tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76874775863640775232024-03-19T17:40:36.931-04:00Thirty little fingers and toes!Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-29608171449246949852016-08-09T23:24:00.002-04:002016-08-09T23:24:19.798-04:00Kindergarten.... ARE YOU READY?
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tomorrow the triplets start kindergarten. The famous
question is, “Are you ready?”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I
am. I guess every major transition in the kids’ life will give us these
feelings, but this one especially. I think when they start middle school, high
school, college, and then off to their career, and starting a family… there
will always be worry. Always anxiety. Don’t get me wrong. There is a bit. But,
we are ready. We are prepared. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have read any of this blog, you will know we’ve been
through a lot. Could our journey have been worse? ABSOLUTELY. But I cannot understate
where we have come from. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so, let me tell you about our Kindergarten readiness. It
starts all the way back going through infertility treatments, and our first
ultrasound. 3 heartbeats. OH LORD, I thought to myself. I just want them to be
healthy. Most of all, I just want them to live to their fullest potential, and
for them to be healthy. Deep inside I knew we were in for a challenge. I can’t
tell you how. But I knew. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fastforward to 30 weeks pregnant. On the dot. We hit the
delivery room. Lilly had absent end diastolic flow, I was in full blown
pre-eclampsia, and my organs were saying “enough is enough”. The epidural and
block were both unsuccessful, so under anesthesia I went. I woke to a whirlwind
of emotions. Not only because I had anesthesia, but as I rolled into the NICU
in my bed to see our babies they were far smaller than I could have imagined.
Only Lilly was not on the vent. Little did I know at that time Grey had to be
recessitated in the delivery room. And so it began. Our NICU journey. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The story is similar to many premature infants. Ups and
downs with Lilly and Owen. Owen didn’t like to breathe through his reflux,
Lilly had a firm belly for weeks because she was not a regular pooper. All had
murmurs. Grey, he had other issues. He waxed and waned on the side of a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>40 story tall building many nights. When I say
that tongue and cheek… Know those were terrible days. Days where you can’t
catch your breath from crying, you can’t even explain to your family what is
going on because it was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>too painful. You
think that the next corner he turns has to be better. When it’s not, you feel
like you could lean over and puke in the trash can. Set back after setback in
the NICU, surgery after surgery the adventure continued. I don’t know how it
feels to actually lose a child, but that is the only thing I think could feel
worse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was one particular conversation that I had with Becca,
(one of Grey’s nurses). A conversation that I didn’t know if I wanted to have,
but knew I need to set my expectations. After he had his ostomy take-down, and
his intestines put back together in September he was very, very ill. His liver
was failing, his kidneys were not happy. He was not coming off the ventilator,
and really… wasn’t even oxygenating well at all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had a wound infection, and a wound vac. My
first goal of getting Grey home before Halloween was not going to happen. As a
nurse, I know that talking about long term goals with an ICU nurse is really
not realistic when survival of each minute and hour is most critical at that
moment. But we had a very real conversation. I made a goal of Grey coming home
by Thanksgiving that year. He achieved this! But also, I wanted Grey to be
caught up developmentally by kindergarten. The first goal, was a short term
goal. The Kindergarten goal… I thought of it as a long term goal, but many
would say, that was a stretch goal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, we did it. HE did it. Are we ready? YES! We have been
working since September of 2010 to get to this place. We did physical therapy,
occupational therapy, speech therapy, developmental therapy, on and off since
he came home from the hospital in November 2010. He came home from the NICU
taking NOTHING by mouth. 100% tube fed. He worked. He worked his little self as
hard as he could to get to where he is. He was in near liver failure when he
was released from his NICU stay. He has recovered. He had terrible strabismus
(crossing of eyes) when he came home. He had 2 surgeries to correct this. At
almost 6 months old when he came home, he could only break gravity to look at
his hands. He worked for every single developmental milestone he hit; including
some of the basics of life like eating. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kindergarten, so are we ready. HELL YES. We are ready. These
kids have fought some odds. They have overcome. Am I sad? I’m not. Am I
nervous? I am a bit. But I know we have done all that we could have, to prepare
all 3 of these kiddos to be where they are. Most of all; I am proud. I am proud
of him. I am proud of Lilly and Owen. I am proud of Todd, who is usually my
voice of reason, the rock that keeps the optimism flowing in this house. I am
gracious to all that have helped us to get where we are. From all the doctors
and nurses at St. Vincent, to all of our first step providers, Feeding Friends
in Fishers, and our friends, and our FAMILY. I don’t say it enough. Our family
has largely been a key to our success. Their help, their encouragement, their
faith has been splendid. I am thankful; thankful for every one of my bosses for
having patience with me through the rough times. I am thankful for Todd’s
bosses throughout the years that never batted an eye when he was absent, or
attended appointments with us. We pray the best is yet to come. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tomorrow is a celebration of the next milestone. Cheers to
the next step in our lives!</span></div>
Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-2125882770911138182016-01-08T19:35:00.001-05:002016-01-08T19:43:32.737-05:00Complete blog fail! Welcome 2016!Yeah... complete blog fail. <br>
Do you know how many times I've thought about blogging... and just didn't?<br>
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Either way. Lots has changed. <br>
We have (3) 5 year olds. YES 5 years old! Seriously. 5. They are doing so well. We have definitely gone through some ups and downs the past almost 2 years. <br>
May of 2014, we moved into the home we built. That was a huge change for the kids since they had always remembered being in the home they were in. It was a challenge to get them in their own rooms again, and used to it. They started a new preschool. And... if you can believe it next year they will go to Kindergarten. Crazy...<br>
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2014 also we lost our husky Jasmine. She also died from liver cancer at 15 just like Hendrix just a few months before that. I have to do a blog post about her. She was one of those dogs you don't forget. Although I don't miss her hair, and her shenanigans, I miss having a dog around the house... most of the time around dinner time, and there are scraps on the floor I must now sweep up. <br>
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2015- We went to Disney. We had such a great time. We took my parents and in-laws. This was kind of as a thank you for all the hard work and dedication for what they've done for us. My sister now has a child, my brother now has a child. Perhaps I shouldn't go this long anymore before blogging. <br>
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Todd got a promotion somewhere in there... I got a promotion in October. wow... truly shouldn't wait this long to blog. <br>
I am having a hard time even organizing my thoughts. <br>
Grey got glasses. We've been.... SSHHHHHHH "knock on wood" healthy. <br>
Grey started growth hormone injections October of 2014. He went from the less than 3rd% to now the 25%!!! Thriving children we have. <br>
I'm posting this while Todd is at the grocery. We are bracing for.... ready.... an inch of snow, but he said the grocery store was crazy and he wanted to get it done before it's absolutely ridiculous tomorrow. I offered to go to get out of the house, he told me he wanted. I'm guessing he wanted out for a while too. Nobody REALLY wants to go to the grocery before our one inch of snowmagedden. I really will post some more pics, and also a post about Jasmine...promise!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdw8DPfI76OwgBmjpG2FThMOGGFvH7Y2wplrNeEBUTM1QFzKrTork3UlXn2nQmI71sZfh6CILmUuatXDFzh3Y3aCfM_0rvfUheMyGbR1hoJFguTu0v4YYgAfURTCzbCyOB8kN5BBK2mlN/s640/blogger-image-1446438636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdw8DPfI76OwgBmjpG2FThMOGGFvH7Y2wplrNeEBUTM1QFzKrTork3UlXn2nQmI71sZfh6CILmUuatXDFzh3Y3aCfM_0rvfUheMyGbR1hoJFguTu0v4YYgAfURTCzbCyOB8kN5BBK2mlN/s640/blogger-image-1446438636.jpg"></a></div>Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-69801373125002132232014-01-25T23:45:00.002-05:002014-01-25T23:45:34.292-05:00Ode to my Buddy LoveWell, as 2014 does bring excitement for a new home, and new jobs in the Maurer house, it also brought sadness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rD7Qaz4qtX_x08spAjYPYT8XzJm_6DUUzOU9tzC2R1G4Ur9GXj2O2Ug_4x8dTNhiXz4W8rB032uCP2MkvOwtgcXPsk_RMAJ01V7nBqDGaSuK-Gg43KDsFOJ3LJXJF3YGJIQPl006zpPH/s1600/photo%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_605188="null" cua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rD7Qaz4qtX_x08spAjYPYT8XzJm_6DUUzOU9tzC2R1G4Ur9GXj2O2Ug_4x8dTNhiXz4W8rB032uCP2MkvOwtgcXPsk_RMAJ01V7nBqDGaSuK-Gg43KDsFOJ3LJXJF3YGJIQPl006zpPH/s1600/photo%5B1%5D.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a>Hendrix, our (likely) 13 year old male husky was not acting right for a week or so. I had to be downtown for a meeting for a few hours, and he urinated on the couch, which was not him at all. He also wasn't laying in his normal places for a very long time. He acted restless. I sat on the floor with him late one night, and could tell that his abdomen was larger than I ever thought it had been before. It's so hard to tell with so much fur. </div>
So, the next day 1/16/14, we went to the vet, and indeed, the vet said she felt like his abdomen was very large, and took labs and xrays. Xrays showed what looked like a very large liver, and some organs pushed out of place. His labs came back that night, and his liver numbers were in the 6000's. Normal high is 120's. He went for an abdominal ultrasound in the morning, and it showed a liver mass that incorporated about 80% of his liver mass, about 5 inches x 5 inches. I already knew this in my heart.<br />
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The story of Hendrix is one of rags to riches if you will. Hendrix came to us about 10 years ago, after we had to put our cat to sleep. Jasmine had started to mourn the cat, they so enjoyed tourchering each other! (The kitty is a whole other story) I was working at IU Med Center at the time in the Surgical ICU, and going to school to get my NP. I knew we didn't want a puppy. I contacted Northern Lights Sled Dog Rescue where I saw his picture. His story was sad. He was 2 years old. He had been a court case in his short life, and even found his way to the shelter 3 times. The third, he found rescue. He was was a witnessed beating with a 2x4 by his owner, and awarded back to his owner, and would show up at the shelter when he wanted food and drink. He came to us as a foster, as he was very sick. I knew we wouldn't be able to give him up, and it was always my intent to keep him. He had a chronic cough, that on xrays, showed almost like a doggy COPD. This was probably because he had pneumonia or bronchitis that was untreated for a long time. He had a redish/purple large spot on his coat, looked like he rubbed up against wet paint, right on the scruf of his neck, and he had terrible worms. We dewormed him, and put him on prednisone for his cough. He managed to get out of 2 cages. We finally had to PADLOCK his cages. He was not easy the first few months. All of the prednisone made him eat and drink a lot, gave him diarrhea, and the worms.. oy... Todd was NOT set on keeping him. lol. Thankfullly, my mother in law stayed with us for almost a week at that time, because Muncie had a large ice storm, and they had no power. It was a life saver! She also talked to Todd, and asked him to give Hendrix another chance when he was healthy. </div>
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That was all she wrote with Hendrix. He was a good dog. He got better. Wasn't really ever sick. Jasmine would pick a fight with him now and then, and he would always win. Todd called him our Junkyard Dog. He was calm, and laid back, until you messed with him. He would finish it. <br />
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He loved to lay on my feet and work with me. He would come running across the yard when I would tell him time for work, or we had a meeting. He was on a eating and drinking schedule. 5pm SHARP he wanted his food. I used to think it was because he would know Oprah's music was over, but, NO, that dog, just had an internal clock that was very accurate. He would WOOOO, and WOOOOO until you got him what he wanted. I think that was a testament to deprivation early on. That, and his fear of long, skinny things like brooms, shovels, etc, were the only issues this dog had. We never really had to scold him. He just was a good dog. (As long as he was fed, and watered... lol) He loved the snow, he loved to run. he loved to have his neck rubbed, and he loved to lay under things, desks, tables... anything. </div>
