Ears, sticks, stones, and broken bones...

Well, it's been a while. A complete July blogging fail I guess.

I think about blogging weekly, and what I need to say, and what I want to say.... and then it never gets done. I can't even recap what has gone on in the last 2 months completely, but I'll give it a shot.
We have had many trips to zoo, museum etc in the last 2 months. I will include some pics.

All 3 at Geist park running in different directions

Grey and Owen hugging. Love the size difference!

Owen looking at Lilly without shoes wondering WHY and HOW??

Grey running, he loves to run in the park!

STICKS! The boys loved picking up sticks.It was stormy the night before these pics.

All 3 the the Bears.

Owen's couch diving incident.

We had a very nasty virus after their birthdays, I believe in July. Grey ended up in the ER with a very high temp, and vomiting.Grey got his second set of tubes, this time it's a medicated coated set of tubes... and then he came down with an epic ear infection. After 2 md appts, his ear drainage cultured e-coli. Um..... your guess is as good as mine how he got e-coli in his ears. He isn't even a kid that has his hands in his diaper. The only real thing we could think of was playground equipment, our kiddie pool, picking up random dog poop from the yard?? I have no idea. Nonetheless, he is going to see ENT weekly, as well as a month-6 weeks of ear drops, and oral antibiotics. Since we are almost 3.5 weeks into this, his speech has improved drastically since treatment has started. Wondering how long this has gone on in his ears since he has had lingering infections on and off for nearly a year now.

Last week we started day care/preschool at a church about 1/2 a mile from our house. Todd and I took the kids for about an hour the friday before we started and I felt uneasy about how they would do. We went at snack/playtime. The triplets did not want to sit and eat a snack with the other kids, and were basically clinging to our legs. Grey refused to pick up the toys that he tossed on the floor, and also decided that he would dart in and out of the 2 year old room as he saw fit, as well as into other rooms at school. He did not want to sit on the chair and play with the toys, nor did he want to sit and listen to a story. He wanted to do what Grey wanted to do. I left there wondering if Grey was ready for this transition, and if he was emotionally mature enough to be in the 2 yr old room. I know that Grey can manipulate, and will try to get away with what he CAN get away with. I know others have said that he will conform, but, oh.... I had an uneasy feeling of how he would do. Lilly and Owen just looked like deer in headlights. Lilly nearly cried when the class started singing, and Owen did not want to sit on the floor for story time. urgh...

We have anticipated starting daycare for quite some time, but it was very anxiety provoking for me. The night before I thought I was going to vomit, and felt myself wondering why we ever decided it was a good idea. I knew in the back of my mind this is the best thing for them to get them out of the house, get them into an environment with more kids, help them learn from different adults, and kids, work on their social skills, and help them in all aspects of their little lives. I packed their lunches with the help of Todd, as he gave me pep talks the night before, telling me that we have been extremely lucky to have kept them home for 2 years, and that it's a testament to how hard we have worked with Grey and all of them for that matter, that now they are ready to be integrated into a 2 year old environment and classroom. All of which I knew, all of which I understood, but it was still amazingly hard to think about.

August 14th am came, and really pulling into the parking lot I wanted to turn around and pull right back out, but we unloaded, Todd was there with me on his way to work. The kids had no idea what they were in for, but funny enough Owen started saying, "No, No, No" as he walked down the hallway to the room. We went in, talked to the teacher for a few, said our good byes, and really I thought I would cry, fought back some tears, but once I walked out I felt like I had a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. They stayed for a half day. The report was that they cried for about 45 minutes. When my mother in law and I went to get them, they were all happily playing outside with different kids, in different areas of the playgrounds. It was so nice to see them playing with different kids and thriving. Grey indeed rose to the occasion, and he conformed.... not even running in and out of the room like he did before! I contiue to underestimate that child.

He's still cute....

The kids came home and took a nap, and Owen got up from his nap limping. I first thought his foot was sleeping, or cramped. Then I thought maybe it was a toenail, that was red. But, the next morning he wouldn't bare weight on it. Todd took him to the ER, and they found nothing but told us to follow up with an orthopedic md in the morning. That night he held his knee and said "owie". The next morning we went to St. Vincent's pediatric ortho mds. Indeed the doctor thinks that likely he has a fracture in his superior growth plate in his knee. His symptoms point to this. When he walked he wouldn't bend his leg, walking "peg-legged". It is almost impossible to see on xray because the growth plates are so much like cartilage. The cast is on for 2 weeks. It is waterproof. He hates it. He can walk, but chooses not too right now. I think that he remembers the pain he had when he was on it before, plus he feels uneasy being uneven on it. Hoping we can get him taking a few steps soon. He would be much happier if we could get him a bit more independent.

The next fracture waiting to happen

He can't help to run.... off those calories

We went to the St. Vincent's NICU  picnic today. It was nice to see some of the doctors and nurses that took care of the kids. The primary nurses that took care of the triplets weren't there, but we did get to speak with some of their friends, and also the doctors that were around. Since I still keep in touch with all the primary nurses, we missed them, by they are just a text or phone call away! That is always nice! It was nice to hear the complements about the kids, their growth, and how well they look. It's nice to hear that "You would never know how sick Grey was, he looks so healthy, and happy." As he was chomping on cheeze-its that were on the floor of the wagon, one can only laugh at that. Even though we are still struggling with keeping the pounds on that little man, he eats like a horse, but he works like a horse too. Who would give anything to have heavy whipping cream in your whole milk every day and butter and cream cheese in your mashed potatoes and still lose weight? As we played at the playground the other day, I look over to see Grey doing pull ups on the slide, and it's a wonder why the child loses weight monthly.

Lilly after picnic

Grey and Lilly playing with the wagon

Telephone Grey, Mom and Dad want to tell us one broken bone per year quota is met this year!

Lilly has been on cruise control... can you tell? The boys have been the majority of the blog so far, but she is the talking queen right now. She repeats EVERYTHING. Yes, even the things, you stop and think to yourself, "man, I shouldn't have said that." Yep, she has already said it. She babbles to herself all the time, and just LOVES to sing. Ring around the Rosie seems to be a favorite, but since they started daycare, The wheels on the bus seems to be the one she has sung lately. Lilly refuses to keep her shoes and socks on, even when running around on playgrounds or out in ours. Mulch, stones, doesn't matter... she runs around bare-footed. It's beyond me how. She doesn't flinch. She seems to be interested in pottying in the potty often. It usually occurs in the morning when she insists on going. She will wait to go on it until she has to, and sometimes it's a battle of the wills. She has gone on the potty numerous times, but it's mostly a game. Nonetheless, it's good practice, and she knows what to do.

Wow, I think that is it for now. I will try to do better.:)