunited. Thank you to everyone that prayed for us....not just for Elise's health, but also for Bronson and I. We really appreciate it!

March of Dimes!

2010-04-24T12:42:00.001-07:00

March of Dimes walk was today! It began at 9:00 am and lasted till about 10:30 am. My mom and I participated and together we raised over $800.00!! Thank you to everyone who supported us. We really appreciate it!

I can't tell you how sobering it was to walk alongside people who have lost their children and were walking in memory of them. Premature births affect so many people....it's unbelievable! Although the triplets were born 2 months premature, we didn't have near the issues that a lot struggle with. In fact, our babies were so healthy. True the girls had to go on a breathing machine for the first 8 to 9 hours of their life, but they were off shortly thereafter. Preston never went on a breathing tube. By the weekend from their birth (they were born on a Tuesday), their IV's were out. The only thing they had to overcome was eating, swallowing, and breathing simultaneously. We thank God that the March of Dimes brought about tools that aided us to have babies with mature lungs (which kept them from having to be on CPAPs for an extended period of time). I was given two shots of steroids 3 to 4 days prior to their birth to make sure their lungs matured.

As you can see (above), the walk proved to be a lot of work for Elise. She was so tired. She could barely hold up her head. So adorable!!

Here's us at the finish line! We had a really great time! I know this will be our annual fundraiser for the kiddos. Thank you again for all your support!

15 Month Check Up

2010-04-23T20:26:00.002-07:00

This afternoon we had our 15 month check up!!! The babies are growing so fast! They did very well and the doctor was impressed with how much they have learned developmentally! I'm so excited (and proud). According to the typical normal chart for 15 month olds, their vocabulary should consist of 3-6 words, they should understand simple commands ("touch the dog" or "eat your food"), begin to listen to stories read to him/her and stack two blocks. All three has a vocabulary of 10-15 words (they can say ball, hair, nose, ear, eyes, dog, cat, toes, shoes, socks, and outside just to name a few). As for commands, so far I have been able to ask them to come to me to put their shoes and socks on (they go get the shoes and socks if they're on the floor or on the stairs and bring them to me); go get the ball; pick up your toys; eat your food; put your drink on the table; etc. They clearly understand what Bronson and I tell them. They're amazing! Story time before bedtime can last anywhere from 15-30 minutes. They normally can sit through two to three books. Now, they're starting to open their own books and "read" to themselves. Pretty entertaining! Preston has shown that he can stack 5 to 6 blocks and both girls have stacked their numbered buckets in order from 10 to 1 (10 buckets!!!). We're so very proud of them! And we're excited for what's to come.

Miss Mollie weighed in at 24 lbs (60% on the growth chart). Her height is 32 1/4" (85% on the growth chart). She did well during the exam but had a rough time overcoming her shots.

Little Elise is still the heaviest of the three weighing in at 26 lbs (85% of growth chart). And her height is 32" (80% on growth chart). She was still a little gun shy from the previous cardiology appointment, but didn't cry for long after the shots. She's such a trooper!

And our handsome, strapping boy, Preston weighed in at 25 lbs (50% on growth chart). His height is still in the 90th percentile at 33 1/4". He breezed through the examination and quickly recovered from the shots (especially since Grandma held him afterward).

Since they are doing fantastic, we were told that they will not need an exam at 18 months (unless there's something wrong or there is a need for it)!! Next time will be in 9 months! Bronson and I can now relax knowing that we are doing everything in our power to make sure these babies are not lagging behind their full-term counterparts developmentally or physically. God is so good!

Update on Elise

2010-04-23T20:26:00.001-07:00

Today was Elise's cardiology appointment. Talk about a long morning!! Before seeing the Doc, we had to get an EKG and an Echo on her. Not thinking, I forgot to tell the tech for the EKG not to talk to Elise first. So, she did. And since Elise is not socially accepting of strangers, she immediately began to panic. Then came the strips that had to be attached to her body. Not good. Needless to say, the EKG did not get done. A screaming Elise prevented that!! We had to go back into the waiting room with her siblings and Grandma to wait for her to calm down. Then it was off to the Echo tech. I remember to let him know not to talk or even look at her. He didn't and managed to get a good enough pic of her heart for the Doc to examine her. This tech was so awesome that when Elise started to throw a fit, he took out his phone and played a video of his 22 month old son naming all the animals and their sounds. You could tell he worked with children a lot.

After a full examination of Elise's heart and lungs, it was determined that the hole was still present. Not seeming to be too concerned about it, the doctor asked if she was as active as her siblings and if she could keep up with them. All answers were yes, of course! In fact, she runs more than they do. Her breathing is normal and there are no other signs of distress. It's as if the medical team is seeing something that's really not there (I'm believing for that).

The prognosis is for her to come back in a year for another examination. If the condition is still the same, a nonsurgical procedure will be done (inserting a catheter up through her groin area to the heart) to close the hole. I believe there won't be any need as Elise is healed in Jesus' name! Thank you for everyone who has prayed for this precious baby!!

Old MacDonald Had A Farm

2010-04-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Actually, it's Grandma and PawPaw who has the farm! The kids and I went to visit Grandma and PawPaw last week for some "Mamma" time. Unlike all the visits previously, this time, we went to see real livestock! The kids have been learning "Old MacDonald" and all the animals on his farm. Now they got to experience it up close and personal.

Above, Grandma gave the chickens some grass to feed on which brought them close to the kids. The babies went crazy! They can't quite "cluck" yet, but they knew what chickens were and started to say their "ch" sound.

I believe the cows were a big hit. Once the trips saw them, they started "mooing" BIG TIME! The best part of it was that these cows were not shy at all. They came right up to the babies and tried to lick their faces several times. Preston almost got to touch one of their noses.

Grandma was showing Preston one of her horses. The girls didn't get too close (which was a good thing). But Preston was extremely curious of them since he kept going over to the fence to see them.

It was such a nice, relaxing time there. I always love being in the country. I hope the kids do as well (especially since they can run around in a huge field without me running after them). There's such a peace that resonates with us when we spend time marveling at God's creation. I believe the kids were on to it.

We Can Read!!!

2010-03-29T08:26:00.001-07:00

We can read!!! Well....we're getting there. Most of you know, Grandma purchased the "My Baby Can Read" program for the trips' birthday. We began the videos right after their party in January and has stuck with it just about every day since then.

What a difference this program makes!!! Although the babies are simply memorizing the letter order in each word, they are taking in so much more. It's amazing!

All three now recognize every day words such as dog, baby, clap, wave, hi, and almost all body parts (head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, arms, feet and toes). Along with learning words, they also are taught songs: Head and Shoulders, If You're Happy, Intsy Wintsy Spider, and Old MacDonald just to name a few. They even act out the movements to the songs that have them.

Preston acts out the most of the words before they're spoken. Elise and Mollie's speech is almost as clear as an adults. Elise can say "dog", "outside", "shoe", and "toe"....but her favorite word right now is "hi". Mollie prefers to say "shoe", "sock", and "toe" a lot. I think mainly because she likes to go outside and she knows you have to have your socks and shoes on before attempting to go anywhere!

As for body parts, they can point out every part on their body you ask them to (with the exception of shoulders because we haven't learned that yet). They started doing this after only watching the video the first week (when they were only 12 months). Not only do they watch the video, they also interact with me and flashcards. I can hold a flashcard up and they will either act out the word or try to say it. Most of the time, they can do this before I say the word.

This has helped them to really enjoy story time. It's almost as if they are "reading" along with Bronson and I. Instead of 2 or 3 books a night.....it's turning into 4 or 5 books. Mollie now chooses which book she wants us to read. And to top it all....they are learning to respect the books. No tearing pages or putting them in their mouth!!!

I would highly recommend this program to any parent or parent-to-be that wants to encourage their child(ren) to learn. I believe it has done more than we had hoped!!

Swing Set Is Up!!!

2010-03-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

The swing set is up!! Yay!! Bronson's family (parents, sisters and brothers-in-law) had purchased a swing set for the trips' Christmas and birthday present. And since the weather has been so nasty, we were not able to put it together until this weekend.

Below is Bronson and Jack putting it together.

Preston was so excited that he decided to NOT take his afternoon nap and watch Daddy and PawPaw set it up.

The babies LOVED it!! They have always liked to swing. And now they can go anytime (well, almost any time) they want!!

Here's Mollie enjoying her swing:

Elise had a long nap and woke up to us putting her right into the swing. She seemed to like it:

And here's Preston squealing with delight! He is thrilled:

Gamma joined in on the fun and pushed a baby, or two.....or three!

PawPaw was grabbing Preston's feet every time he swung up close to him. Preston just giggled!

Now, no more going to the neighborhood park and sharing the swings (there were only two infant swings available) or stray dogs (that's another story!). We can go in the privacy of our own backyard, have a picnic and swing to our heart's delight!!

A special thanks to Gamma, PawPaw, Aunt Courtney, Uncle Reed, Aunt Ginger, Uncle Richard and Brooke!!!

"Towel-E-Ban"

2010-03-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

I know....it was a stretch, but I had to make a play on the word!

What is it with babies and towels on their head??? Every day all three children go into the kitchen, swipe a dish towel that's hanging on the oven and put it on their head. Sometimes they just want to cover the back of their head, and other times, they want to cover their face.

The latest thing that Mollie likes to do is cover her full head and face and try to walk while holding her arms out. I'm guessing she wants to see how long and far she can go without bumping into something. Maybe it's a new way of excitement for her. She is that kind of baby that likes living on the edge. (Reminds me of someone I know....right Judy Mac?)

Elise can't quite walk yet, but if she could, she would be doing the exact same thing. Instead, she throws the towel over her head, holds out her arms and grunts, "uh, uh". Absolutely adorable!

Preston does both (tries to walk with it covering his face and holds his arms out as if to say, "Look at me!"). But most of the time, he just likes the way it feels on his head. He will continue to play like this for almost half an hour until it eventually falls off (or gets pulled off by one of the girls).

One thing's for sure....they keep me entertained! There's never a dull moment in this household!!!

Dress Up!

2010-03-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

The kiddos LOVE playing dress up!! They especially love hats! Anything that will go on their head, they get excited!! But at Grandma's....that's where the fun really begins. Grandma has a variety of dress up clothes and hats they can try on and use their imagination. Here are a few pics of our last visit....