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He was rather annoyed by the kids... I think they were too unpredictable for him, but had come around in the past few months. He still woo'd at them a lot. :)</div>
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Fast forward to Sunday night 1/19/14... I was laying in Owen's bed... (If you don't know why, read the last post). I noticed he couldn't get comfortable. He got in the bed, on the floor, in the hall, down the stairs, back up. I noticed when he laid down, he moaned. I took a video of his breathing, and counted it... consistently 70x a minute.. which is more than double normal. I gave him a pain pill that I had here, and after 30 minutes, he settled down. He slept, in one place. I knew... he was in pain.</div>
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I called the vet in the morning (1/20/14)... and I knew we either needed to do pain meds, or we needed to say good bye. After realizing that he hasn't done many things for a while, like, he used to lay like a frog, with his legs all sprawled out, he used to stretch and woooo each morning, he used to lay at the end of the bed, and not move, nightly... I knew we had a decision to make. We could have given him pain meds, but there was a risk of the tumors bursting, and him hemmoraging to death, or being in extreme pain, or.... with my work, and Todd's work being so busy lately, maybe we would miss it, and not be home. I knew we owed him dignity, we owed him the love that we gave him when we picked him up that first day. </div>
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I read in a blog somewhere that dogs don't fear the afterlife, they don't fear heaven or hell, they don't fear death.... they fear pain. Pain was indeed, what he was in. And, I owed him more respect, and dignity than that. I know, in my heart that we did the right thing. He died eating a mouthful of homemade banana bread... and I know that is the way he'd have loved to go. But, I will miss that dog. I will miss that big man, and I already do. I don't know how many times I accidentally felt for him under my desk last week.... but I know, I will see him again. </div>
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I cannot re-read this tonight... so they typos will have to exist for now. </div>
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Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-7934318501956066252014-01-25T22:52:00.000-05:002014-01-25T22:52:03.156-05:00Hello 20142014 has come so fast. <br />
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We had a great Thanksgiving, and Christmas. </div>
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I was actually sick for Thanksgiving, and Todd tore his bicep tendon right before Christmas, and had surgery on the Dec. 22nd, so, I guess it was eventful for both. After blisters from a surgery prep allergy, and hives from the treatment of the surgery prep allergy... Todd is just now getting back to normal after his bicep tendon rupture. Todd is not usually the one sick, so when he is, it's not easy on this household!</div>
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The kids had a good Christmas. We tried to not go overboard since we are moving early May-ish. They got a lot of Lego's, and the really enjoyed some fake snowballs that we got from their great-aunt. Another favorite is some battery operated bugs that they like to build Lego houses for. They are quite creative. </div>
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Grey is doing well. We are still watching his ears, here and there, but his latest set of labs, show a lagging immune-system, but it's on the low end of normal. He seems to be catching up to where he needs to be. Our battles with Grey are 1. getting potty-trained, 2. getting rid of his pacifier. In that order. First of all, I have never seen a child so lack-luster on getting potty-trained. He just DOES NOT care. I thought that he would be persuaded by peer pressure. We will NOT have to worry about Grey and peer pressure in the future, because, he does NOT care. He is in his own little world, and he doesn't care what you think. Quite evident. I started today rewarding him for staying dry in his big boys, which I did not have to do for Lilly and Owen, and he did quite well, until he locked himself in his bedroom, and panicked until I could get a screwdriver to unlock his door. We will keep working. He has lost his "diegos" which are the Pamper pull-ups, he thinks they are cool. He is now getting generic pullups. I hope they are even uncomfortable. He can have his Diegos at night. The pacifier, will not go with us to the new home. We have tried to prep him for this, but... we may just have to go cold turkey. I've seen him in the middle of the night when I've gone to cover him up sucking his thumb when he doesn't have his paci, and that is not something I want to start either. Grey has to be the easiest to entertain of the 3. He often giggles at the TV, and looks at the other 2, like,"WHAT, that was funny?" He has the best little personality, so silly, and such a creature of habit. He continues to be our best sleeper. Thankfully! He still says his favorite color is orange, and he loves playing Lego's, as well as his hot wheels cars. He also likes to draw and color. He will eat nearly anything. <br />
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Owen continues to be quite the daddy's boy. He loves his daddy! He does very well in school. He will recite the Pledge of Allegiance, prayers, he answers the TV with everything... and He told Todd the other day that "God will forgive all of your sins." Priceless. He remains a big boy. In solid 5T. 49lbs, and I have seen how tall he is lately. Size 13 shoe. He has the biggest heart, but can be the biggest bully. He continues to say that his favorite color is red. He likes Lego's, and cars as well. He still loves his "bb's" which are his 2 blue blankets that he sleeps with nightly. And, he really prefers to sleep in our bed with Todd. He has no issues telling me either, "Mom, please move over so I have room, you can go sleep in my room...". Because we've been tired, we've just done what works. We regret that. He loves to run, and hide. I guess they all do, but especially him. He loves to play hide and seek. He also, likes to pretend he's a kitty. There is frequent meowing around here. He happens to probably be the pickiest eater. He prefers chicken nugs, and hot dogs. He still LOVES milk!<br />
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Lilly is also doing well. She had her tubes placed in November I believe. No infections since then. (Knock on wood)She still likes pink, loves to color, play with Lego's, and will join in on the cars with the boys every now and then. She likes playing with her dolls. They all like pretending to play house, and be different characters. She is still a momma's girl, and loves to sing. Currently, Katy Perry's song "Roar" is her favorite, she demands it when she hears something even similar. She, like the boys, like watching her Disney Junior shows, and some on Nick Jr. as well. She makes up songs all the time, and for whatever reason, she calls me "Sumee" , like (SUM and a long E sound) Weirdest thing. But she constantly calls me Sumee. She also has been a picky eater. Not as bad as Owen though. </div>
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Our house hole was dug right before the new year... and well, that is where we still are. It has been so cold, and snowy (Because we are building a house)... that they haven't been able to do anything. Which is fine. Our house is not on the market yet. We really are in no hurry, other than the anxiety, and excitement of seeing what we have put together, come together. </div>
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Todd's job has been extremely busy, and my new job has also been very busy. I will be traveling a bit the next month or so. Of course, it's the coldest winter in 2 decades, and the 3rd snowiest in Indianapolis history (again, because we are building a house). We will just keep truckin along. We could not do what we do, without our family, that is for sure. </div>
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Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-44477401356577304542013-10-11T23:41:00.001-04:002013-10-11T23:41:32.604-04:00Changes on the horizonOK, I know complete blogger fail. I'm sorry... It's been busy. I'll attempt to update on the madness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHTrRRmqWshPfccLFa4ru4R5O4e-xug5K9TgY8Nx2T_4jgSc-Op8oO_jLP2OzH-lRHS7KzXr4CleVPPzTuW9WZXSKrFizgQzubI63C6HYK1FMH_qWIwvO-5Yrc4la5e76s1kEAlLA3SzC/s1600/1157661_10201845429674386_244431884_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHTrRRmqWshPfccLFa4ru4R5O4e-xug5K9TgY8Nx2T_4jgSc-Op8oO_jLP2OzH-lRHS7KzXr4CleVPPzTuW9WZXSKrFizgQzubI63C6HYK1FMH_qWIwvO-5Yrc4la5e76s1kEAlLA3SzC/s320/1157661_10201845429674386_244431884_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a>So yes, these 3 kids turned 3. We celebrated at Chuck-e-Cheese, and they came home, ate cake... and opened their presents of plenty. They got their first bikes. Owen got a cars bike, Grey a Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Lilly of course, a princess bike. She was the first to be determined enough to ride, and the boys to follow in the next few weeks. They love their bikes. They love their helmets. This quickly turned into having to duct-tape a "race track" on our driveway/garage so they wouldn't run each other over and/or cut each other off. It has kept them quite busy this summer. <br />
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They have also taken to many new cartoons. Dora is the latest and greatest ... and everything on Disney Jr. It is quite funny to watch them now watch the shows, and laugh appropriately, and answer the questions that the characters ask. They truly do learn from these shows, which is likely more than I can say about the smurfs. But I survived. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHJZK8Ta0Fe56wzZGNzocaqZ6LDCauQMmBPHiIFGjV5-AhfUZuMuIllHGJ0TkgXETWjKgbjY2s44R3_Djg55Tr3m-KEtYi7FP5rs4IiniHeauFnusRyxTKuQMGh7Kj1ZK1CtP1mmSdoAK/s1600/1376601_10202006680425554_1051452272_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHJZK8Ta0Fe56wzZGNzocaqZ6LDCauQMmBPHiIFGjV5-AhfUZuMuIllHGJ0TkgXETWjKgbjY2s44R3_Djg55Tr3m-KEtYi7FP5rs4IiniHeauFnusRyxTKuQMGh7Kj1ZK1CtP1mmSdoAK/s320/1376601_10202006680425554_1051452272_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a>Grey is doing great. He continues to eat everything you put in front of him, and he is gaining weight just as he should. We had a scare of his liver numbers that took a large jump, but... there was no real reason for it, they are all now normal. He continues to surprise me how manipulative he is, and how smart he is. It's not uncommon for him to stand behind his gate in his room, and torment Lilly or Owen when they want a parent to come upstairs at bedtime. He will tell them (as he leans over his own gate) to go to bed, "You gonna be tired in the morning". He will mock them, and laugh when they get upset. He was upset one day when he didn't make it to the truck in time to sit in the 3rd row. He cried until he got to school, and told me his tummy hurt, he needed to go home, and come back to school sitting in the 3rd row. uh huh.... He's very silly, the clown of all of them. He loves to entertain, and his giggle is infectious. He's fought ear infections again this summer. Several fungal infections again, but... we've kept them under control. He loves to color, and draw. We've started swim lessons. He absolutely loves to swim. He loves to jump in, and he loves to take big gulps of the water constantly. He also likes to pay attention to the next class more than what he is supposed to be doing, but, nonetheless. He's Grey. I look at pictures of 3 years ago. July 23, and Sept 15. Days we almost lost Grey. I think of those days praying he had no lasting issues, or hypoxia. Prayed his liver would return to normal, and that we didn't take too much of his intestine out for him to live a normal life. Then I think of trying to get him interested in potty training, and giving up his pacifier... and that seems so silly compared to what the kid went through. I know this can't be an excuse for the rest of his life. But, I'm allowing him a few more months with his paci. A lot of people told me to cut holes in his paci, and he would lose interest. They are all slowly getting holes in them, since I've NEVER bought one of these, they are all from the NICU. They are OLD! He gave a paci to me tonight that had a hole in the nipple at the base, and he couldn't get a good suck on it. He said, "Mom, this one has a hole in it, you can throw it away, or give it to the babies. I don't want this one." (we always tell him the babies need his pacifier) So... he will not be allowed to make the move with his pacifier(more to come with the move)... but for now, that orange thing can hang out of his mouth when he goes to bed. <br />
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Lillian also is quite the character. The mother of the group, the caretaker, the fashionista. She has been potty trained for a few months now. She put panties on one day, and I can count on one hand how many accidents she has had since then. Usually if an accident occurs, it's an adult error. She likes to pick out her own clothes, pj's, panties, hair accessories, shoes, socks. shew.... I hope she isn't high maintenance when she grows up. She finally is letting me do things with her hair. Pig tails and barrets she enjoys. She loves riding her bike, playing with legos, and her baby dolls. She sings, and dances, and will tell you her favorite color is PINK. She has had a barrage of ear infections, therefore, she is getting tubes on Oct 21st. She also LOVES to swim. She kicks, and floats, and loves her little kitty swim cap. She is very imaginative. She often is going with her dad in a rocket ship. She told me when we were at the zoo this weekend, it looked like UMI-City, from UMIZoomies on Nick Jr. But, for that matter, they are all very imaginative, and play pretend all the time. All 3 of them. That is a trait they get from their father. I, have very little skills in that department, never really have. I like concrete things. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclVYg2TNlpuGOR8V5eNb02l-foZGKTdXdGl_VlcQORfEItsSTdTt0CKGvzgaHlYJVM_9LVnSHDblbw2ioVAn8O8NNq_pKGotKXNvT7kN7Bw9ljD1LopEgT0fDF2B75fL2x2yjqWyXmpWr/s1600/photo%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclVYg2TNlpuGOR8V5eNb02l-foZGKTdXdGl_VlcQORfEItsSTdTt0CKGvzgaHlYJVM_9LVnSHDblbw2ioVAn8O8NNq_pKGotKXNvT7kN7Bw9ljD1LopEgT0fDF2B75fL2x2yjqWyXmpWr/s320/photo%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a>Owen is definitely the first born. By 1 minute, I know... but he is your stereotypical first born. He is the leader of the pack, the bossy one, the serious one, the emotional one, the one that gets his feelings hurt easiest, cautious, craves structure, and the list goes on. It's just him. He remains very large for his age. Last check he was 44lbs, and 43inches tall. He too is potty trained. My bathroom floor might disagree, and his aim is terrible, but he doesn't have accidents... let's put it that way. He picks things up very quickly, and knows many letters when he sees them. He too loves his bike, and likes to draw. He sings and dances less than Lilly and Grey, but... he loves to watch the TV and answer the character questions. He is a very active child. He is on the move constantly. They all would rather be outside, which will pose issues this winter... but, we will make it. He is a terrible sleeper. He refuses to sleep in his bed all night, and demands Todd to sleep with him. He is a daddy's boy thru and thru. That child loves his daddy. I'm second best the his daddy, that is for sure. He and Grey still beat each other up, run around, tackle each other, act like they have swords, act like they are kicking or karate chopping each other. Boys... thru and thru. One of our neighbors is a state trooper. He was in plain clothes and I told Owen that he was a police man. Owen looked at him, put his hands on both hips, then pointed to our neighbor and said, "you aren't a powice man... where yo gun if yo a powice man?"<br />
"Is dat yo powice car?" Oh my GOSH, I could have crawled under a rock, seriously. He was telling this man, he was not a trooper, because he didn't have his gun, and he wasn't really sure if it was his car either. There was a lot going on that night, and I believe he laughed... but.... nonetheless, that is my Owen. <br />
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The kids are also attending preschool/daycare 3 days a week now(instead of 2). Todd's dad had a hip replacement, so this will be in place until he is all healed and ready to come back one day a week. Likely they will stay 3 days a week until the first of the year. This week was the first week. They were not happy, but they will get used to it. We miss them, and wish him a speedy recovery!<br />
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Well, on the job front. Both Todd and I have changed jobs. Todd is now a Director of Finance at Anthem. He got a promotion. I changed departments, and accepted a promotion in Anthem's Patient Centered Primary Care division. My title is Provider Clinical Liaison. This is only my 3rd week, so it's still very hard to tell what the role will include.. but, will be the nurse Liaison between the primary care doctors offices that have agreed to contract with Anthem to change the way they prioritize and follow their highest risk, and most chronic patients. It's Anthem's push to a more quality of care, versus of quantity of care in the pcp offices. I will cover the whole state of Indiana. There will be some travel, perhaps some overnight, but not often, and most will just be day trips. So, I will be at home still working most of the time. I needed to get out of the house. I welcome the change. Change is good. I will miss my old coworkers, but those that I want to stay in contact with, I will... just as I have with transplant. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDIV5jC0aDQ5gzNczpgSb0yAvyQkQtQOxw2y1jFEp5yzzf_brBqilKznY01OA0w-tBE3pokXI0WWljHePW-AIYvQnk_UQHzOLQwUMvLwVJZQX3GpVb0bWVF2dVdwiI8npV9-b4-84pVXG/s1600/photo%5B2%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDIV5jC0aDQ5gzNczpgSb0yAvyQkQtQOxw2y1jFEp5yzzf_brBqilKznY01OA0w-tBE3pokXI0WWljHePW-AIYvQnk_UQHzOLQwUMvLwVJZQX3GpVb0bWVF2dVdwiI8npV9-b4-84pVXG/s320/photo%5B2%5D.JPG" width="240" /></a>We are building a house. yea.... building a house. We've been looking at houses on and off for a year or so. Just browsing. Our neighborhood houses have been selling quickly when priced appropriately. The house we are building is in a neighborhood just north of here, maybe 2 miles. It's not much bigger than what we have now, just structured differently for having 3 kids of the same age. Simple things that were important to us. 3 car garage that has the 3rd door. Our garage now, is a courthouse garage, and has a lot of area, but, it is awkwardly situated for what we need it for. We need a 5th bedroom in the basement, which we will have. I really wanted a bathroom for Lillian upstairs so, when she is a teenager, she won't have to share with the boys. We did not want the 2 story living room anymore. I think it's great esthetically, but... terrible for heating and cooling. I'm just waiting for a truth/dare session when one of my boys dives off of it, and it's wasted valuable space we need. The cons of moving... we actually love our house, and our neighbors. We have everything really the way we need it, and we've put work into this house. We wanted though to be in a house from kindergarten to graduation for the kids, and the house we are building will be it. It is amazing the amount of work we have put into starting this new house out. Picking out stuff... positioning lights, and windows, and blah, blah, blah. Todd and I have a great deal that we agree on though, so it wasn't a negative experience, you just hope that you like it when it goes in. I will blog on this as we go along. <br />
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<br />Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-80681951391637428962013-05-26T23:47:00.001-04:002013-05-26T23:47:08.264-04:00Getting bigger quickly!April went so fast, and May is following suit, and before you know it the Maurer triplets will be 3 years old. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZ4m3upi0_37Iw_K2q7UoIoEvwO9UTCKxCW5iTMP6qqUVzXUlVsQT0QP9dwTbffoeFZOk4OAGMOik-667oloMk1BVz_xgMKKWN6-hrVW-8k1k9C8kV7C28VGymjpNqrOGIL-3nLFg8PHx/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZ4m3upi0_37Iw_K2q7UoIoEvwO9UTCKxCW5iTMP6qqUVzXUlVsQT0QP9dwTbffoeFZOk4OAGMOik-667oloMk1BVz_xgMKKWN6-hrVW-8k1k9C8kV7C28VGymjpNqrOGIL-3nLFg8PHx/s320/photo+(2).JPG" width="240" /></a>Owen had his tonsils and adenoids out at the end of April. That was a rough 10-12 days... let me tell ya. Todd stayed with him the first night at the hospital, and he was home after that. It really was a game of staying ahead of the pain with medicine, but... Owen doesn't like to take any medicine, let alone medicine that does not taste good. I discovered Dr. Sear's cheek traction technique, that can defeat any veteran medicine spitter. However, he decided quickly that momma's way wasn't fun. He would take the medicine with some coaxing. Usually the coaxing lasted from 2-10 minutes (every 3 hours for 7 days). By the end of it, he was having a paradoxical drug reaction to his pain medicine, and up every hour or so at night. That got better once we stopped that. He ran a fever for about 5 days. He does not snore any more, but he is still not sleeping super. I think it's an age thing.... oy! Not only is he a veteran medicine spitter, he also is an Indiana First Steps graduate. He no longer needs speech therapy. That was short lived, but he is talking great. Very happy with his progress. Owen is definitely ready to be potty trained, but time has not allowed it. He has not pooped in his diaper for almost a week, he will say he needs to use the potty. Next weekend we are going to work with him, and hope that Lilly and Grey are influenced by peer pressure and cute big boy, or girl panties. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwvvuhXBIDXrh7JZ_QZolrjPpG7zl11RlkCxGD08w1y2HBWHckslo1c_NKvas9uDZvI6OpBIScq804xpyOGTtWMizhnsZFHoTS3yXe9CEd4sULRRQMcjvS6OfSCUNAjnVXpbhF1m3HGjM/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwvvuhXBIDXrh7JZ_QZolrjPpG7zl11RlkCxGD08w1y2HBWHckslo1c_NKvas9uDZvI6OpBIScq804xpyOGTtWMizhnsZFHoTS3yXe9CEd4sULRRQMcjvS6OfSCUNAjnVXpbhF1m3HGjM/s320/photo+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a>Grey is doing okay. He is having some severe reflux right now. I am not sure what has changed. I know that he has had a large hernia that the doctors have been aware of, and wondering if it is a hiatal hernia. He will have an upper endoscopy on Friday. I'm not worried about this, it's just odd that his reflux has popped back up. Medicine is not yet helping his reflux, or if it is, it's not doing the trick completely. He is growing, and gaining weight, but only time will tell what next months weight will be. He had a run of about 3 weeks that he vomited weekly. He had our terrible flu that was going around. More later on that. He was just evaluated for speech therapy through our local elementary school because once they turn 3, they are no longer eligible for First Steps. He did not qualify either. I was so proud of him. He talked and talked in the evaluation. He has certainly come a long way! I think he is the most stubborn child there is around however. He still loves "lightning keen" and cars. <br />
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Lilly is just Lilly. She is a chatter box. She is the mother hen of the boys. She said to me the other day as I was getting her out of the truck for the playground, and Owen and Grey had already ran into the fence, and started climbing... she said, "Momma, look at my boys, they sure are silly." Indeed she thinks they are "HER boys". Sometimes she refers to them as her "bruders", but usually it's her "boys". She loves Sofia the first, the new Disney princess show. She is infatuated with princesses. Everything is princess, and I have no idea where that came from, must be complete innate. <br />
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Mother hen, allowing Owen to push, while she makes sure Grey has proper communication equipment in the stroller. Grey does like to be the baby..... no matter what he says!<br />
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We have transitioned to big kid beds. Lilly princesses, Grey Cars, and Owen Toy Story. What a journey that has been. Grey used to be the BEST of them all, and the last week, he has been absolutely terrible. I tried the supernanny technique with him on Wednesday night, and i put him back in bed 53 times in 22 minutes. My knees hurt so bad from getting up off the floor, I gave up. Do you realize how frustrating that is when you barely get sat back down, trying to ignore that child, and he is already out of bed again. More that 2x a minute!!! He won. That night he won. Todd managed to tame him on Saturday night, and he was just plain tired, so we will see what next week brings. Owen is ok... just ok. It depends on the night, and Lilly is about the same, but tends to be better than "Her boys". We did buy baby gates to put on their room doors, which they scaled in about 2 minutes after them being on. It definitely is better with them out of it, and I feel like we are moving towards a positive place... just not there yet. Their pics are above, but I'll post the final pictures of their room when I actually take them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeX8FZFIEpkqFVGyaYyoQFcuw5UiriE7IX_-zQvwKV0nDVhUHp8LSdBobN5oOb0Mn4DjQl-uNuwr3ajKL-4WObmU3YZDdbLfScn2ynx1a3dZgKpkZN3rFxRVzkRXDqLZ_pnvGr940LI7uQ/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeX8FZFIEpkqFVGyaYyoQFcuw5UiriE7IX_-zQvwKV0nDVhUHp8LSdBobN5oOb0Mn4DjQl-uNuwr3ajKL-4WObmU3YZDdbLfScn2ynx1a3dZgKpkZN3rFxRVzkRXDqLZ_pnvGr940LI7uQ/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a>I had a garage sale on May 3-4, which was good, we got rid of a lot of stuff. BUT, I got the horrible virus going around. Later to find out, it was the norovirus, that is like the cruiseship viruses that they dock early for, and.... I know why. It was the worst flu-like symptoms that I have ever experienced I think. AND, my sister got married May 11... in which-case, I was in the wedding. Thank goodness I was able to make it through, and then resumed my symptoms after that weekend, and all the medicines like immodium that I knew I should not had taken, I stopped. It was ugly. Not only that, but all my kids slowly go it as well. Grey had it for the wedding, so they were unable to come... and true to form, Lilly and Owen followed. The bath pic of Grey was between puking episodes while I was at the wedding.The bad thing, Todd went away that next week for 3 nights and 4 days, and I was solo. Not only that, but my inlaws had to cancel a trip to FL because they got it as well. I was truly solo, with 3 puking kids, and pooping out of their diapers atleast 3x daily. All of them! Fevers, puking, and pooping, and I didn't feel the best either. BUT, I did it. I won't lie. I doubted myself. I really doubted myself. That's 3 kids in their new big beds, 3 kids sick.... yikes. But we did it. They were truly good. I kept them moving when they felt good. We visited playground after playground. We went to get a cookie one day that they were keeping food down, we went for walks daily several times, we played an overabundance of play-dough, and ... that is how we did it. I will also be truthful, I was happy to see Todd home. That was a relief! <br />