(Above is really from home, but it's Elise crawling away in Daddy's baseball cap). She thought she could get away with stealing it!!!

Mollie really enjoyed putting her cowgirl hat on and riding on her horsey. She rode "in to town and didn't fall down". (I know....corny, but she loves that little rhyme!)

And then there's Preston! Our little Captain of the sea. He had such a good time trying on different hats and seeing what he looked like in them. I think he's the one that has the most fun. I can't wait to see how their imagination will run wild as they grow!!!

It's My Party.....

2010-01-15T21:20:00.001-08:00

What a Birthday Party!!! On Jan. 2nd, we had the trips' birthday party. What a wonderful turnout we had!! I know over 50 people total were there. At least 15-20 children (collectively) arrived. We had such a great time!

We had decided on a circus/carnival theme a while back. In fact, I came up with the idea one day when the babies were about 4 months old. We were in the middle of a feeding (propping bottles) and while I was grabbing one baby after another to burp (only to get spit up on)....the circus music started going off in my head. I knew it had to have been one of those days because I remember all I could do was laugh. I couldn't get to the next baby that needed burping in time and there was spit up everywhere (sorry to be so graphic)! And I thought to myself, "This is a three-ring circus!" And it has been ever since!!

I remember then all I wanted was for them to be able to hold their own bottle and not spit up. Well, I have that now...but it's not at all what I had expected. I know they have to grow up sometime. It feels like it's going so fast! Everyone told me it would. But of course no one believes it until they experience it.

In the last month, I've had some bitter-sweet moments. It's so neat to see them advancing developmentally. However, at the same time, you want to hang onto their "babyness" (if you can call that a word). It feels like it was yesterday when they were learning how to rollover. Now, they crawl, cruise, climb and stand up on their own. Not walking quite yet (Mollie does a little), but they're almost there.

And intelligent! These babies are so smart. I know every mom says that about their baby. But no really, these babies are!! Bronson and I have been teaching them sign language (for better communication until they start speaking). So far, they can let us know when they are hungry, when they want more and when they have or are about to "poop". It's great!! We also have introduced them to the 'My Baby Can Read' program. They've only been on it for 3 weeks and so far, they recognize the words: clap, wave, nose, and mouth. We're so proud of them!

They're wonderful babies! I have enjoyed them immensley!! I wouldn't want to do anything else in my life. My cup is definitely overflowing!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

Although it's not technically the triplets first Christmas, it sure does feel like it! We have had a blast!!! They somewhat know that something is going on and it's not the norm.

We spent the weekend before Christmas at my mom's house. She always has a Christmas party with the whole family the weekend prior to Christmas so we can all come. Aside from being freezing, we had a wonderful time!

Christmas Eve was spent with Bronson's family at his parent's house. The kiddos had a good time playing with Brooke and opening their presents. We had a nice, relaxing time.

Then Christmas morning.....we spent together!! After the kids had their breakfast, Bronson and I pulled the presents out from under the tree and had the babies "open" them. After about the second one, they figured it out. And like most babies, they were more interested in the box it came in!! Thank goodness we didn't over do it with this trio! We knew with their birthday party coming up, we couldn't afford the space of buying them much of anything!!

Most importantly, we reflected on the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus gave us life and life more abundantly. The Lord has shown us mercy, grace and love. We are so grateful for the life He has given us. We can only hope that you have received His gift of love that He so generously gave and receive the new life that is created when you accept it.

Merry Christmas from the Burcham Family.

One Year Ago Today.....

2009-12-23T19:44:00.001-08:00

I got a call at 11:00 am from Dr. G. My test results came back and it was time. Time to have the babies. He told me they would be delivered by 3:30 pm that day. I was NOT ready! Especially with the babies being exactly 2 months premature. It just so happens that on that Tuesday, I was exactly 32 weeks pregnant. Scary! I called one person.....Bronson. In half an hour, we were on our way to the hospital. After checking in, we were waiting on the bench (see above) nervously. I think we were both about to pass out from anxiety. By 3:41, 3:42 and 3:43 pm, we had an instant family!!!

What a year it has been! It's been rough, but surprisingly easier than what I thought it would be. It's been fun so far.....but difficult; happy, but sad; exciting...yet mundane. I know this doesn't make sense, but it's been everything and in between. We've had some really tough times, but really easy times. After the initial 2 1/2 months, I finally was on my own. I didn't realize then that I should have kept my "help" as long as they (the mommas) were willing to stay! But nevertheless, I needed to jump out of the nest and do it myself. And all the things I did! Who would deliberately go grocery shopping (for two weeks worth of groceries) by themself with 3 babies and make it look effortless??? Of course no one saw how long it took me to get ready to go and how much work it was when I got home. Would I dare venture that again now.....no way! It's a little different as they get older. There were days when I felt that our lives were so monotonous I thought I would do anything to have something different happen. Then there were days that everything was changing so fast I thought I would lose their "babyness" too soon.

I didn't think it was going to be like this. And this, I mean....wonderful, exciting, exhausting, aggravating, heartstopping, heartmelting rollercoaster!!! I'm up, then down, side to side and sometimes, I'm thrown a loop or two. And with all of that, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm excited to see what the next year holds for us......I'm sure a whole new adventure!!!

Although we're having their party on January 2nd, I couldn't help but give them a little "taste" of what's to come. Enjoy the video.....

(Okay....I've been trying to upload this video for a week now - it's 1/8/10. I can't wait any longer! So no video....sorry).

Time flies when you're having fun!!!

2009-12-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

Wow! I cannot believe it's December already!! And mid-December at that!! I haven't posted anything lately as I have been BUSY!! The babies are officially MOBILE! For all of you that said it will get easier as they get bigger......yeah, right! Chasing one baby, okay, I can see that being a little easier since you don't have to always pick them up and "place" them where you want them. But chasing three at one time all going a different direction, well, it's a little harder than you think! Let's just say I'm burning some major calories. The pictures below are from the night before their birthday photo shoot. We were trying on their clown outfits. Here's the update on our little ones:

Mollie......Oh boy! She's fast!!! You can't take your eyes off her for a moment. And curious! This child wants to know what everything is, what it does, and how does it fit in her life. For the most part, she listens when I tell her "no" which is a lot considering she's not even one yet! And the dancing goes on and on. She LOVES to dance. She has several moves she'll pull on you. If it's a heavy beat, she'll nod and sometimes even get her body in the groove. If it's a fast paced sing-along-song, then she'll move her head side to side. She is so adorable! Right now she has 4 teeth showing already! Her incisors are coming in and they are hurting her pretty bad. Most of the day she's okay. But when they start cutting her gums, watch out. She will let everyone in the neighborhood know that it does not feel good! Bless her little heart (and mine too!).

Elise: How can I describe Elise? Laid back? Well, a little. Curious? Just a tad (not nearly as much as Mollie). Joyous? YES! Very happy baby (as long as she's not tired or hungry). She LOVES to laugh. Belly laughs, giggles, chuckling, and even "fake" laughing. Yes, the child will fake laugh at you. It's hilarious! She laughs when Mollie or Preston crawls to her. She laughs when Bronson or I are playing with the other two or her. She laughs if you look at her a certain way. And she's so cuddly! She's like a big teddy bear. We love to love on her all the time. I do think she's slimming down just a little bit. She's crawling somewhat. More like dragging herself! Sometimes she'll get on all fours....other times, she just uses her left arm to drag her whole body. It looks painful, but she seems to be okay. She has two teeth on the bottom....but we just found out today that she's cutting her incisors as well. This is making her a little cranky, but not as bad as Mollie.

Preston - The gentleman of the group is Mr. Personality! He plays shy, coy, lovable, bashful, anything that is precious. He'll hide his face with his hands (see the pic), but will look at you through his fingers and then smile. Absolutely adorable! He's still laid back like his Daddy. I would also say that he's as happy as or more so than Elise. He's always smiling. Him and I like to squeal as loud as we can. He always gets an octave higher than me. After we're all "squealed out", we'll just laugh at each other. He's still a mamma's boy, but he's a little more interested in exploring his world. Especially now that he's mobile. He does a military crawl.....but Daddy told me today that he got on all fours and crawled across the floor (while I was gone Christmas shopping). I was so excited! Even though he military crawls, he's just as fast as Mollie. He follows her around a lot. It's so cute. He watches her and what she does. Then when she's done with whatever it is, he tries to do it as well. Mollie better watch out....he's on her heels! He has one and a half teeth coming in on the bottom and I believe I saw one incisor tooth coming in today. So, I may be in for a long season of teething. Three babies teething......wow.

Ever since Thanksgiving, we've been busy. We've had birthday parties, dinner parties, playgroups, shopping, pictures, and birthday planning!!! Yes, I am planning their first birthday party now. I'm just about done. I can't believe they're going to be a year old. Time flies when you're having fun.....or is it when you're raising triplets????

Silent No More!

2009-10-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

Most people long for silence. They yearn for a little peace and quiet. A time to rejuvenate. Relax.

I remember the silence in our home was deafening. Yes....deafening. If you could imagine silence being so loud. That's how I felt days, weeks, months and even years in our home. After being married for 12 years and living in the house for 9 years, I thought I would hear the sweet pitter patter of little feet, loud wails, belly-laugh giggling....all those things that come with having children. Some days I could hear a pin drop. Anyone who truly knows me would know that I'm not a quiet person. I constantly thrive on chaos. Organized chaos. The louder, the better....sometimes.

Reflecting back on those days....I kind of chuckle. The only time I hear silence is after 8 pm. But it's a good silence. Not that I'm ready for it or even longing for it. It's a "I'm glad I have 3 babies that are sound asleep in our home" kind of silence. Knowing that they're here....with us....our children. Unbelievable. Undeserving. But oh so gracious. So thankful. So blessed.

I thought I would share a little video of our 3 bundles of joy expressing themselves to each other. Our home is Silent No More!!!

Pumpkin Patch!!!

2009-10-10T18:32:00.001-07:00

Bronson and I took the babies to the pumpkin patch. What a great idea for kids (not to mention an awesome photo op!). Although the kiddos are only 9 1/2 months, I think they really enjoyed themselves. It was so neat watching them take in their surroundings. We don't get out much so this was a nice surprise for them.

Oh Mollie! When the camera is pointing her way, she lavishes in it! She LOVES the camera....and it doesn't matter whose camera it is. A couple next to us was taking their son's pictures. Well, good ole' Mollie turns their way and starts smiling, tilting her head and cooing. The woman did ask me if it was okay for her to take the trips' pictures. Of course! And it made Mollie feel special too.

Our little ham, Elise. Little Miss Goofy herself! She really enjoyed the patch. It's hard to catch her smile on camera though. She was laughing most of the time and had Bronson and I rolling as well! She would "pat" the pumpkins and then try to get Preston's and Mollie's pumpkin. And everything they did cracked her up. She's such a jolly baby!

And then there's Preston. He usually smiles a lot, but this time he was a little serious. We thought it could be that this was a very new experience for him. For the most part he seemed to enjoy himself. He liked eating the top of the pumpkins. At one moment, I caught him sucking the side of a huge pumpkin. I know any day now we'll see a tooth come up!

We had such a great time! I can't wait till next year when they are running around and checking out all the things to do. There were several activities there.....hayride, train ride, small petting zoo. Very family friendly (and animal friendly too). This is the same place that does the Christmas Trees so we'll be back in about two months!

It's all about "Ma-Ma" and "Da-Da".....but mostly

2009-10-09T07:35:00.001-07:00

"Da-Da".

Well the kiddos are saying nothing but "Da-Da" these days. Preston has been the only one saying "Ma-Ma". Of course.....he's my little boy! All three light up when Daddy gets home from work. It's amazing to watch them and how they interact with Bronson.

Mollie is a definite "Daddy's Girl". The minute he walks in the room, I become chop liver! She still smiles and plays with me, but not like she does with her Daddy. He can make her laugh just by looking at her. After their bath, we have "reading" time and settling down time in the den/playroom. Bronson will lay on his stomach and Mollie immediately tries to get on his back! It's hysterical. She's so little that she barely can lean over on his back.

Elise is in the middle.....a little bit of Daddy's Girl, but she loves her Momma as well. Although, only Daddy can make her laugh so hard tears stream from her eyes!! Something about him and what he does to make her laugh gets her so tickled. And she's always smiling at him.

And then there's Preston. He is Momma's Boy all the way. I don't think I've ever seen a boy react to his mother the way Preston does to me. His face glows when we look at each other. I can make him laugh so hard just by smiling at him. And I LOVE the fact that his first word was "Mamma". He is one big ham!

We're enjoying these babies so much!

Feeding Time at the Burchams

2009-10-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

I thought I would let you in on a little video of the trips' feeding time (below). For the most part, they do very well. It's so cute to see how they each have their own "personality" and "reaction" to eating. Mollie usually "dances" after she gets a bite. But once she's done or really tired....that's it. No more. She will let you know in more ways than one that she's finished.

Elise is sometimes patient, but most of the time.....she's just really hungry. She's a great eater. She eats ANYTHING! But when I have to give Mollie and/or Preston a bite.....she'll either cry out or whine until it's her turn. You'll hear her in the video.

And Preston is a hit or miss kind of eater. Some days he'll do really well. And other days, well, let's just say he's a little distracted. Bronson and I will either have to hold his head up because his chin is touching his chest. Or we have to call his name several times because he's looking everywhere but at you. He'll also "clear" his throat several times. I think he thinks that's funny. Then other times.....he's great. He'll look right at you, take his bite and says "Mm-Mm". Sometimes I have to watch it with him. If I look at him a certain way.....he gets to giggling and all the food just spills out of his mouth.

It's quite entertaining. I do have a lot of fun with them. The key to not getting frustrated is not to have an agenda or a deadline to be somewhere. That's pretty much how I get through most of my days.

Rub A Dub-Dub, 3 Babies In A Tub!

2009-09-26T19:08:00.001-07:00

The babies are now taking a bath together! They are sitting up well enough (and I feel much more comfortable) for them to all be in the tub together. I like this arrangement MUCH better than what we had been doing (one-at-a-time). Bathtime, like everything else, takes triple the time....especially when you're dealing with a water baby (or babies)! They do love their bath. And I can't wait until they get a little older.....that's when the fun begins!!! Now if we could just get them to wash their own hair!!!

Update on Elise

2009-09-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

The cardiologist visit was a success. Well, a success in the sense that I was able to go by myself with all 3 babies, no fussing or crying at all!! When we arrived , it was time for their 11:00/11:30 feeding. So, I fed them in the waiting room. They did great and we were finished just as the doctor was calling Elise in.

The PDA is still there. It hasn't closed up all the way yet. The doctor said it wasn't a big concern. He would like to see her in 6 months for another follow up. At that time if it still hasn't closed, he may recommend a non-surgical procedure where a catheter is inserted up her leg to her heart to block the hole. I'm not clear if this would stay or if it would be temporary until the hole eventually closes.

Either way, he doesn't seem to be very concerned. So, that makes one happy momma! Thank you for all your prayers. We appreciate them!

Nine Months Old!!!

2009-09-16T12:20:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it! Our babies are now 9 months old!! It just seems like yesterday when we were bringing them home from the hospital. They'll be 1 year old before we know it!!

A lot has been going on since my last post. First, I went back to work temporarily for my former employer (mainly to help out during their busiest time of year). I should be done within the next week. I'm very grateful for the opportunity, but realized my place is at home with the kiddos. Grandma, Gamma and Stacy (with her crew) have been helping out watching the kids while I'm out. Again, I'm very blessed to have such wonderful family and friends to depend on when I need them.

Well.....last week was the trips' 9 month well baby check up. Everything went great! And yes, I did go by myself. It was a little challenging, but I'm always up for a challenge. Here is the information I'm sure everyone is waiting on.....

Mollie: height 27 1/2" (52% for full-term babies); weight 20 lbs 4 oz. (85%)
Elise: height 28" (75%); weight 22 lbs 3 oz. (96%)
Preston: height 29" (80%); weight 21 lbs 5oz. (75%)

VERY BIG BABIES!!! We are extremely excited at how well they're doing. As for developmentally.....they're almost on target. All of them can sit up very well. Mollie just learned to crawl and pull up in the last few days. Preston does a military crawl (with his belly on the floor). And Elise....well, she knows if she whines enough, you'll move her where she wants to go. Bless her little heart! She's so big!

Two weeks ago, Elise said, "da-da". Bronson was one proud da-da! She loves saying it (mostly to him). Preston can almost say "ma-ma".....but he usually just says, "mmmmma". And recently, Mollie has been saying "ba-ba". They're constantly squealing at one another. It's fun (and interesting) to watch them interacting with each other. For the most part, they get along. I'm looking forward in seeing how their relationships will bloom.

This next month will be a busy one for us. We have a few birthdays to attend, the pumpkin patch outing, our church fall festival, reunion with the NICU, and possibly hosting a playgroup! I should be posting more updates in the near future as time allows.

Please be praying for Elise. She has her cardiologist appointment on Friday. A few months ago, the doctor said her hole was closing and it looked really good. This checkup is to make sure it continues to heal. Thank you!

Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

2009-08-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

The babies are getting huge!! They are amazing Bronson and I day after day. I thought you might like to watch the girls' personality shine through on this video. This was taken earlier in July. Mollie was trying to crawl but didn't know how to get her belly off the ground. Elise is sitting up with the support of a boppy. Everytime when Mollie would move, Elise would laugh hysterically.

Of course now, Mollie is just about to start crawling. All the babies can sit up on their own without support. And although Preston isn't crawling yet, he can get around "creeping". He's pretty fast!

Hope you enjoy the video!

Sitting Pretty!

2009-07-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

As you can see above, we're practicing our sitting up!! The babies are doing so well. I'm very proud of them. I'm always proud of them.

Typical full-term babies sit up on their own (not supported) around 6 months. I believe the latest they can sit without support (and it not be a developmental delay) is about 9 months. Now everyone knows the triplets are no ordinary babies. Born 2 months premature, the doctors said to add 2 months for their developmental milestones until they're about 2 years old. For those of you keeping track....the trips are now 7 months old (as of last Thursday). I can tell you that these babies are sitting up anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes WITHOUT support!!! Yay!! It's only a matter of time before we won't have to support them at all. I'm so excited.

In the pictures, they're supported by boppy pillows because I couldn't "catch" them if they were to fall. Otherwise, I just sit them up and sit nearby just in case they begin to "timber". After about 15 to 20 minutes of practicing, they do get tired and I put them back on their tummies.

Here's Mollie enjoying her sitting time with her brother and sister. She does well....but would rather be on her tummy!

Elise, by far, is the best sitter. I don't know if it's because she's so big that she has a heavy bottom to keep her grounded.....or if it's because she does NOT like tummy time and would rather sit and watch the other two.

And here's Preston.....just being his usual, adorable self!! He's so laid back, he doesn't care if he's sitting, rolling, or on his tummy. As long as he's with his girls, he's a happy camper. He doesn't sit as long as the girls do because of his big punkin head! It tends to weigh him down....bless his little head; um, I mean heart!

Because Mollie and Preston stay on their tummy a lot, they are beginning to "creep" on their bellies. Mollie goes backward and Preston goes either forward or sideways. It's just a matter of time before they begin to crawl. Elise is content just watching them (which Momma is okay with that.....choice between 3 crawling babies or just 2....I'll take 2).

NO MORE MONITORS!!!

2009-07-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

Look Mom.....no wires!!! Yes....it has finally come to pass that the doctor sent in for the discontinuance of the apnea monitors. I thought it would NEVER happen! Poor babies have been on those things since they've been home late January.

I can't tell you how happy I am!!! Of course in the beginning, I wanted those babies monitored. I was so concerned that one of them would stop breathing or their heart would stop. But as time went on and they have proven that they're healthy, it's been somewhat of a thorn in my side. But what really scared me is Mollie. Since she has been rolling over a lot in her sleep, she has entangled herself with the thick, gray wire that is connected to the actual monitor that the "leads" plug into. A few times I have woken up to her struggling....only to find the cord wrapped around her throat!!! Most of the time, it's around her abdomen several times (like this morning!). I wouldn't be surprised if the pediatrician just got tired of me begging him to take them off. Either way, I'm one happy Momma!!!

Here's Mollie holding onto her belt with "leads". The belt would go around their chest and the wires coming down is what monitored their breathing and their heart rate. Recently, we've had to tighten the belt (fastened with velcro) so tight that Elise could barely breathe!