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Even though we've had sick kids, and had a lot going on.... lots of transitions... We've made the best of it. <br />
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Grey thinks his bed is great for "NASTICS".</div>
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Owen did not want his pic taken at Paradise Cafe, this one of our adventures while Todd was gone.<br />
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We got new mowers, and we enjoy making Daddy's mowing take about 5x longer each time!</div>
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This was them at the 500 parade. The boys were glued to Daddy, and Lilly couldn't let them all hold hands without her!!!!</div>
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Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-64147820366217793732013-05-26T22:56:00.001-04:002013-05-26T22:56:32.621-04:00Ode to my sister TyannI wanted to get this done before the wedding on May 11, but I did not get a chance. I thought I could incorporate this in my matron of honor speech... but, I really didn't think I could get through it.. and we'd both had enough stress... but here it goes.<br />
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So, I probably was ELATED when mom and dad said that I was going to have a little brother or sister, but nobody prepared a 6 yr old for that little sister to arrive on their birthday. So seriously, only child for 6 years and then SHE comes. I do remember no understanding fully why my mom was not there for my birthday, and knowing she was in the hospital, but thinking I didn't like it. <br />
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I think I was a good big sister for a period of time. I think I remember Tyann being a challenging infant, and since I have had my own kids, my mom will say.... "Oh yeah, Tyann did this that or the other..." And, I think I remember that. <br />
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And, then let me not bore you and skip to our teenage-ish years, and we DID NOT get along. That child stole everything from me, and either gave it to her friends, she wore it, or she just flat out hid it from me, such as clothes, and other things that were important to me. I feel like now, that a lot of siblings have this kind of relationship that are this far apart, but, we just did not click. <br />
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As time moved on, and probably notably when I moved to Indy, we did get closer, but never closer than we are right now. I have seen my sister turn into a lady that has her head on straight, compassionate, empathetic, passionate, and an over all good person. I have seen her turn into a blooming step mom, and she will be a spectacular wife I feel. Mike is someone that excepts my sister for who she is, and the good and the bad, as we all have... I have seen my sister mature in ways I didn't think was possible in the last few years with Mike, and I couldnt' be happier for that. I love my sister, I love who she has become, and even the relationship we had before... it is, what it is. <br />
I wish her and Mike, and her stepson Logan the best that life can bring. I love that she has found a huge passion for animal rescue, and I love that I think she will be another positive role model for Logan. Cheers to many great years Millers!<br />
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Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-55141779133654924132013-04-16T15:40:00.002-04:002013-04-16T15:40:36.159-04:00Better late than never....January and February AND MARCH!!! blog FAIL!!! It's been busy of course. <br />
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Christmas was good. The kids got a lot of presents. They really enjoyed the idea of Santa this year, although didn't completely grasp the concept. We did spend night after night driving around finding yard blow-ups, and went through Reynolds display a few dozen times... YES, DOZEN times. Each time, they would mention the same items in the display. Lilly got to the point of sounding like a tour-guide, "Santa Claus out Lilly's window, comin up." Each time she knew we were about to see something, it was always.... "cooominnnn uppppp". Quite funny. We had a very nice time spending the holidays with our families. Of course, it was so nice to take the decorations down, since the kids would not leave the tree alone. I'm hoping next year they are a little better about it. We did take the kids to see Santa again this year. Owen screamed, and Lilly and Grey sat there, looking terrified. But, we got the picture and the memory!<br />
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It's winter, so we have spent a lot of time back and forth to the doctor. Luckily the man reason is NOT Grey's ears. It's been ugly colds, bronchitis, fevers, etc for all three here and there. I will be so glad when this phase passes. As a whole we are having sleep issues with Lilly and Owen mostly. Owen insists on sleeping with Todd and I. It's something we get bad at when he is sick, and then it's hard to talk him into sleeping in his own bed when he is not. He had an appointment with a new ENT to check on his tubes, and he has an appointment to have his tonsils and adenoids out April 22nd. I think this will also help his sleep. He snores a lot, and also is very jerky, and jumpy when he sleeps. I have noticed when I hold him sometimes in the night that he does stop breathing, or breaths very shallow for periods of time, so I'm guessing he has significant apnea. The ENT said that he has very large tonsils, and therefore, we can do a sleep study, but may end up again back there with little to no answers. So, we opted to just do it. I think it will help him all the way around. Lilly just doesn't think she needs sleep. She doesn't like to nap, and she definitely doesn't want to go to bed at night. ugh... I could go on and on, I will spare you. Nonetheless, there is not a lot of sleeping going on around here. <br />
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We just discovered that Grey has some return of reflux. So, we will attempt to change up his diet and we saw his GI diet, and he is on some medicine... will keep him there for a few months, and try to wean him off. But Grey is doing great. He is talking super. Can't all the times make out every word, but no doubt he has a message, and knows what he wants to say. <br />
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Todd and I had the opportunity to get away late February. We took a trip to Los Cabos, Mexico. We stayed at an all inclusive, adult only resort called Pueblo Bonito Pacifica. I will spare you those details as well, and actually typing them makes me long to return quickly... but we had an excellent time. The kids did well with the grandparents. I think both the grandparents and the kids were happy we returned! Here are some pics to get you updated. I will try to be better. <br />
OH. and my sister is getting married May 11th. I am Matron of Honor. That has kept us busy. Last weekend was the shower, this weekend is the bachelorette party. sheww.... BREAK.... HERE WE GO!<br />
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<br />Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-21126867322155279612012-12-17T23:49:00.002-05:002012-12-17T23:49:38.710-05:00December 3 years ago.... Our IVF storyWhy this post is important to me, I don't know. But, I wanted to do this last year in December, but didn't get a chance. December 2nd 2009, we did our second fresh IVF cycle. For those that have not had to go thru IVF... a fresh cyle is where your ovaries are carefully stimulated to make many follicles (eggs). This is usually by injections daily, ultrasounds and lab work every so many days... every cycle, every woman is different. I wish I would have kept a blog of my thoughts and feelings back then. In fact, I did... but I erased it after rereading it several hundred times. It was too painful to read. I just couldn't do it. I wish I hadn't. <br />
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After it is deemed that your follicles are ready to be fertilized, the woman is given conscious sedation, the man gives his sample, and they are fertilized (hopefully) by an embryologist in a lab. They are observed daily. Ours made it to a 5 day transfer, meaning they were let to grow in a petri-dish (for lack of better terms) and hopefully turn into a blastocyst, or even better an expanding blastocyst. At 5 days of dividing, this is where they should be, and gives them the best chance for survival inside of the uterus. (Mind you, I am just a nurse, but not an infertility professional).... But, Todd and I have been thru 2 fresh cycles. That is the short version, not containing all of the emotions, anxiety, medical procedures, and waiting etc. After that 5 days, they are put into a syringe like device, and injected into the woman's uterus. Then... the wait begins. You may start your menstrual cycle (worse case scenario), or you go in for a lab draw usually 9 days after that transfer to see if you are pregnant. <br />
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And so, when it works, you have a picture of your kids 5 days after they were fertilized. Before they were implanted into your uterus to grow. Before they have developed all of their organs, before they have gender, their personality, their name, their everything.<br />
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Now, when Todd and I went through this December 2009, we had in our mind that this was likely our last fresh cycle. Emotionally, we were spent. We would have discussed it further had it not worked, but that was the plan going into the cycle. After talking to our doctor (Dr. Kenneth Moghadam) who was then at Jarrett Fertility in Indianapolis, and has now started his own practice in Austin, Texas... We decided together that after having an early miscarriage with our first fresh cycle, nothing with our second frozen cycle, the third cycle, which was our second fresh cycle... I wanted to transfer 3 back in if we could. When we arrived that morning, the embryologist gave us a picture of our embryos and it had 2. I said, Moghadam and I (and Todd) had discussed transferring 3. By the way, I cannot, (CANNOT) say enough good things about Moghadam. He is honest, fair, empathetic, compassionate, and reasonable. The best thing, he is good at what he does, and he loves what he does. The embryologist said, ok, I will go pick the next best one. Out came the next picture with the "next best" one. lol. That may bother some of you to talk about your children this way... but.. it doesn't bother me a bit. I laugh at it. I have 3 beautiful children. And, I have a very early Maurer triplet family picture. I have no idea who is who. One can only speculate who is who in this picture because, Owen (baby A) was always about a day ahead of Lilly, and therefore I conclude was the expanding blastocyst. Lilly was (baby B) and she was again, about a day behind Owen, and was a blastocyst I conclude, and Grey (baby C) I think was the early blastocyst. He was the smallest. He was the last developing, his yolk sac was biggest the longest, and it just makes me conclude that. And... I just have that feeling. So, that is what I think. <br />
Then, following is the picture of them being injected into my uterus with a little saline flush. I remember laying on that table... (bladder full)... just laying in there, and said a prayer, and quickly ran to the bathroom! :)<br />
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Introducing their first, second, and third picture together!<br />
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They were much quieter back then.....</div>
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Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-9301749553982826742012-11-24T23:36:00.000-05:002012-11-24T23:36:01.761-05:00Petri dish updatesSo many updates and pictures, so little time. <br />
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We have been sick since about August with some sort of crud. Take Grey out of the mix even... Lilly and Owen, me, mostly. This time around Todd got the sniffles and a cough too. The cough is just relentless. My in-laws get everything the kids cook up in their little petri-dish bodies too... luckily my mom works at a large pharmacy... so, I think she is immune to about everything. Nonetheless, today and yesterday we are without snot. For that, I am thankful!<br />
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My brother got married last month. Lilly was in the wedding, and did spectacular. She really took to the other beautiful flowergirl that was in the wedding. She was 7. They hit it off immediately, and that was a blessing. Lillian walked down the isle just as she should have. She even wore her "pettee dess, and pettee shoes" and left her hair bow/flower thing in until it disappeared somewhere between the wedding and the reception. After she was done walking down the isle, she was promptly escorted to me via a few people, as I knew she would not stay up there in front of all of those people, and then she went to the back of the church... and duty called... eh, hmmmm. She had to poop. I think it was a combo of being scared, and just needing to go. Lilly is my little constipated girl, and well.. she had been working on it for a few hours I think. I was happy she was escorted out. <br />
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I was so thankful that my inlaws were there, as the triplets were NOT good, repeat... NOT good for more than 2 minutes in the church. They didn't even get to see the bride walk down the isle. Todd and his parents took the kids out in the hall to a coat room, and they played and colored, and I was able to watch the wedding from the back row. I was happy to have seen their vows etc. It was a beautiful event. I was very happy for them, and glad that we were able to attend. The kids were so happy to see a dance floor. Seems they knew what it was for, and what they were supposed to do. Immediately before they even started the dance music, just the dinner music, the kids were out on the floor, doing what looked like a toddler worm, breakdancing... etc. It was funny. <br />
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Halloween followed not too long after that. The kids were all Mr. and Ms. Potatoheads. They were all so different for trick-or-treating. Lilly was all about the candy. She has been affectionately nicknamed "Honey Boo Boo". That little girl loves her candy. She calls suckers, "sucker-balls". No comment. I think it's likely because most suckers are shaped like balls. But a child relentlessly yelling "Sucker-ball Mommy, Sucker-ball" is a bit embarrassing. Owen didn't care if he had the candy or not, if it meant that he had to go up to the door. Grey was all about going to the door, and he would at times give others candy that were trying to give him candy, OR, he would reach his little hands in the bowls and take a bunch without permission. It was a toss up with him. <br />
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They had their daycare/preschool pictures. They were so good. <br />
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Grey almost spent the night in the hospital. 104 temp, lethargic, vomiting. IV fluids, and IV antibiotic. He perked up. I think it was just an ugly, ugly virus that got him down. Nonetheless, I'm not against using antibiotics just in case. Sorry. I am just not. Never again will I buy cupcakes with blue frosting. After chunks of blue icing vomit... let's just say we won't be having those again. <br />
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Yesterday was the day that Grey came home 2 years ago. If you are unfamiliar with his story, or pictures of them all back then. It's worth a trip back to those dates. He's come a long way. Knock on wood.... I hate to even type this.. But, I think his ears are good. He passed his sedation hearing test on all frequencies, so he has thankfully suffered no hearing loss from all of this. He will occasionally when scolded, hold his ears, or arm where his picc line was, and let you know he had "owie" there. He's quite the manipulator. He has been using 2 words together quite frequently... and his speech, and play skills have been progressing so much since he can... well, since he can hear now. He is quite often the instigator of battles around here. I think he gets the brunt of what his actions have caused, and I usually see the retaliation. Grey can't cash the checks that he has written at times, so he has to be protected from himself. He can be seen hitting and running from Owen. Owen=40lbs, 40 inches. Grey=22lbs 34 inches. Get it? Grey doesn't....<br />
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Owen on the other hand, does know that he is large and in charge. That child is big. Just big. Proportionately big... and surprisingly enough, he is the pickiest eater of them all. BUT, he LOVES MILK! As my mom said this week, "He doesn't let any grass grow underneath him." and indeed he doesn't. He is always on the move. He is the biggest helper of the 3. If you ask him to go get something, or help you with something. He is the first to nodd, and smile, and be on his way. Owen can be found (in the coldest room of the house) stripped to his diaper in his crib, so he can be up against all of his 6 silky/velour blankets in his crib. Why he doesn't use his crib as a hurdle, and jump out, is beyond me.... but I am SO thankful he has not figured out, it would be incredibly easy and fun for him to do. Since Owen usually gets his colds in his chest, he has the hardest time sleeping when he is sick. He does have an as needed nebulizer treatment machine that we utilized as a comminal treatment mask these last few weeks with this terrible cough everyone has had. He finds himself frequently in our bed in the middle of the night when he is sick. He says, "nuggle wit daddy". He loves to lay and snuggle with Todd. And, it's hard to argue with him when he spoons with Todd, and they are both back snoring in a matter of 2 minutes from the time that little blonde head hits the pillow. But, then it's hard to break once he is not sick. That is where we are now. urgh.<br />
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Lillian. My dear little chatterbox Lillian. She is a momma's girl to a fault. We are currently having issues getting her to sleep at night without rocking her for hours, yes.... HOURS at night. Last few nights, it's been 11pm before she decides to give in. It used to be that when I'd rock her, I'd put her down, and she wouldn't even be asleep. She'd just fall asleep, babbling, or whatever. Then it has slowly progressed at night to a battle. If I put her down, she will often wake up after I have rocked her. Then she can be heard, "Mommy rock you, please, mommy rock you". (gotta love toddler grammar) Over and over, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy. Mommy. It's enough to make you wanna change your name. If you don't go up there, she will start yelling DADDY, OWEN, GREY.... Seriously. Once I go in there again, she is so hysterical. I hate to see her like that. But, she will say when I go in there, "Mommy, I love you, I love you, you have pettee hair, such pettee hair. " The list goes on and on. "Please no bed, Ninny scared." OMG...... More to come on that I'm guessing. <br />
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We are going to start Magic 1-2-3. We have to start something for the fits, and tantrums, and the physical assaults that happen around here. I talked to the peditrician, and he just told me that there are few people that can imagine having 3 (2) yr olds at home, and yeah, it would feel like they run your house, and having 2 boys in the mix is going to result in having some physicalness. THANKS!... lol. <br />
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Todd and I got away for a night, and went to a spa/casino in southern Indiana. It was great. I don't think the kids were too great for my mom and sister in law, but... they all made it. We rescheduled our Cabo trip for the end of February. We are both looking forward to it. <br />
I have to admit, since about the time Owen broke his leg, and then all of Grey's ear issues, I have put myself on hold. I need to renew my self care, and put myself back in priority as best I can. <br />
Here are a few pictures from the last month or so.<br />
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All 3 actually sitting still...<br />
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Grey running on the pier<br />
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Lilly smelling flowers at Ft. Harrison<br />
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Owen Running!</div>
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The boys... so different, yet... so very similar!<br />
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Love those little Grey buns!<br />
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Picking out pumpkins...<br />
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Poor kitty....<br />
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3 Potatoheads!<br />
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Grey <br />
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Lilly<br />
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Owen<br />
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Oh... the dreaded blue cupcakes. Not again... for a long, long time. As you see, Grey must not have been feel<br />
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Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-36819420773866862532012-10-17T23:31:00.000-04:002012-10-17T23:31:01.040-04:00Ode to my brother Troy<br />This weekend my brother is getting married in Ft. Wayne. I’d like to say a few words since I am not the best man…. ;)<br />
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Lillian is in the wedding as a flower girl. I take no responsibility for her actions, she is 2. Let’s hope for the best, and pray that she likes her co-flowergirl! Now that I got that out of the way…..<br />
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Let me tell you a little about my brother via my prospective. Troy is a very bright boy, always has been. For about 2 years he had legs that were 6 inches long… no joke. I can say that my brother and I are likely “closer” than my sister and I. Although that changes at times. Tyann, my sister would say that Troy and her are closer as well. Troy and I are 8 years apart in age, and I think that is why we are closer. We have nothing, yet so much in common. <br />
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Troy and I have a lot of personality traits in common. We both care way too much for and about people, and can let our emotions get in our way. We both think before we speak, yet still say what we know we should not…. (although, I have matured out of this bad habit a bit, it caused way too much turmoil for me). We both played sports, and enjoy them. We both care way too much about what others think of us, again… I too have matured a bit more than he has had the opportunity to do yet. <br />
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I am so fortunate to have my brother and sister…. Really we take this for granted, and Todd reminds me of this, as he no longer has his beloved brother Travis. <br />
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Troy and I have been through our ups and downs. He has watched me go through things perhaps he didn’t understand professionally, personally, and in relationships. And I have done the same for him.<br />
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I have watched him grow up, from this little boy… to a man, getting married. It’s unbelievable. My hope for you and Jessica is this Troy…. Be mindful of each other, take care of each other. As you already know, but be sure to keep in mind along the way… it isn’t always perfect, nor will anything be Cleaver-like EVER. Have fun before you settle down and have kids. And, when deciding on how many kids to have, leave the 0.6 off of the 2.6 average each American family has. Stick with 2 ;). Lol! Be good with your money. Love each other. Communicate. Pray. <br />
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I love you both. Be good to each other. Treat each other like you are all each other has. Don’t quit, don’t give up. Marriage sometimes sucks, don’t let anyone tell you anything different. It’s work. But just know when it becomes more work than it is love or happiness, then you know, you have some real work to do!<br />
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Best wishes Jessica and Troy! <br />
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Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-6052637467553034292012-10-05T00:30:00.000-04:002012-10-05T00:30:37.731-04:00A Fungus Among Us, literally<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well, Grey’s procedure went well last week. He got new
tubes, cultures, and ear washings. His Picc line has been a pain, but a
necessary evil, and definitely less of a pain than his feeding tube that is for
sure. I cannot say that Grey has embraced his IV.He would like to think that it
is invisible, and when it has to be flushed, or the antibiotic is hooked up,
you literally have to tackle him and hold him down. Today was the first picc
line dressing change, and that was…. Less than fun. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Grey and his Picc line pictures. I try to tell him it's his airplane... here he is trying to make it fly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Good news and bad news about the cultures from last week.
The bacteria is gone. So staph, and e-coli, gone. Super. But, yes… you guessed
it, he has aspergillus in both ears. That of course is a fungus. Being that
there is no fda approved antifungal ear drop for people that have holes in
their ear drums (tubes), we are left trying to be innovative. I cannot even go
into the exhaustive story about how we got to this place, but we will go
tomorrow to have some antifungal powder blown into his ear by his ENT NP, and
that will last for 3 days. After that, we may end up doing some over the
counter lotramin solution. Then it’s back to see ENT, and Inf Disease md next
week. We will continue to do the IV antibiotics until we know that the ears are
dry, and the fungus is under control. I feel like, for the first time, we have
the right team on the case. I am encouraged, because for the first time, I
think I have heard Grey jabber, and babble more, and try to make words, and
sounds more today and yesterday than he has ever made. There was a cup dropped
in the kitchen today on the ceramic tile, and it startled him so much, he cried
and covered his ears. I sincerely don’t think he heard much of that stuff
before. Again, he heard enough to follow commands etc, but not enough to try to
annunciate, and communicate effectively for his age. On the other hand, I feel
like this kid is a ticking time bomb… little fungal balls sitting in his middle
ear, just waiting to migrate to his central nervous system. Oh, if only I
wasn’t a nurse. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Todd and I ended up delaying our Cabo trip until February….