Here's our Little Elise with her belt. After these pictures were taken, we had them "throw away" the belts. I'm sure Elise breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that Daddy wasn't going to put that thing back on her after her bath!!!

Once again, thank you for all of your prayers. We are very grateful to be moving on from this season!!!!

Bumper Cars and Teething

2009-07-15T08:40:00.001-07:00

Well....it has come to that time in a baby's life when misery sets in. Yes....the trips are now teething. It began the end of June, but now is in full swing!!! The girls seem to do very well; however, it's the little boy that can't take it. I knew that men had a low threshold for pain.....but I didn't know it starts when they're babies!!!

Here's Elise knawing on her hand. She usually chews on anything she can get her hands on. No teeth showing yet, but her gums are really swollen. Bless her little heart!

All the kiddos now have walkers!! They absolutely adore them. They enjoy them so much....they even like to bump into one another and try to push the other one out of the way. Elise, by far, is the strongest.

Here's Preston attacking one of the toys on his walker with his mouth. We try to put teething rings on the tray for him to lean forward and bite. Sometimes it works, other times...well, he would rather chew on the toy.

Please be praying for these little ones to go through this process with ease. And pray for Momma!! I've heard what it was like to have one baby go through the teething phase.....but no one told me how it would be if 3 babies were teething all at the same time. It's not that bad right now.....but I know it's not over yet!

Supersized Playgroup

2009-07-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today, the babies and I went to a playgroup.....for triplets!!! What a wonderful time we had! In total, throughout the day, there were 9 adults and (drum roll, please).......24 kiddos. Yes, that's right folks....there were 8 sets of triplets! Crazy, chaotic, amazing....all together. It was great getting to meet other mom's of trips and to see them in action all at the same time.

Mollie, Elise and Preston were the youngest (age 6 1/2 months)....while the oldest were Carrie's triplet girls that are 2 (I believe). They were adorable. You'll see in one of the pictures posted they were playing with our babies.

Lots of babies!

Kerra with her babies

Carrie's girls playing with our babies

Babies everywhere!

Me with Mollie, Elise and Preston

We had a great time! I enjoyed being with other moms of trips. And Mollie, Elise and Preston loved getting the attention from the other babies.

Visit to Grandma's and PawPaw's House

2009-06-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

When I look at this picture, I think of the theme song of Green Acres!! Well....it was the first time we went to Grandma and PawPaw's house. Boy, was it fun!!! The babies and I headed that was on Monday, the 15th. Shana, Eddie, Kara, Emma, BB and Uncle Ken showed up on Wednesday. Then Ashley, Jason, Paige, Taylor and Skylar came up on Thursday. Bronson took Friday off and came up that morning.

It was the first time for Shana and Eddie to see the babies. We had a wonderful time! We played games (thanks Grandma!), made bottles, played with babies, cooked.....you name it, we did it! Emma and Kara helped out so much with the babies! Shana got to see what it was like to have triplets. BB and Uncle Ken enjoyed their grandbabies. And I got to rest; well, somewhat.

The babies got to swim for the first time as well. I think they liked it. But what does a 5 month old baby do in water? Just look and sit. Overall, they did great! They took most of their naps and didn't wake up too early in the morning. For some reason, they think mealtime is at 6 instead of 7 at Grandma's. Once we got home, they got back on the 7am schedule. It must be the country air that wakes them up that early!

Shana and I got to go to Walmart with the babies. I had Shana push the stroller to get the "feel" of what it's like for me on a daily basis. She couldn't walk a full aisle without getting stopped by someone ooohing and aaaahing over the babies. She finally just parked herself in the middle of the big aisle and let people come to her. It was fun!

The following Sunday was Father's Day....a first for Bronson. The babies gave him their cards (which he really enjoyed) and we went to church. Of course Grandma had us go up to the front and give our testimony and showed off the trips. We had a great time. It was nice to see everyone that had been praying for us.....not to mention the ones that bought all those diapers. We still haven't had to buy any (by the way).

Well.....that's about it. We're going back up there on 4th of July. I'm sure that's going to be interesting....Titus (6 weeks old) will also be there!

BB and Grandma with Preston and Mollie

Mollie with Aunt Shana and Uncle Eddie

The girls with Aunt Ashley and Paige...ready for a swim

6 Months Old!!!!

2009-06-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it.....the babies are six months old this week!!! They are growing up so fast. Gamma and I took them to see the doctor for their 6 month checkup. The babies did great! And I believe the doctor was a little impressed at how well they're doing.

Now....all the information I know everyone is wanting to know:

Mollie: weight - 16 lbs. height - 26". This is in the 50th percentile of full-term babies

Elise: weight - 16 lbs. 14 oz height - 26 1/4". This is in the 70-75 percentile.

Preston: weight - 17 lbs. 3 oz (50% for boys) height - 27" which is 75th percentile

I'm very proud of these little ones!! They are not only on track for their height and weight, but also for their development as well.

Mollie can rollover (alot....even in her sleep) both ways. She's getting to the point where she's about to start crawling. She grabs any object within her reach and passes it from hand to hand. She's very observant of what's going on around her. Mollie is very independent. I believe she's going to be the baby that wants to know why things work the way they do and wants you to tell her everything. She's not fond of taking naps; although she does take both naps during the day. And she is just one happy baby. You'll see in the photos to come that she's smiling in just about every one.

Elise can raise her chest off the floor. She's just about to rollover, but ends up back on her tummy or her back (wherever she started from). This week she started reaching for objects. She LOVES to suck her two fingers on her left hand (the index and middle finger). And she squeals with delight almost all the time. She loves to cuddle and gaze in your eyes. Even though she doesn't always smile in pictures, she likes to smile at you when you hold her.

And then there's Preston. He can now raise his chest off the floor for a very short time. He only rolls over to his side from his back. He's almost on his tummy, but then just stops and watches everything going on around him. He's been reaching for objects for about two weeks now. And he's VERY laid back. Oh my goodness!!! Sometimes I wonder if I even have a third child. He still likes to talk to me, but only when he knows I'll be listening. Otherwise, he's quiet. And his smile....he melts my heart all the time. He is the only one that has laughed out loud. He's very ticklish right under his chin and on his chest. Daddy found those spots one day. In fact, below is a video of him laughing from a couple of weeks ago:

I know alot of people will say I'm biased, but I have the best babies in the world!! They are mild mannered (most of the time). They are so happy!!! (Unless it's 15 minutes before the last meal...then it's all out war!). I had a few people ask me if they ever cry. Well....not a lot, but they are babies!

Once again, I'm overwhelmed at how God has chosen to bless Bronson and I with triplets. It amazes me that after all these years God remembered me. He heard my heart's cry. He knew all I ever really wanted was to be a mom. I never really cared about climbing any corporate ladder or fulfilling a dream career. My career is Motherhood. And I am so proud to be living it out......to the fullest!!

Mollie Rolled Over!!!

2009-06-04T19:36:00.001-07:00

Mollie rolled over yesterday!! She did it twice before I finally got it on video. Also, toward the end of the video, she started to "crawl" (military style) toward me. She is so ready to go, go, go!!

Before viewing this video I need to tell you that I sound very "country". I do not really sound like this!!! Although, Bronson and my sis-in-law, Courtney, would tell you otherwise.

Mother's Day

2009-06-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

It was a very sweet Mother's Day for me. I woke up to hungry babies!!! They each gave me a card and 3 white roses. And I got to choose what I wanted (Daddy thought I might like a massage). I opted for a family portrait. I'll be getting that together when the trips turn 6 months.

We had a great day....going to church, then coming home to a relaxing lunch from Outback (still had a gift card). I was just glad I didn't have to cook! The babies were great!! It was nice to finally be able to celebrate this day as a Mother.

Catching Up!

2009-06-02T08:05:00.001-07:00

I'm in the middle of trying to catch everyone up on what's been happening. So, in the next few posts, I will tell you about Mother's Day, the babies being 5 months and our anniversary.

More to come.....

Clarification

2009-05-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to make a quick clarification about the babies. They are not back on feeding tubes. Several people thought the pictures posted on each baby was the most recent. The first pic is when they were in the NICU, the second when they were about 2 months and the third is the most recent. Sorry about the confusion. Just wanted everyone to see how far they've all come. It's amazing!

Big Boy Preston!

2009-05-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

And big boy he is! At birth he weighed the least, but he has made up for that! He now weighs 14 lbs. 15 oz (50%) and measures at a whopping 24 3/4" (50%)!! He has surpassed the girls and on his way at defeating all odds!

We have come a long way baby! From inside the womb, I knew this little boy was a fighter! He has defied all logic from the moment he was born. In the NICU, the boys were often called "little wimpy white boys"; mainly because they just didn't do as well as girls. They normally would develop much slower and had delayed motor skills than their female counterparts. Well....not this boy! Not only did he come out screaming, he didn't even need a breathing tube like the girls. Looking at him now, it's hard to believe how tiny and fragile he once was. He has more than quadrupled his size!

Mr. Flirty is what I call him now! Oh how he loves the ladies!! Don't get me wrong; he's a man's man as well. He is just one happy baby! You will always find him smiling...usually his open-mouthed, toothless grin. It is so irresistible! You just have to squeeze and hug him. And he can talk! Well....not actual words, but he will carry on a whole conversation with me! It's hysterical. I just nod my head and say "Oh really?" and "Is that right?". Oh....and he is sooo laid back. Not a care in the world. I could probably count on one hand the times he cries in a week! (It's usually at the last meal of the day). Sometimes I wonder if I really have a third child.

One of Preston's quirks is when he's drinking....he will stop and give me his adorable smile and let all the milk spill out of his mouth; then he starts to coo. I can tell right now that it will be playtime for him during meals. He will most likely play with his food. And he thinks it's so funny to watch me try to get him to latch onto the bottle, burp one of the girls and not laugh all at the same time. It can get a little frustrating, but it's more funny than irritating. I just smile back at him but then tell him he must finish or he won't get anything else until the next meal. Sometimes that does it. I think he understands me (or it could be I'm spending so much time with babies that I'm imagining it). Either way, it works. He goes back to drinking until he's done.