Sigh. That is all I can say about it without being tearful ;)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lilly and Owen are doing super. Preschool/Daycare is going
great for all of them. Owen had a fearful time, and cried during drop-offs; but
not anymore. They all wave, and we are on our way. Lilly is our little social
butterfly. She likes to see her friends, and rock the baby dolls. Grey likes
all the different toys. I think Owen likes to be the observer. He definitely
likes the outdoor toys, but is a people watcher for sure!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I think they may potty-train themselves if we don’t get
onboard soon. They are currently telling us “pobby” and disrobing, and taking
their diaper off, and each time, or darn near each time, they will go to the
use the toilet appropriately. Urgh. Seriously, just not geared up for training
yet. But, they may leave us in the dust. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Allow me to jump back on my soapbox again. Hoping this will
be the last time for a while… or nobody will read… lol. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sooooo, the Colts coach Chuck Pagano is sick. He has
leukemia. Turns out, new diagnosis, and a pretty favorable leukemia if there is
such a thing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The news for the last 3
days has been “showing support” and the players have been at the Simon cancer
pavilion, and, they installed the NFL network into his hospital room so he
could watch the games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, they are
leaving the light on in his office until he returns. Great. The second story on
the news website tonight is about 560 patients that received a medicine that
was tampered with, and one person has already come down with fungal meningitis.
Over a 20% mortality rate… that would be for just taking a medicine…
unknowingly… Look, I hope that Mr. Pagano does well. He seems like a nice man.
Seems like a good guy. But not every person that gets the diagnosis of leukemia
gets a 2 hour long press conference on every local channel, and the whole city
rallying around them, having t-shirts with their names printed on them, fan
mail, care packages, and their co-workers (pro athletes) visiting the hospital
to brighten the days of the patients. I hope that all of this brings awareness
to Leukemia, illness both young and old for those sitting in their Colt’s box
office even when it doesn’t affect one of their own; even when it doesn’t get
publicity by the local news, or their agent asks them to, or “make a wish”
contacts them. Don’t get me wrong, I could care less if I was sick, and a
celebrity came to my room to say “Get Well”. Ask Brooke Schaefer. When I am
sick, I have a few choice words for anyone that will listen… (Todd may enjoy a
celebrity visit though </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">).
AND, when my kids are sick, I am even worse. Ask any St. Vincent Women’s
anesthesiologist…. I don’t’ have a good record with them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, really. I find all of it annoying. How
about a spotlight on a single parent trying to take care of a sick kid, or a
spotlight on how most people can’t have their famous boss get them into the
cancer center the next day to see the oncologist, and have to wait for a few
weeks with anxiety… you get my point. I hope Chuck gets better soon, but not
because the Colts will benefit, or it will affect me personally…. But, because
he is human, and he puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you and I,
and I don’t want to see him nor his family in pain. Maybe, just maybe I know
too much about how it worked in transplant at “that” facility, and I know that
doctors and executive management teams are just salivating to get those VIPs in
asap. Urgh… Good Luck Chuck… But also, good luck to those that are up on the
BMT <bone marrow="marrow" transplant="transplant"> floor fighting for their lives too. <o:p></o:p></bone></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Off my soapbox. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some pics from the last month or so. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> This is Owen at the Fishers Fall Festival</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjsJN6KjCGs-zEMwNDSZIM4ZcUHrfkRNqfcWwBuCJ_sfgxZBIjHC8ReysxA7lPtbEsHoRqh3IEIAroDWUA8bQViHgPtdFlUrAoovi_GhlYhAQ_7UU9xeA9q4I1AiNJAxqspsWoV8E1pnH/s1600/lilbloon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjsJN6KjCGs-zEMwNDSZIM4ZcUHrfkRNqfcWwBuCJ_sfgxZBIjHC8ReysxA7lPtbEsHoRqh3IEIAroDWUA8bQViHgPtdFlUrAoovi_GhlYhAQ_7UU9xeA9q4I1AiNJAxqspsWoV8E1pnH/s320/lilbloon.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Lilly with her beloved balloon at the festival</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Grey with this war wounds(thanks to Owen), at the festival. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">All 3 at Ft. Harrison, we had what Todd calls a "Ladybug picnic". (Sesame Street Reference)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Rare to capture all 3... they were running... HARD, they slept very well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Lilly and Owen liked the leaves, Grey... not so much. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Grey was too busy on the move exploring. </span><br />
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Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-69410873722805019512012-09-24T00:39:00.000-04:002012-09-24T00:39:06.658-04:00Not Making Friends In September
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yeah. I’m really not making too many friends yet this month.
If you are in a bad mood, don’t read this, I don’t even know if this will be
anything more than rambling and venting….<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know Todd may say otherwise, but I try not to “feel sorry”
for myself often. I really don’t have time. I do work full time. My job seems
to have more and more responsibilities and change very frequently. Todd and I
both just had to travel for work in the past 2-3 weeks… so, there really is no
downtime to think of “WHY”?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t even really know where to start my rant about how I
am feeling, other than WHY this can’t be a bit easier? I get I have triplets, I
get I have multiples. Trust me when I say, I remember the heartache of
infertility, and the thought of will we, or will we not have children. I went
through my own grieving for that. This in itself is a different grieving. AND,
let me say if I were going through infertility and read this, I would just hit
the X, and close it and chalk myself up to being a whiner. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, my litte Grey. Those ears. The ears slid backwards. Back
to drainage, back to hurting, despite no change in treatment.. still on
antibiotics, still on ear drops as well. We are on week 7. We recultured a few
weeks ago and still, ecoli. Can’t be a reinfection, must be still same
infection just hasn’t gone away. I trust our ENT. I wouldn’t have picked him
had I not have known him, seen him in action etc. I worked with him. But,
staying the course wasn’t going to work for me. I demanded to have an
infectious disease consult, and indeed called for another ENT opinion. Great
minds think alike, because that was also the plan he had for us at our next
appointment. He however doesn’t have to see my child get further and further
behind in speech, constantly have his finger in his ears, tell me several times
a day he has “wa-wa” in his ears because he cannot hear well, and they are so
plugged up. That doctor does not go in, in the middle of the night, only to see
a new little spot of blood on his blanket or sheet where his ear has drained,
or see a 2 year old smile when he sees you pick up the ear drops, because I’m
guessing it gives him a bit of relief… no, he doesn’t. I do. We do. And so, a
day late, dollar short. I’m done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, our new ENT… Dr. C. Miyamoto(thanks to my mother in law
for calling in a favor and getting us in asap) , and our infection disease
doctor Dr. Belcher have a plan… sort of. Grey did 1 full week of antibiotic
injections in his butt. He is very bruised. Also, he is on another oral
antibiotic that I myself as a nurse, have only given to patients that have had
tuberculosis or meningitis. It’s strong stuff. His CT scan showed lots of scar
tissue in his ear, therefore, not a surprise that his speech is lagging a bit.
Also showed the start of bilateral mastoiditis, and although we are not going
to surgery yet to remove the mastoid bone, that isn’t out of the question in
the future. And, then the real kicker, and I guess the real shocker to me is
that his immunity labs came back having a lower than normal immune system, and
although I won’t know what that all is about until I talk to Dr. Belcher yet
tomorrow, I hope that this is, something that he will overcome when he gets
older, that it’s the answer to the infections, that it will not entail a whole
lot of injections, it will not hold him back for a “normal” toddler life, or
kid life… and then wondering if its because his bowel was resected so young,
and he didn’t get those antibodies because breast milk and formula really wasn’t
absorbed nor given for a long time in his young days. I’m hoping that is the
case. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, that leaves me just… pissed I guess. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Allow me for just a second to wonder why I can’t just worry
about the petty things that I see others worrying about. Even others with
triplets. Comparing the 3 of them, or how much it changes their life, if they
can still keep up with the Jones’s, am I teaching them enough, do I have enough
structure for them, am I spending enough time for myself… seriously… I’m just
angry. I know, feeling sorry for myself. But my poor kid that just cannot get a
break. I think of how lucky some parents are that don’t have to deal with this,
and those that may think their journey is difficult, or their kids journey is
difficult because of bumps or bruises, or a broken bone, or whatever…. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Add to that, my mom had her gallbladder out on Friday, and
today was readmitted to a Ft. Wayne hospital with increased liver enzymes. I
can’t be there, dealing with all that is going on here… Add to that, Lillian
has a sinus infection and ear infection. Add to that Owen was still limping
earlier this week, and has an MRI scheduled next week if still limping… BUT,
perhaps I can cross that off my list, he has gone a few days without limping. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, maybe I am being a bit dramatic. Maybe I just needed to
type this out and I will feel better. And, I know God will only give you what
you can handle, but at what point can I act as if I cannot handle anymore
instead of just allowing things to pile on and on and on. And, to those that
have a rosy life, can you not handle anything? Or if the biggest thing in your
life is what kind of coffee you are going to have in the morning, seriously,
get a grip. I know we all have issues, but really. I just need a break. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On a positive note, I know it can always be worse. In fact,
we’ve had it worse. In fact, there are people now that I know have it worse.
Perhaps this one long gripe is just asking for all of you to be patient with me,
and to pray for us, all of us. September is an emotional month for the Maurer
family as this is the month of Todd’s brother’s birthday, and also the month
that he died. It’s just….. we really could use some good news, and maybe some
downtime. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have some pics from our weekend outtings I'll add later when I get time. </span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not proofreading. Probably should have put that as a
warning rather than a statement… lol </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-70713938987806496992012-08-19T00:06:00.003-04:002012-08-19T00:11:43.401-04:00Ears, sticks, stones, and broken bones...Well, it's been a while. A complete July blogging fail I guess. <br />
<br />
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. <br />
We have had many trips to zoo, museum etc in the last 2 months. I will include some pics.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQhjBfhiWM0Zfq9A1ZMCgHMASOmcjz92zxqlQWPkiCIC9vEV6itExN7ji6C2kGMQ2PyKD20ZRVpg8IWHI5uNm3oZ4K2Acm2RVIgaIblrnANJC69UTIygyfnh3lW4NzngJTysrb5AxxMRr/s1600/3runningatpark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQhjBfhiWM0Zfq9A1ZMCgHMASOmcjz92zxqlQWPkiCIC9vEV6itExN7ji6C2kGMQ2PyKD20ZRVpg8IWHI5uNm3oZ4K2Acm2RVIgaIblrnANJC69UTIygyfnh3lW4NzngJTysrb5AxxMRr/s320/3runningatpark.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All 3 at Geist park running in different directions</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo2ZK-YYZQkHQt5Ofm9uyGP8o4q1E-jzic_KjyOcrf4yuMhyphenhyphenqJMiJdAn_YE8soMVY4cihXBv-O_q6hYnqIg4sldVdX97_3i7kiH0ZrQAS6-4u0R8XbKPrhNXK11jCU_T87Nn8LF8YeaXJ/s1600/brothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo2ZK-YYZQkHQt5Ofm9uyGP8o4q1E-jzic_KjyOcrf4yuMhyphenhyphenqJMiJdAn_YE8soMVY4cihXBv-O_q6hYnqIg4sldVdX97_3i7kiH0ZrQAS6-4u0R8XbKPrhNXK11jCU_T87Nn8LF8YeaXJ/s320/brothers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey and Owen hugging. Love the size difference!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJz99KjsAdn7_6_0fEn3c9lKC3BXw5ETN3oKo-9wG0_Rk79sq5lVRhN_Ku-d752BvMcnKSQ46X_LJ2nr8OJSZKEyLlQl3k2_Mff8CIllhHcKUbSc-GMUgV6dV0Ft5hLjHhCylcD-xKw4t/s1600/lillybarefoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJz99KjsAdn7_6_0fEn3c9lKC3BXw5ETN3oKo-9wG0_Rk79sq5lVRhN_Ku-d752BvMcnKSQ46X_LJ2nr8OJSZKEyLlQl3k2_Mff8CIllhHcKUbSc-GMUgV6dV0Ft5hLjHhCylcD-xKw4t/s320/lillybarefoot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen looking at Lilly without shoes wondering WHY and HOW??</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimyb82DRK5pZgSN7Zk_llvQDiSrAG23Sucufy62aM3hoSaXDIYjbR1Xh6_aFMfQ4kl0Y2pxEWAZLmAsd8tcGSdDfVhyyYFKSBamxk-GaBBo07ukWdOMNFD3Hls-m7UBDc-0LxuQz52uQ9/s1600/ohhhh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimyb82DRK5pZgSN7Zk_llvQDiSrAG23Sucufy62aM3hoSaXDIYjbR1Xh6_aFMfQ4kl0Y2pxEWAZLmAsd8tcGSdDfVhyyYFKSBamxk-GaBBo07ukWdOMNFD3Hls-m7UBDc-0LxuQz52uQ9/s320/ohhhh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey running, he loves to run in the park!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_95TV6AglhoktFrQ2tc5w3u52tCmHTFHiPnIR5XY_OQw9gc4EOv4cZqPtV0Iulc5jVX4VTAB_tsn2uNp2vJvtr-r8V1PighgMdj3pf0zi0jWRLPQE_iuJd0yuCYqJghmi769m6uXEA-n/s1600/sticks!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_95TV6AglhoktFrQ2tc5w3u52tCmHTFHiPnIR5XY_OQw9gc4EOv4cZqPtV0Iulc5jVX4VTAB_tsn2uNp2vJvtr-r8V1PighgMdj3pf0zi0jWRLPQE_iuJd0yuCYqJghmi769m6uXEA-n/s320/sticks!.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">STICKS! The boys loved picking up sticks.It was stormy the night before these pics.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBA6CU1WpUXgOehx50Ui2CbUnLcqwj7qanaTWYN42mXQMHhoF5iV1z0rzzNbTCPrZDiVVPgOkhlnoSilyqfmVzhQUpYaoPgchLuICoLh0DVyfCeB4GinF9ohvd37SoecptqZvVJsSxwOm-/s1600/bear!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBA6CU1WpUXgOehx50Ui2CbUnLcqwj7qanaTWYN42mXQMHhoF5iV1z0rzzNbTCPrZDiVVPgOkhlnoSilyqfmVzhQUpYaoPgchLuICoLh0DVyfCeB4GinF9ohvd37SoecptqZvVJsSxwOm-/s320/bear!.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All 3 the the Bears.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8yOYKG93G5VsrUxHSv_EG4lxsaXl_SrXo41HgqCmFKQrfkUbCXzRcOFQcJuKtTmJT7VwRPh6yfW-TtuFacOHgAPlHKe96JoA62NH5MH1HoAuKLZRd0u8GANTtrATUsqYTo_YRkVvafPY/s1600/owenbooboo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8yOYKG93G5VsrUxHSv_EG4lxsaXl_SrXo41HgqCmFKQrfkUbCXzRcOFQcJuKtTmJT7VwRPh6yfW-TtuFacOHgAPlHKe96JoA62NH5MH1HoAuKLZRd0u8GANTtrATUsqYTo_YRkVvafPY/s320/owenbooboo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen's couch diving incident.</td></tr>
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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. <br />
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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...<br />
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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. <br />
<br />
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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie55HJeKXgx2PIrCkhhL-fvTDg2OD2C4IrT6ebx5oB6Ks_qcQaMR7kvo9RMhBJ-E_XmqUSj3TQUE5k3vTC1kXtk9Z4_8pQffrvcDzeYykBUjqtcPX0xhYpy7FXNdBHoqlC2JnWhhBKg-UA/s1600/owencast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie55HJeKXgx2PIrCkhhL-fvTDg2OD2C4IrT6ebx5oB6Ks_qcQaMR7kvo9RMhBJ-E_XmqUSj3TQUE5k3vTC1kXtk9Z4_8pQffrvcDzeYykBUjqtcPX0xhYpy7FXNdBHoqlC2JnWhhBKg-UA/s320/owencast.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's still cute....</td></tr>
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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. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPH6mF79rSXE5H2VoWihyyxyJaoG8cBPtladn_OT_g6WvLT8LfkvijknIcRyRmFzGoWu_eR8rMPOz-5RJYrlEifZN9-QcVT8nhOK-FMSfEwTDMVNYTnOUW7nYE-fvkcC8I-bSASv2bwh5E/s1600/smilingatpicnic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPH6mF79rSXE5H2VoWihyyxyJaoG8cBPtladn_OT_g6WvLT8LfkvijknIcRyRmFzGoWu_eR8rMPOz-5RJYrlEifZN9-QcVT8nhOK-FMSfEwTDMVNYTnOUW7nYE-fvkcC8I-bSASv2bwh5E/s320/smilingatpicnic.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCimZx9c4Ls8Xj0gBnIsssKtRp4Br9ZjN2csT-ua9H9kAnPkGRf92hw4G_GRXabwhyJaI7FN19GNeQs3CJex8uI9FDCJ2qS0l8AKTacX_ZjUB_eScvgJJbHl1gi6p-pYeGyHUthdFwmxSq/s1600/greyclimbing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCimZx9c4Ls8Xj0gBnIsssKtRp4Br9ZjN2csT-ua9H9kAnPkGRf92hw4G_GRXabwhyJaI7FN19GNeQs3CJex8uI9FDCJ2qS0l8AKTacX_ZjUB_eScvgJJbHl1gi6p-pYeGyHUthdFwmxSq/s320/greyclimbing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The next fracture waiting to happen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3jdp2eoPJUxLFje6nyYrKk-yuFH8cW1h-uUaF9qTFoHQ7uzTb0I1LdTxBsDJUzSpZ_dqOAg6UcIoC0JaL7NFoPwSuFB31mDi2NNDV56Ub8iDGwC_Loeb4z0r3m-t9byZQ_VTkViymz6C/s1600/greypicnic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3jdp2eoPJUxLFje6nyYrKk-yuFH8cW1h-uUaF9qTFoHQ7uzTb0I1LdTxBsDJUzSpZ_dqOAg6UcIoC0JaL7NFoPwSuFB31mDi2NNDV56Ub8iDGwC_Loeb4z0r3m-t9byZQ_VTkViymz6C/s320/greypicnic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He can't help to run.... off those calories</td></tr>
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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. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhbNWzMdY1M9WBWv65Tb4_9nHN0C-KAVxzLfreieCdOy2c4NC5mNVzbmpvlGx0zVcrnOrYxUrr7B8iTtJGvF1Nppgtbd1i2IsvHopCMUPF4i4YxKFZqTZGTpiEOCM4DrqlbE5169_4S-u/s1600/lillypretty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhbNWzMdY1M9WBWv65Tb4_9nHN0C-KAVxzLfreieCdOy2c4NC5mNVzbmpvlGx0zVcrnOrYxUrr7B8iTtJGvF1Nppgtbd1i2IsvHopCMUPF4i4YxKFZqTZGTpiEOCM4DrqlbE5169_4S-u/s320/lillypretty.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilly after picnic </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzX01Xhdpk0Rt2POogUZkaf3ZGirAIc2jHtT-HIDZRTVijK8D47X9xJJoc4RqlfUtw9OvFLZk1707o6zyll14yrbVVUJhBsTlSntiq-8nslwbuGSiRBS4KqWS81A_ZKHS3_7OmHfHSmx1/s1600/lillygrey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzX01Xhdpk0Rt2POogUZkaf3ZGirAIc2jHtT-HIDZRTVijK8D47X9xJJoc4RqlfUtw9OvFLZk1707o6zyll14yrbVVUJhBsTlSntiq-8nslwbuGSiRBS4KqWS81A_ZKHS3_7OmHfHSmx1/s320/lillygrey.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey and Lilly playing with the wagon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1E7tnCTjZXdMXDQv35MEdK-nMTnSgfAYss2pvoFnE2pirFWCqVAN8iQVwRX7PyLisvRZiIzGrl13r3HH_k7TpTMw9prsvzrDRPTTdudmFNO7fh_zf6hNRMC4qoGBeIiS5y1Zbqop6sU3n/s1600/telephonegrey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1E7tnCTjZXdMXDQv35MEdK-nMTnSgfAYss2pvoFnE2pirFWCqVAN8iQVwRX7PyLisvRZiIzGrl13r3HH_k7TpTMw9prsvzrDRPTTdudmFNO7fh_zf6hNRMC4qoGBeIiS5y1Zbqop6sU3n/s320/telephonegrey.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Telephone Grey, Mom and Dad want to tell us one broken bone per year quota is met this year!</td></tr>
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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. <br />
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Wow, I think that is it for now. I will try to do better.:)<br />
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Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-66871970931721652472012-06-30T23:58:00.000-04:002012-07-01T00:03:15.018-04:00Happy 2nd Birthday<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a very Happy 2nd Birthday celebration for Owen,
Lilly, and Grey. They enjoyed a bunch of presents, catering by Boston Market,
and a good Elmo cake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will not bore you about all of Grey's ear infections, and
Lilly's severe reaction to Amoxicillin that landed her in the ER, and Owen's
seizure caused by a sudden high fever..... All caused by strep. (URGH!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But we have had other eventful things this June. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We attended the Indianapolis Air Show. There was a "Balloon Glow" which was the most adventurous thing we have done with the triplets (yes they are two). We have not kept them out late, ever. We got them home about 10pm, and they were exhausted. We got some great pictures though. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have made multiple trips to the zoo and one to the
children's museum this summer. The kids increasingly enjoy these trips. It's so
awesome to see them pick up on different things that they did not last year.
Their interests continue to grow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They got their two year pictures taken. Mom and I took them
to Picture People in Castleton. The pictures turned out decent for what we had
to work with. The kids were... let's just say.... not great. Although Owen
posed like he was a model! One pose looks like his senior pictures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They got cozy coupes for their birthday. They really enjoy
those, along with their new sandbox, that I think they will soon learn to
enjoy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last night I went to Fort Wayne for my cousin Kara's
wedding. I had a great time. It was so nice to catch up with all of my friends
and family. So many people I have not seen in such a long time. Makes me
realize how much work Todd and I have put in to raising the kids these two
years.... and not only that, but the pregnancy, and all that it brought as
well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today we went to our friends the Myers triplets' house for
their 2nd birthday party. They really enjoy playing with each other, and seeing
other toys. Grey and Owen took turns kissing McKenzie. Leila went to bed early
because she was too excited to nap before the party. Lilly enjoyed trying out
their swing set, and Charlie played in their pool they had set up. I cannot
even express what a great friend their mom Heather has been and continues to be
to me. Love Her!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnFcJyjVU-TTEh0tz1BuNS7YpCfqEfnf6ykhP_s_gGG4sml7-SGwnkOv6jOzQO0GDWTsubNnA5S31ALcz6pjAjfW5ljb15Ksbz3Shl6PBhzIAyzh9fqw43kNDouYZdLe14bIXUoww8WdB/s1600/secondbdayall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnFcJyjVU-TTEh0tz1BuNS7YpCfqEfnf6ykhP_s_gGG4sml7-SGwnkOv6jOzQO0GDWTsubNnA5S31ALcz6pjAjfW5ljb15Ksbz3Shl6PBhzIAyzh9fqw43kNDouYZdLe14bIXUoww8WdB/s320/secondbdayall.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is what the kids are doing now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Owen continues to be the biggest of the trio. He is the most
sensitive. He takes it the hardest when he is told "no", or is reprimanded.