He's not as loud as the girls, but he is the more talkative one. When he wants attention, instead of yelling or saying "hey"...he just starts talking or letting out a long, high-pitched "ooooooh". He knows that will get Momma to turn her head toward him. I just love listening to him. He doesn't cry....but he does whimper every once in a while. Most of the time it's when he needs to burp. And boy can he burp! For the most part, he can burp on demand. Just pick him up, pat his back, and there he goes! It's nice especially when you're having to burp three babies.

Preston is about as camera happy as Mollie. When the camera is on him, he knows and rolls with it. I think he will be our little show off.

Long before we conceived, I have dreamed about our little boy; how he will look, act and his personality. I can tell you now, Preston is everything I dreamed of in a son and much more. God has given me abundantly all that I could ask for. And my wishes for Preston is for him to be a man after God's own heart; to seek His face and reach others for Him. I believe God has equipped Preston to do all these things and more. I'm excited to see God's will for my baby boy unfold in the years to come.

*Yes....he is sucking his left thumb. In fact, he was doing it this morning. We could only hope for all lefties.

Our Little Elise

2009-05-02T21:04:00.001-07:00

Well...I wouldn't say she's little anymore! Weighing in at 13 lbs. 8 oz.; she now weighs more than her big sister!!! Her height is 23". Her weight is in the 50th percentile and her height is in the 10th percentile for full term babies.

Oh Elise.....our baby girl! She's always been the "delicate" one. Although she did have an issue with her heart, Bronson and I did not show favoritism toward her or treat her differently. After all, they're all our favorite! After a while of having her home, she seemed to be so fussy. At first we started calling her our fussbucket. When we realized that we were speaking this into her life, we changed our perspective. We then called her our good baby...a baby that wants to please her mommy and daddy. Sure enough, the fussiness has subsided and she's all coos and smiles! If you have been following us and seen all the pics of the babies, you would always notice that Elise rarely smiles. Well, just look at the picture above! There are only certain times when she cries....mainly when she's extremely hungry. This girl can eat all the time! Only a few hours can go by and she's ready for a full bottle!! It's crazy! She lets the whole neighborhood know she's ready to eat!

Elise is definitely one of a kind! She keeps Bronson and I cracking up all the time. I recall one of my friends saying she could always tell which one was Elise because of her "goofy" look in all the pics. That is so true! Her personality is goofy. And she loves when you mimic her. We'll hold her facing us and just stare at her. She'll stare right back at us with a slight smile and will start to coo and make noise. We repeat what she "says" and watch her get so tickled by it. It's so much fun!

Her crying has become less....but sometimes when I'm changing her diaper and she's not that happy about it, she'll start yelling and then stop abruptly. She'll glance up at me to see what I'll do. I tell her that we don't tolerate crying/yelling babies. Then she'll smile at me. I think she's already "testing" us to see if we'll follow through what we say we'll do. She's a smart little baby.

Elise has got this new thing she does with her bib. Now that she can grab things, she'll grab her bib, pull it over her face and then start squealing. I pull her bib back down and tell her we're all right here. She then voices a little "ha!". Just like the middle child in my family....she's going to be the clown.

She still hasn't figured out the camera thing yet. When I point it at her, she's inquisitive. But give her time....if she's anything like her momma, she'll start posing and smiling.

I call Elise my "bonus baby". I prayed for a boy/girl twin and ended up with triplets. She's my bonus that God gave me so I could stay home with them. I couldn't imagine my life without her. She brings joy to my heart and fills my day with laughter. She is my "Little Elise".

*She also sucks her left hand. Looks like we might have all lefties!!! Wouldn't that be so cool?

Good Golly Miss Mollie!!

2009-05-02T20:40:00.001-07:00

Poor baby....she will hear that for the rest of her life (Good Golly Miss Mollie)! But I loved the name, so she's stuck with it.

First of all.....I promised I would post weights and height. For Mollie, she is now 13 lbs 2 oz and she is 23 1/4" in length. Her weight is in the 40% of full-term babies! Her length is 10%. But she's catching up!!

What can I say about Mollie??? How about Miss Personality! My goodness. She definitely fits the first born profile. She's very outgoing. Everytime we go somewhere, she's bright-eyed and smiling at everybody. She just flirts with whoever crosses her path. The best thing is....she's a happy baby!

One of the funny quirks she has is she says, "hey!". Now, of course she doesn't actually mean 'hey', but it sounds like she says it loud and clear. She usually does it when she's either tired (and doesn't want to go to sleep), when she's hungry, or when she finds out I'm not in the room. Bronson and I find ourselves saying "hey" throughout the day. It's pretty funny. I'll have to record her and upload the video.

Also, she is the vocal one out of the three. She rarely cries....mainly when she's hurt or she has a bad bubble in her belly that just won't come up. But she's still vocal nonetheless. When she wakes up in the morning, she just lays there until I come and get her. It's wonderful!! Then when I peep over into the crib, she has a big smile for me. It could be that's who she is, or maybe she's just a well-rested baby. Either way, it's very pleasant.

When I hold the camera up, she knows what to do! It's hysterical!! As soon as I tell her to smile, she does (and poses too!). She loves the camera. And as you can see from all her pictures, she's very photogenic. She takes great pics (most of the time).

She's everything I asked for in a baby....to be happy, mild-mannered, and beautiful. I'm truly blessed to have her in my life.

*Oh...and she sucks her left thumb..just like her momma did when she was a baby. Maybe she'll be a lefty!! (Bronson and I are both lefties)

Long Time....No Blog!

2009-04-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting anything new. Several things have happened...not with the babies, just with family and friends that it's hard to get on here. My grandfather passed away on April 7th. I went to Georgia to be at his funeral. No, I didn't take the babies. I was gone for 36 hours while Bronson and his mom held down the fort. They did an excellent job. But I really missed my babies!!!

I made it home for Easter and Bronson and I took the babies to our former church to be "introduced" to the congregation. We had a wonderful time.

Monday, April 13th I received the news that a childhood friend of mine passed away tragically. It took a toll on me that whole week. I was extremely upset.

Then on April 19th, we had the babies dedicated at our church. It was a big day!! We had our family there for support and just to be with us. It was an awesome time!

The next morning, Mom and I drove to San Angelo to see my aunt and uncle. What a trip! The babies did excellent!! And we really enjoyed being with BB and Uncle Ken. It was a nice relaxing "vacation".

Now, I'm back home and ready to get back to routine. The babies will have their 4 month vaccinations this Wednesday. We'll get to see how big they've grown! I can't wait!!

Be on the lookout for spotlight blogs on each of the babies this week. I have decided to give you a little insight on each one and how their personality is taking shape. I'm so proud of them! They are wonderful babies. I couldn't have asked for any better!!

ROUTINE, ROUTINE, ROUTINE!!!!

2009-04-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Some of you have asked what it's like to be a stay-at-home mom with triplets and how do I get through each day. Well.....let me tell you!

Of course when you have just one baby....it's all about routine. Babies thrive on it....which I'm sure most of you already know that.

First things first: All of them wake up at 4am for their first feeding. Although, Mollie has been waking up around 3:30 am lately. I don't know what that's about. But it does give me some alone time with her. Once all of them have been fed and burped, they go back to bed immediately (no playtime or "waketime").

We then wake up for the 8:00 am feeding. After this feeding....they all get a bath. Not at the same time of course. I begin bathing each one at 9:30 am. By the time I'm done with all three....it's nap time. They go down for a nap at 10:00 am. I try to keep them asleep or staying in their crib (even if they're awake) until around 11:45 am or 12. During this naptime is when I get dressed, do some household chores and eat breakfast.

Then it's time to feed again. After this feeding, we have playtime on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and sometimes Friday. On Wednesdays and some Fridays, it's errand day. Yes, I take all of them with me to the store, the post office, wherever I need to go that day. It's not that hard believe it or not. On the days that we have playtime, I put them on their tummies. Sometimes we do a rotation where one child gets the swing, one is in their chair and the other is under the floor gym. This goes on until around 2 pm when again, it's naptime. I will either put them back in their bed or they just sleep in their bouncies from 2pm to 4pm. During this time, I will do my workout, visit with Stacy that comes over at 2, or do household chores.

Four o'clock is feedtime again. After this feeding, it gets a little tricky. My goal is to keep them awake until the 8pm feeding. It's extremely hard. They are asleep sometimes when Daddy gets home. Then they wake up about 7pm cranky until they eat again. I'm thinking we may need to begin feeding them earlier and put them to bed earlier. Maybe we'll try that soon.

At 8pm, it takes more time to feed. This is where Bronson helps me. They finally go to bed at 9:30pm and don't wake up until 4am!!! I'm loving that. I try to get in bed between 10 and 10:30pm. That way, I can get a good 5 to 5 1/2 hours of sleep.

That's it! Everyday is the same....except for the weekends. I try to keep them on a schedule on Saturdays and Sundays, but that's a challenge. I hope this answers your curiosity.

Milestones!!!

2009-03-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to thank everyone who prayed for Elise. The cardiologist said that her patent ductus arteriosis is just about closed! Praise God! He said there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about. He could barely hear her heart murmur. We set a follow up visit in August. I did ask him about Mollie. He said we don't need to have her checked at all. She's perfectly fine!

Yesterday, my mom-in-law and I took the babies to have another shot (for RSV). Are you ready for this???? Preston is 12 lbs 2 oz. Mollie and Elise both are 11 lbs even!!!! Elise caught up to her big sister. This also means they are now on the regular full term baby growth chart. They are in the 25 percentile. They are so big and healthy. I'm so proud and thankful! Preston is now out of newborn clothing and 0-3 months! He's wearing 3 month and 3-6 months. The girls are just about there.

They can now be around other children who are not sick. We're still going to be extremely careful. We may go to church this coming Sunday. We just have to make sure that anyone who is sick doesn't hold or touch them.

They are really responding to me and Bronson now. It's nice!! Also, Mollie turned over this morning!!! I can't believe it! I had her on her back and next thing I know, she was on her side....then on her tummy. I was so excited! I was told that they would catch up to their full term counterparts by age 2. But I'm believing they're already caught up! God is so good!!!

Just Having Fun!

2009-03-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

Well....just a quick update on how everything is going. We're having a ball!! The kiddos are starting to be awake more. Their schedule is changing again. They are actually sleeping most of the night!! It's wonderful! So, that means they're staying awake more during the day. We have "tummy time" to get them to start lifting their heads. Although they were born 2 months premature, they are doing what most 2 to 3 month old full term babies are doing. Both Mollie and Elise can hold their head up very well and even turn their head. Preston is getting there. Poor baby...his head is so big so it takes him a little longer.

Tomorrow is Elise's cardiology appointment. We're praying for a good report. My mom and I will be taking all 3 babies with us. Crazy!!! I want to find out what the cardiologist says about Mollie as well.

Other than that....we're just having fun.

2009-03-12T10:51:00.001-07:00

Yay!! I'm finally able to update some photos and information. The kids are doing great! They are getting huge! Preston is now 11 pounds! Mollie is 10 lbs 10 oz and Elise is 10 pounds! They are chunky monkeys!!!

We've had a very busy week. The babies had their first photo shoot. What a job! Grandma and I had our work cut out for us. The photo with the black background is from the studio. I did the green background myself. Both times.....very hard. The people at the studio did a great job.

This was the week for "firsts". Yesterday, Grandma, Gamma and I took the babies out to a restaurant for the first time. What fun! They did really well. We actually got to eat our lunch (well, most of it) before anyone got upset. We also went to the NICU to visit all the wonderful nurses that got our babies off to a great start. They couldn't believe how big they got. Mommy and Daddy are very proud.

Next week Elise will have her cardiology appointment. I'm hoping all goes well. The girls are still on their monitors. I would really like for them to be off of them soon. We'll see. We did set the baby dedication on April 19th. I can't wait! I'm so excited to finally get to go to church. I've been missing it so much.

That's about it. I'll post more info later.

Update

2009-02-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

I'm finally able to post something! Last Monday's vaccinations did take a toll on the babies. It was somewhat of a hard week. But the good news is....they have all gained weight! Well of course they did.....they are growing in the admonition of the Lord! Here are the totals (drum roll, please)...Mollie is now 8 lbs 6 oz and she is 19 1/2". Elise is 8lbs and she is 19 3/4". And our big boy Preston is 8 lbs 10 oz and 21". I'm so proud of them!!

Not much else going on right now. It looks like they're getting close to sleeping through the night...which is crazy! I would be so happy when they get to that point. I'm trying to get a photo shoot for their birth announcements now that they look like full term babies.

Spring is around the corner and that means I'll be able to start taking them out more! I'm so excited!! I feel like I've been under house arrest. But I know it's for the best. If they catch even the slightest cold, it could turn into something much worse. I really don't want that to happen.

That's about it. I should have more pics posted soon.

Having A Ball!!

2009-02-20T10:00:00.001-08:00

Not much to update today. Just having a blast! My sister-in-law came down this week to help. She's a huge help!!

Mollie's little diaper rash got pretty bad, so we had to take her back to the doctor yesterday. They weighed her and she is now 8 pounds! She's the one sleeping in the picture. Preston is on the right looking bright eyed. And Elise is on the left. We have our vaccinations on Monday. They will all get weighed then. They're getting so big. We are now out of the preemie diapers and into the newborn. But I don't know how long that will last. They can start wearing 0-3 month old clothes now.

I can't wait until RSV season is over!! I'm ready to get out with them. We've been to the store a couple of times. We've only had a few people wanting to see them. We always have a blanket covering their carrier. I can't run the risk of them getting a cold or the flu. It seems like it's running rampant this season.

Well....got to get back to the babes. They're ready for Momma to pay attention to them.

I'm Loving It!!!

2009-02-13T15:01:00.001-08:00

Today is one of the many days I get to say, "I LOVE being a mom!!" I'm having a great time! I know they won't all be this way. But I do know I will have more of these days than the bad ones.

I'm starting to get the hang of things now. Some of you have been wondering how do I feed 3 babies all at the same time when I'm by myself. Well, just to let you know, I took a picture of how. The crib mattress is elevated so the babies are not laying flat. I prop their heads up and then prop their bottles with the receiving blankets. I watch them closely and one by one, I burp them. I try not to let them take more than half an ounce before burping them. Thanks to my mom-in-law who showed me how (who also has twins)...I can now feed all 3 babies at the same time!!

Right now, I'm cleaning house, washing clothes and getting ready for the weekend. Preston and Mollie are asleep. Elise wanted to stay awake. So, I have her in a Baby Bjorn baby carrier that keeps her in front of me. She's cleaning with mommy. I guess she doesn't mind getting carried all around the house.

Well...it's time to get back to work.

Another Weigh In

2009-02-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

The babies had another weigh in today at the pediatrician. All I can say is UNBELIEVABLE! I can't believe how much they weigh now. It's crazy! Mollie is now 7 pounds; Elise is 6 lbs 10 oz; and Preston is a whopping 7 lbs 4 oz!!! They have all gained a pound in one week. They are getting so big. And they are only 7 weeks today.

Everything else is going great. Preston did have his circumcision today. It broke my heart! But he did very well.....as well as a baby can do going through something like that. I got to be in the room with him holding his hands. I'm just thankful it's all over with.

That's about it for now. I'll try to post pictures later this week.

Quick Update

2009-02-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

The kiddos had their doctor's appointment yesterday. They had to get their Hepatitis B shot. They didn't do bad at all. In fact, they just cried shortly and then it was all over. I think they did better than mommy. They did get their weekly weigh in. Are you ready?????? Drum roll please: Mollie is 6 lbs. 3 oz; Elise 5 lbs. 11 oz; Preston 6 lbs 2 oz!!! I'm so proud of them! Preston looks huge! I was looking at him today and just knew he grew 3 inches in the last couple of days. Crazy!

One Week Down, The Rest of My Life To Go!!!

2009-02-02T10:35:00.001-08:00

Well...I'm sure most of you want to know how the first week went with triplets at home. It's interesting to say the least! We had our first doctor's appointment last Tuesday. They all did very well. Mollie is now 5 lbs 9 1/2 oz; Elise is 5 lbs, 5 oz; and Preston is 5 lbs, 6 oz. Big babies!! We have to start them on vitamins. They were just taking iron.

Bronson took off a week to be with us and both grandmas stayed for the fun. My mom ended up leaving on Wednesday to go home (I made her go). She hadn't been home in over 3 weeks. What a trooper! By Friday night, I fell really ill. I couldn't keep anything down and I was running a low grade fever. Not a good thing when you're a mother of triplets.

Then as if Elise was feeling my pain, she too didn't do so well. She started eating less and tiring out quickly just like she did in the NICU. It concerned me a lot. But we laid hands on her and called the God that gave her to us to heal her. He did. By Sunday morning, she was back to her old self. In fact, she was eating a lot more. God is so good and He is faithful.

My wonderful husband and his faithful mom hung in there for almost 48 hours doing all the feeding, burping, changing, etc. while I got some rest (still, not a lot as I was up most of the time being sick). While I'm on the subject, I need to let everyone know how awesome my mom and mother-in-law are. My mom has stayed with me since the second week of my bed rest. She has waited on me hand and foot. She has not only cooked, cleaned and ran errands for me, she also completed much needed projects that I was in the middle of doing when I got pregnant. She is simply amazing. She has stayed with me through thick and thin. She has protected me from tiring out and overdoing it. And that's a difficult job. She has been my chauffeur, my confidant and most of all, my best friend. I will never be able to pay her back for all she has done for me. But I know she will get her reward in heaven. She is a true servant of the Most High.

My mother-in-law has done so much for us. She has taken up the slack where we couldn't. She stayed with Elise in the NICU several nights into the wee hours to love her to health. Only a "Gamma" could do that. She took care of not only the babies this past weekend, but her son and daughter-in-law as well. The best thing is she did it all with grace that only God could provide. I know it's Him working through her. She has been staying with us since Elise and Preston has come home and not gone home yet. She is sacrificing time with her husband and 13 month old granddaughter to help us out. I know that is extremely selfless of her. She too is a true servant of the Most High.

I'm blessed beyond belief. Tears come to my eyes to think of all that everyone has done for us. Prayed for us. Supported us. I'm so overwhelmed by love. And in my most tiring moments (especially since the babies did not sleep during feedings at all today), I know that love conquers all. It is only love that is getting me through. It's not easy, but I am enjoying it (the ups as well as the downs).

The Triplets are Home!!!

2009-01-29T02:35:00.000-08:00

The triplets are home!! They were discharged from the hospital on Sunday, January 25th at noon. Bronson, mom and I loaded up and drove them home. What an exciting day!!!

The adjustment of having three babies at home has not been quite what I expected. I was prepared for chaotic days and nights, running around the house changing, feeding and burping three crying babies. Well....it's more of a leizure time right now. Since they sleep most of the time, it's more like we get up every 3 to 4 hours, change their diaper, feed and burp them, then put them back down. Very relaxed. But I'm not so naive that I think this is the way it will be for a long time. My chaotic life is coming.

Here's what happened since my last blog: we were told that Preston would be coming home, but Elise may be staying. When we arrived at the NICU Friday morning, I talked with the neonatologist on duty that day and expressed my concern about leaving Elise behind. She completely understood. I also told her I would like to nurse her more often. After looking at her chart, the doctor informed me that they would be taking Elise's tube out that day and I can nurse upon Elise's demand. I could also nurse however long the baby wanted to nurse. I was so happy! That day proved to be a turn around for our baby girl. She took her bottle much better that evening. She also gained weight. She did the same on Saturday. One of the nurse practicioners said that if she gained weight Saturday night, they would be looking at discharging Elise on Sunday. It was a really good day. Prayers had been answered. God is so good!! It was as if a lightbulb turned on for our baby girl and she started doing what she needed to do.

We had our visit with the pediatrician on Tuesday. All of them had gained weight! Mollie is now 5 lbs 9 oz; Elise 5 lbs 5oz; and Preston 5lbs 6oz. We also went to the opthamologist on Wednesday. That went well. So far, so good. Their eyes are in great shape. We go back to the pediatrician next Tuesday for immunizations. Elise has her appointment with the cardiologist in March. Things are just moving along.

This week is family week for us. Bronson took off work to help me care for the babies. I must say he is going to be the best father in the world!! He is so good with all three of them. He's constantly getting up with me or his mom during the night for feedings and changing diapers. He's fun to watch!!

When we do start receiving visitors, it is so important for everyone to know that we are still inforcing the NICU rules. Please do not come over if you are currently sick (runny nose, fever, or cough) or have been sick in the last 3 weeks. When you do come over, you will be asked to wash your hands. Please no children under age 16 until at least April. Since the babies are preemies, they are extremely vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. It will most likely be April before we're able to take them to church. But, we need to do what's in the best interest of the babies. We definitely do not want to go back to the hospital for any reason.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. We know that God has heard every one of you. We have been blessed beyond belief!! I will continue to share all the joys of being a parent and the exciting life of triplets.

Little Elise

2009-01-23T05:49:00.000-08:00

Well, life with Mollie is so easy. I know I must sound crazy, but taking care of one baby is a breeze. She's definitely predictable. She's already sleeping 4 to 5 hours between feedings. I'm sure this will change as she gets older. But for now, I'm really enjoying it.

It looks like Preston will be coming home on Sunday (if not earlier)! I'm really excited about this; however, I know what's coming. Having two babies at home and one in the NICU will be another challenge. But I'm up for it. We will still spend our days at the NICU with Elise. I can't believe how much Preston has grown! He's huge!! He's already 5 pounds, 2 oz. Pretty soon he will be 2 pounds over his birth weight. I'm so proud of him.

Now for Elise. My heart is breaking for her. She's still on the feeding tube. She gets fed 2 out of 8 feedings with the tube (in a 24 hour period). She tires so easily with the bottle. But when I nurse her, she's fine. I was a little upset yesterday when I arrived at the NICU. The plan was for me to nurse her at 8 am and 11 am, but the nurse suggested to bottle feed her both feedings. It did not go too well. She's supposed to finish her bottle in a 30 minute period and preferably in the first 15 to 20 minutes without stopping. Well, she has to be coaxed into finishing. You have to continuously work her to finish. This is not a good thing. I try to tell everyone to wake her up 20 minutes ahead of time to eat so she can be wide awake, but not everyone listens. On top of that, there's been a lot of nurses assigned to her in the last week that have never taken care of her before. So, I have to always tell them how she is. Please pray that she begins to have hunger pains at every feeding and she takes the bottle with some aggression.

Another Update

2009-01-21T07:03:00.000-08:00

On the last entry, I forgot to mention the improvement of Elise's blood. Her body is combating my antibodies very well. Okay, they're not fighting off my antibodies, it's just her body is making more red blood cells to replenish the ones that were destroyed. So...no blood transfusions!!! Yay! I am so excited about that.

Monday and Tuesday night went very well for Preston and Elise. They gained weight both nights and they did much better on their feedings. My wonderful mother-in-law is staying with them for 2 feedings at night to give them that special "Gamma" touch. Once again, I'm so grateful to have the love and support of my family.

Mollie is giving mommy a run for her money! Monday night went very well (I got to sleep!). Last night, we're finding out that she really needs her brother and sister home. She's so used to being in the crib with them that it's "different" when they're not there. Hopefully, this won't last long and they'll be home. And mommy can get some sleep....yeah, right!! That won't happen for a LONG time. But honestly, I'm enjoying every minute of it!

Above are a couple of pictures from the girls' nursery. I'll have more posted later.

I know I seem a little redundant....but I can never thank you all enough for praying for our babies. Thank you...they are being answered!

One Down...Two To Go!

2009-01-19T20:21:00.000-08:00

Mollie's home! We got to bring her home last night!! We thought we would have all of them, but one is better than none.

Okay...here's the latest and greatest. Bronson and I got to do "care by parent" Saturday night. That's when we get to stay overnight at the hospital with our babies as a "crash course" on taking care of premature babies and of course, multiples by ourselves. I think we did a great job considering there's three of them and only two of us. We definitely did not get a wink of sleep!! But after it was all over, I believed we made a great team. There is one thing we learned....we will need a third person. No question about that!!

Around 3:30 pm, the doctor came in to check on us and to give us the news that only Mollie would be going home. He felt that Preston and Elise were still not eating well on their own. I reluctantly agreed and said whatever it takes to get them home healthy. So, with tears in my eyes, we said good night to our babies and went home with one.

Last night was interesting to say the least. Mollie decided to "hang out" with her mommy from her feeding at 11 pm to her next feeding at 2 am. It was fun!! Maybe it was the new bed she was in or the fact that she knew her brother and sister were not with her. Or....it could be that she's just a baby and needs to cry it out. Although, I have rarely heard her cry. She broke me in last night (and this morning).

When we got to the NICU this morning, Elise and Preston had to have their feeding tubes reinserted. They went back to 6 of 8 feedings. We were told that they are just getting too tired. They're exerting too much energy; more than they should. It made me sad, but I'm glad that it happened in the NICU instead of after they came home. I would hate to bring them back. It has become a little more difficult traveling, but I can't stay home when my babies are up there. Mollie, mom and I pack up and get there to spend most of the day (not quite as early as before). I'm so thankful the doctor approved Mollie to come back. Usually once a baby is discharged from the hospital, they're not allowed back in the NICU. But because we don't have toddlers or other children at home, she's fine. That brings me to another point.....we would ask that no visitors come to the NICU anymore. Elise and Preston are way too exhausted to receive visitors. I'm trying to keep their stimulation level at a minimum. This may continue even when they come home. We'll have to see.

Out of all this, one thing has been made evident in my life: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which, surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. Only God can grant that peace. And for the first time ever, I have experienced it. I have quoted that scripture time and again and used it to encourage many other people. But this time, I'm living it. God is carrying us all through this. It's an unexplainable feeling and "knowing" that I have about our situation. God still reigns. It is He who gives life. And His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. This didn't take Him by surprise. He knew it all along. And I trust that He will complete a work in us. Especially me. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

New Update

2009-01-17T04:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the cardiologist came by. He said we shouldn't worry about Mollie's PFO. The only thing that it will affect is her going deep sea diving. So, Mollie won't be able to see the deep blue waters. Oh well!

As for Elise, the PDA is not anything for us to be concerned about. The cardiologist said it should go away at least by age 2. He was checking her to see what options we should take for her anemia. Apparently, her bone marrow is not making enough red blood cells to replenish the ones my antibodies attacked. Tests do show that her body is trying to make them....just not fast enough. The three options we had were one, a blood transfusion. The problem with this is that it could cause infection (introducing new blood to her little body). The second option is to use a certain medicine; however, this will cause holes to be produced in the intestinal tract. Not good. The third option is to increase her fluids and monitor her blood count. The concern with increasing her fluids is pulmonary edema. That's what we needed the cardiologist for. He gave us the approval to try this option. Her fluids were initially decreased because of her PDA. Now, we're going to increase them to combat the low red blood cell count. Right now, her hemocritic is a 4.8. They will check it again on Sunday. It needs to increase....preferably to 10. I'm just glad we know exactly what to pray for. Bless her little heart. She is so fragile.

We received orders that Mollie will be coming home on Monday!! We're excited about that. There is a possibility that Preston may join her. That would be wonderful!! It will also be more difficult for me to travel with both of them back and forth to the NICU. But hopefully, it won't be for much longer.

Thank you once again for all your prayers. We can definitely feel them being answered.

Rough Day

2009-01-15T21:38:00.000-08:00

Okay....here's what's going on: Preston is doing great now! They took his feeding tube out today and put him on full feedings. We're very proud of him. He's already weighing 4.13!!

Mollie had a "brady" yesterday and it prompted the nurse to document it. Also, some of the nurses have been hearing a heart murmur with Mollie, but it goes in and out. The doctor ordered an echocardiogram today and it seems like she may have a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO). This is when the valve between the 2 upper (aterial) chambers of the heart does not close. About 20% adults have this. We have a meeting with the pediatric cardiologist to discuss Mollie's and Elise's condition. The orders for Mollie's discharge has moved from this weekend to Monday. She may have to come home on an apnea monitor. That's fine with me. In fact, it serves as security. Other than that, Mollie has been doing very well on her feedings and she is gaining weight. She is now 5 pounds!

Now...onto my delicate Elise. She lost another 8 grams last night. She is anemic and in spite of being given iron, she does not appear to be gaining strength. She does not suck well and burns a lot of calories trying to nurse. She had a pretty dramatic Brady today while I was nursing her. Her heartrate dropped to 71 (normal is around 145) and her oxygen level in her blood went to about 60%. Her lips had started turning blue when she suddenly started her heart rate back up without CPR. When the doctor made his rounds today he addressed the anemia problem. He said that just before birth, my blood treated Elise's blood as foreign and my antibodies attacked. It is fairly common but because Elise is so tiny and premature, it caused her to be more anemic than the others. One option they are looking at is a blood transfusion. That would take care of the anemia problem and should "kick start" her instead of wearing her down trying to build her blood up from where it is now.

All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. There's a reason for the small setback. I may not know what it is, but He does and I trust in Him.

Another Day

2009-01-14T21:41:00.001-08:00

Well...Elise's feeding tube went back in. She had a rough night last night and ended up losing 5 grams. Her and Preston are taking a little too long on their feedings (especially with a bottle). Today they did a little better. But the nurse practioner came by to prepare me that we may take Mollie home this weekend and leave the other two behind. I'm excited at the possibility of having Mollie home. But I'm a little sad about leaving the other two. If that were to happen, then I would still go up there every day and bring Mollie with me. It would be harder, but I have to do it. I have to nurse Elise and Preston. It's all in God's hands and there's nothing I can do (except pray) to make it any better. Again, I'm not shaken by this. God's still on His throne. He can do anything. My job as a mother and a believer is to lift my children up in prayer and trust in God that He knows best. Thank you for all your continued prayers.

Only God!

2009-01-13T19:43:00.001-08:00

Are you ready for this??? The girls are now on all bottle and nurse feedings!! Their feeding tubes are gone! Praise God! Preston is already on 6 feedings now. Absolutely amazing! When mom and I showed up this morning, Kristy, the nurse was helping me figure out their feeding schedule and I didn't understand why she was moving Mollie to all nurse feedings. Then she said "oh, you don't know yet"...and that's when I saw Mollie without her tube. She looks completely different. At that time (7:30 am), Elise was still on 6 feedings. By noon, we were given orders that Elise would also go on all nurse/bottle feedings; and Kristy took her feeding tube out. There is a possibility that they could come home by this weekend or first of next week. Can you believe it? Just like that. Only God!

Now, we need to pray for Preston to do well on the 6 feedings they put him on. Our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or think according to the power that works in us. Amen!

Wow!

2009-01-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

What a difference one night makes!! Did I say that Preston may move to 3 feedings by Monday or Tuesday??? Well....he moved up to 4 feedings today! He should do his first bottle feed at 11:00 pm tonight. I'll have to call and find out how he did. We were given orders for the girls to move up to 6 feedings!!! Seems like they're progressing fast again. I'm loving it. Mollie now weighs 4.15 (almost 5 pounds!); Elise is 4.13; and Preston is gaining on the girls at a whopping 4.11!!! God is so awesome!!! I'm thinking they'll come home in 7 to 10 days. Just think, they could be home by next weekend! I'm so excited. Thank you everyone who has prayed for them. I really appreciate it.

We will still have to do the car seat challenge. That's when they have to be sitting in their car seats for one full hour without their monitors going off. I believe they can do it!

It will be one "tripped out" journey when they come home. So far, it's been quite a ride.

Answered Prayers

2009-01-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

Well....the girls have now moved to 4 feedings a day!! And Preston, bless his little heart, is desperately trying to catch up. He's up to 2 feedings a day and doing wonderful. It wouldn't surprise me if they move him to 3 by tomorrow or Tuesday. Elise's results came back. Her PDA is still there. The duct has not gotten smaller like we had hoped. It's still the same size. A pediatric cardiologist will be stopping by Friday for a consultation. That would be awesome if he finds that it is closing up.

I finally have a routine now. For those who know me, if I don't have a schedule to follow, I go nuts! There's now consistency! I get to the NICU by 7:30 am. I nurse the girls at 8 (then pump). Preston is nursed at 11 (then I pump). Girls again at 2 (and you guessed it...I pump). And finally at 5, Preston again (then pump time). Between all of the nursing and pumping, I eat and rest. Please forgive me if I don't answer my phone as I don't interrupt any nursing time with the babies. Bronson gets there right after work at 5 for family time and then we go home during shift change. I spend 11 hours straight with the babies. As if I don't pump enough during the day...it continues all through the night. That's the reason for naps during the day. Call me crazy...but I believe it won't be this exhausting when they come home!! At least I won't have to travel back and forth every morning and evening.

Well, that's it for now. I will post more pictures later this week. They are looking huge!! Of course, they are just now beginning to fill out preemie sizes! Newborn outfits look huge on them!!

Moving On Up!

2009-01-09T04:05:00.000-08:00

What a busy week so far!! The babies moved up to a much bigger crib. This thing is huge!! It takes up most of our space. But it's so much better. We all have space now to change them. As you can see in the pictures, the babies all had a little time with the physical therapist. They all did great. Mollie and Preston are sensitive to loud noises and Elise is sensitive to light. So, for right now, we need to be mindful of that while they're still in the NICU.

They have all gained weight. Mollie is now 4 lbs 13 oz, Elise is 4 lbs 9 oz and our little Preston is now 4 lbs 6 oz. Mollie was almost 5 lbs, but she lost 2 oz. We did find out that Mollie's iron is a little low so she's taking an iron supplement right now. Elise did have a follow up test on her PDA. We don't have the results yet. Hopefully we'll get those today. The girls moved up to 3 nurse feedings a day as of yesterday. The third one is a bottle feeding. We met with the Occupational Therapist to start them on the bottles. They did wonderful! Mollie finished almost all of her bottle. Elise finished half. Preston is still at one nurse feeding a day. We really need to pray for him to move to two. He seems to be dragging a little behind the girls.

It's been a little frustrating for me this week. I feel so much better and I'm able to move easier. I'm really wanting them to come home now. They only have to conquer two things: be on a bottle or nurse feeding at all 8 feedings in a 24 hour period and gain weight every day. But I know it's better for them to stay until they are absolutely ready. I believe God has a purpose for them being there.

Preston is 4 pounds!

2009-01-05T06:11:00.000-08:00

Preston is now 4 pounds and gaining!! We're so excited! Now all the babies are over 4 lbs. Also, Elise is up to 2 feedings a day without the tube; although, she still needs her feedings if she falls asleep during nursing. But it's better than before. Mollie was finally able to nurse. Preston will be my last one to latch on. That's okay. I'm just happy to get them closer to coming home!!

Three Peas in a Pod!!!

2009-01-04T04:35:00.000-08:00

Preston moved in with the girls yesterday! Now, they're our three peas in a pod! We are so very excited. This is definitely a step toward the right direction. Now, they can breathe on their own, regulate their body temperature, and they're gaining weight every day. We're still working on getting their feeding tubes out. Elise did very well nursing yesterday. Mollie and Preston still need some work. But I know they'll come along. Your prayers are being heard!!!

It's beginning to get a little harder leaving them behind. Before, I was still in a healing process and it was okay for me to go home and rest. But now, I'm feeling much better and want to start taking care of them myself. I still have about another week before I'm completely up and running, but I feel 100% better than last week!

There is one thing I thought I would mention. Bronson will be taking off the first week they come home. It's going to be one hectic time with us trying to work around the babies and their schedule. Both our moms will be with us. That's 4 adults and 3 babies in our humble home. We'll be asking visitors to not stop by the first week. We'll need that time to adjust and not to mention, get some rest when the babies are sleeping. I'm finding out really quick that if I don't nap when they do while we're still at the hospital, I will burn out. I want everyone to come and see them, but at the same time I need rest so I can give them what they need. I know everyone will understand.

One Step Closer.....

2009-01-03T04:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was able to nurse the babies for one of their feedings! It was only a trial run to see how the babies will do; but it's a step closer to them coming home. I will get to nurse one feeding every day until they get the hang of it. Then it will go to 2 feedings and so on. Once they can be nursed or bottle fed for all feedings, the feeding tubes come out!! This experience has been so wonderful. I love being so close to them. I can already tell they're going to be great children!! But what else can we expect from God's work???

Open Crib!

2009-01-02T04:19:00.001-08:00

When Bronson and I went to the NICU yesterday, we got a nice surprise....the girls are now in an open crib! We're extremely excited. It's just one more step in them coming home!! I can't wait. Preston is still in his little incubator. Bless his little heart! He's been having some "bradys" lately. His heart rate drops, but he picks it up again by himself. I really don't want him to have any more episodes. So, if you need something to pray about...that would be it. Yesterday he had an episode that lasted about 19 seconds. I was a little concerned. I'm not fearful of him having them, I just don't want him to have any more. They're all gaining weight. And hopefully, they will be feeding without the tube soon. But once again, it's a process. I will have the lactation consultant work with me and the babies. They have to make sure the babies breathe while feeding. I can't wait for that!

Other than that, they're doing great!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2009-01-01T06:29:00.001-08:00

New Year....new family!! We are so excited!! Last night we brought in the New Year with our lovely additions. It was so much fun (well, at least for Mommy it was!!). The girls wore their first little black dress and Preston looked so handsome in his little tuxedo. They were dressed for the party. Check out the "party zone" on their cribs. They were partying it up!!!

Well...no other news except they all have gained weight. Mollie is now 4 lbs 2oz (one oz from her birthweight). Elise is 3 lbs 15 oz (her exact birthweight) and Preston is now a whopping 3 lbs 10 oz. He's really putting on the weight now. The nurses did talk about putting them in an open crib (all three!!!) by this weekend. That's a step forward. Also, they may be feeding on momma and the bottle this weekend. I can't wait!!!So, we're making progress. Just another day closer till they come home.

By the way, I'm having a lot of people asking what they can do to help us. Right now, just prayers. Since they are being taken well care of in the NICU and my mom stays with us during the week to drive me to the hospital and cook, there's really nothing anyone else can do. However, when they come home....that's a different story. My mom and Bronson's mom will be spending a lot of time with us to take care of the babies. One thing they will not be doing is cooking and cleaning. I also have my sis-in-law and step mom coming to help as well (all alternating weeks). I'm working out something with Sonia at our church to set people up on bringing meals to us. On the weeekends when our moms go home, we may need a few people scattered throughout the day (both Saturday and Sunday) to help with washing clothes, loading the dishwasher, changing babies, feeding babies, etc. As soon as I find out what schedule we'll be on, I will send out a post and you can contact me and let me know when you would like to come.

Again, we are so thankful for each and everyone of you!!!

GUESS WHAT???

2008-12-30T22:12:00.000-08:00

Our little Preston is now off his IV!!!! I had been at the NICU all day today (duh!) and then came home when Bronson got off work. We ate dinner and then went back up there after the nurses shift change. When I walked in, I noticed right away. The line was gone! Praise God!!! Also, our little guy weighs more than his birth weight! How cool is that? He is now 3 lbs 9.7 oz. Wonderful! Mollie has been gaining as well. She's up to 4lbs 1 oz. Elise is now at 3 lbs 14 oz. So, they're all gaining weight which is one of the requirements for coming home. Oh...and one more thing....the girls are now roomies! They were both moved to the same incubator. When Preston is ready, they will all move to the same crib. I can't wait!

On Sunday, we were informed that Elise has a heart murmur. Later that afternoon, technicians came by to do an EKG on her. I got to hold her throughout the whole thing. She did so well. I was very proud of our dainty little girl. They also did an ultrasound on her heart yesterday. Today we were told she has PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosis). Not a big deal. A lot of babies have this. It's a hole in the heart. It normally closes on it's own a week or two after birth. If it doesn't before her discharge date, then the neonatologist will refer us to a Pediatric Cardiologist for further review. We're not worried at all because our God is on His throne and He's not shaken by this. So....why should we be???

Once again, I am overwhelmed by God. He is so good. And it's not because of how the babies are doing or that He gave me the desire of my heart. It's because He is who He says He is. And He will do what He says He will do. And in the middle of all of this, He's showing His glory. There's a work going on in the NICU and the staff. I can't explain it. This is bigger than me. Bigger than the babies. It's about people's lives being changed for His glory. All I can say is that you never know how you will affect people; especially when you talk about Jesus. Doors are opened, hearts are healed, and hope is found.

Some Pics

2008-12-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

Well...I have a short time to post some pictures of our precious little ones. I was finally able to get some much needed sleep last night. It is so easy to over do it. Bronson and I will be at the NICU by 10:30 today. From top to bottom, Mollie, Elise and Preston.