He is the most passionate about things. Currently, he has several things he
LOVES: Shoes (ones that light up, or red ones preferably), socks, balls, his cozy
coupe truck, books, blueberries, matchbox cars, trucks, popsicles, MILK, (whole
milk) Elmo, bubbles. He loves to go outside, and just run. Run up and down the
sidewalk, yard, wherever you will let him. He still loves his silky blankets.
He likes to slide, and climb. He does not like bugs, or Sesame Street
characters such as "Harry" that is rather scary looking to a 2 yr.
old that thinks he has a big "nose". Owen does not like eggs. Any
consistency either. We will keep working on that. He had his 2 year checkup and
is off the curve. That is above the 97% curve in both height and weight. We
will be switching him to 1% milk. I fear he will not like this. We tried to
switch him to skim, and he just started launching his cups. Dr. Riddell just
said, Owen will be a big boy. He is proportionate for his weight and height. He
is the pickiest eater. But, he obviously is getting the calories somehow,
guessing it's the milk. He likes meat too.... and loves his fruit. Owen is very
kind to his siblings, and at the same time can be very rough. He is the first
to go get them their cups of milk if asked, or if they are crying, he is the
first to go pat them. He follows commands very well, and knows exactly what you
are talking about when you ask him to do things. He is talking more and more.
The thing that makes me smile most about Owen is when he first sees you in the
morning, or after work, he will run across the room and almost tackle you with
a hug. That little big man is so sweet!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK0nAl5b0bSVww11wtAYbz7qXNoJxswMzpsib4BwoP58XKV6rqj0KHa65IJsBKhjW5Kpp_MG3SboX3asbUMFNkFLyOmFB02jQdRqH-4TjG38UuhEYG0Xgr3-MY80YPtTttqD8qvNmyTKf/s1600/lil2ndbday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK0nAl5b0bSVww11wtAYbz7qXNoJxswMzpsib4BwoP58XKV6rqj0KHa65IJsBKhjW5Kpp_MG3SboX3asbUMFNkFLyOmFB02jQdRqH-4TjG38UuhEYG0Xgr3-MY80YPtTttqD8qvNmyTKf/s320/lil2ndbday.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lillian continues to be the talker of the trio. She is the
kisser and hugger... and can be seen leaning in for a kiss, and tackling Grey
for a hug frequently during the day. She loves to wash her hands, put socks on
her hands, comb her hair, watch Elmo, bubbles, books, watermelon, musk melon,
kiddie pool, bugs, talking, disrobing, rocking on any chair that will move,
being nude, pot pies, popsicles, remote, music, dancing, any phone, I feel like
I am forgetting many of them. She does like bugs. She likes to squat, wave
"hi" to ants, pick them up, squash them and tell them "night
night". It's quite funny. Dr. Riddell said she is in the 40-50% for wt and
height. We will be switching her 1% milk as well. She really isn't a picky
eater, but she is in the right range for where she should be so that was his recommendation.
She is our sneaky little one. She is the one that will sit at the top of the
drive way in her little cozy coupe car with her feet up, and roll down the
drive way into the street as fast as she can. This is despite being told time and
time again not to. This is the quickest way for her to lose her cozy coupe privileges,
or for everyone to go inside. Although I don't think they quite understand
those consequences, it's usually just about all you can handle to chase her
into the street once, and she will do it again. Lilly isn't scared by much. She
can be shy around strangers, but usually if they are "boys" she is
usually pretty outgoing. Telling them and naming every body part she can point
to. I'm going to have to keep an eye on that little girl. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQKg5rTugs3AVGau6mRCdWSnh99A7KiriendXvW5QuiUr654zgAyzDKntf3bxl7IsSS20CI1A1YM0E7MCcDhIUmuPN49xZq4hAYFtbQRejvWyiGfT9Y2Ei-1uhLaMWUH1nyfntz5ocRJG/s1600/grey2ndbday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQKg5rTugs3AVGau6mRCdWSnh99A7KiriendXvW5QuiUr654zgAyzDKntf3bxl7IsSS20CI1A1YM0E7MCcDhIUmuPN49xZq4hAYFtbQRejvWyiGfT9Y2Ei-1uhLaMWUH1nyfntz5ocRJG/s320/grey2ndbday.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Grey continues to strive to be the best he can possibly be
each day. He is an amazing little guy, with the personality of a giant. He
loves to give kisses, and hugs. The child has no fear, which isn't necessarily
a quality that is desirable. Grey is the one that plays by himself the best. He
likes to sit and nest cups, or sort things, put blocks together, or gather toys
and put them in bags or boxes. He continues to say more words, and show more
interest in saying more words. He likes his Elmo, dancing, balls, his cozy
coupe, match box cars, loves ringing his doorbell in the playhouse, climbing...
oh, his climbing, sliding, outdoor playhouse, hide and seek, peek a boo, books,
pounding on the windows, drawing (with his left hand), push popper, running in
the grass, throwing landscaping rocks, climbing up to sit on any chair, hiding
in curtains, getting in cupboards, kissing mirrors, shoes, socks, sunglasses.
He isn’t' really scared by much. That is scary in itself. He isn't a picky
eater. He loves his condiments, Ranch dressing, and Ketchup namely. He likes to
take off and run down the sidewalk without permission, and that will get the
other two to follow as well. Dr. Riddell measured him in the less than 3%. We
continue to work with a dietician. He is gaining weight, and growing
appropriately, but he started out small. We will continue to work on it. He
will continue to work on it. He has a very sweet personality. When he doesn't
want to do something he will run, and hide his face, as if, you he can't see
you, you can't see him. This little man smiles constantly, and continuously amazes
us by doing things that 2 years ago we dreamed he would do. The will of Grey is
very impressive at the very least. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-4781386402626239662012-05-19T22:49:00.001-04:002012-05-19T22:49:10.588-04:00It's May, and these kids are almost 2!Wow, I cannot believe they are going to be 2 years old June 16th. <br />
About 2 years ago I was admitted to the hospital to be monitored for some minor pre-term labor and what turned out to be fairly aggressive pre-eclampsia. I remember very little about the hospital stay. I remember missing the dogs, missing my bed, and also missing being home. Todd would come every evening. We would have a nice romantic hospital dinner. I remember he kept telling me that the cafeteria at St. Vincent Women's Hospital was terrible compared to their patient meals. I could not see how that was true. However, with Grey there for 157 days, I quickly found out that he was sooooo right! I remember them pushing me to eat alot and wanting me to drink protein shakes 4x daily. I was "with it" enough to get online and see if that would worsen my urine protein that they were monitoring so closely. I made them have a dietitian come see me to make sure that I really had to drink those, and asked her to research to see if indeed all that protein would spill into my urine. It didn't. It didn't matter that much any way. My liver and kidney numbers started to climb and my reflexes started to get too active, my contractions got worse, and indeed I delivered Wednesday, June 16th at 30 weeks. I remember little of this day, and actually the days to follow.... I remember being so thankful for my family and husband because they kept track of me, and all 3 of our very small babies!<br />
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To think of those days makes my head spin.....and, as you will see, not much has changed with things that make my head spin. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZsTuMQtWzhO_UG7TwWqgd_tKTtxD3ri2kWqKc-Vg5WUaOPsKB0Uz1o8ZYJPYnP3wlfT1k21ftq__SAwTWzjYUKJ9CGDWVxQTuAiOpOfu8jrye6XAMoi2oAqFqniI9HibgT0juT-FhTjT/s1600/playhouse" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZsTuMQtWzhO_UG7TwWqgd_tKTtxD3ri2kWqKc-Vg5WUaOPsKB0Uz1o8ZYJPYnP3wlfT1k21ftq__SAwTWzjYUKJ9CGDWVxQTuAiOpOfu8jrye6XAMoi2oAqFqniI9HibgT0juT-FhTjT/s320/playhouse" width="320" /></a>We have been very busy this month. We bought a playhouse for the kids for their birthday, along with my parents, and Todd's parents.... and then had to have a place for it in the backyard. Who would know that our slope in our backyard was so steep, until you have to have a landscaper fill it in and level it! We have gone to random playgrounds, trying to keep these kids busy. We have been to the zoo several times. They never cease to amaze me what new things they pick up wherever we go!<br />
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This is our new playhouse/climber<br />
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This is us at the Zoo. They were checking out the best attraction there... Sparrows eating the TeddyGrahms that they had thrown them! :)<br />
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Grey continues to strive. He is walking, running, dancing, climbing; you name it, he is doing it. I think he is concentrating more and more on his fine motor skills, and will sit down at times to do the shape sorter, and a few pieces of a puzzle. He loves Sesame Street, and will sign "more" and point to the TV about 5 minutes before he knows an episode is to end. He is trying to talk, mostly "mama, dada, dog, ball, MELMO, no, uh oh, yeah" etc. Grey knows everything you say to him, and even follows 2 step commands (when he feels like it). He will show you all his body parts you ask him, point to objects in a book... but talking, he just isn't there yet. One of the neonatologists that we saw at the March of Dimes walk this year told us that they "Won't go to Kindergarten NOT talking". Thanks Bin Saad! Makes me realize I just need to relax. The child was in the NICU in organ failure for 157 days. All things considered, he's a superstar!<br />
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Above is Grey in the playhouse, and also at Ft. Harrison State Park. They have a great toddler playground area. The kids loved it. <br />
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Owen continues to be the largest of our crew. I cannot remember if we got the flu that almost brought our house down.... before or after I blogged last time. But, we had a terrible flu everyone vomiting, and Grey had horrible diarrhea. We literally were stacking blankets, and bedding out in the garage until we could get the wash all caught up. Owen fared the worst I feel out of this, and during this time he stopped sleeping through the night. Rightfully so, we understood... And, really since then when I think back, he hasn't slept well. He went to the allergist this week, and we started some Singulair, and Allegra. It is definitely helping his random, atopic rashes that he gets, but has not helped his sleeping. I watched him sleep the other night, and noted what I thought was reflux, and this too is what the allergist suggested we look into. So, I'll continue to watch him, and see if that is something that we need to follow up on. It hasn't affected his weight, or growth. However, he is fairly short tempered, impatient, and is easy to get worked up these days.... I think he takes after Todd....LOL! He is talking a lot more since he has gotten his tubes. He too loves his Sesame Street, and also continues to point out Baaaaaaaalllllll, and Birrrrrrrrrrrrrd. He has recently taken to pushing the mop when we go on walks in the neighborhood. So, if you live in the Indianapolis area, and would like your sidewalk mopped, please call us. Owen would love to be of service. I will have to get a picture of this, as it is a common occurrence, but I'm guessing won't last forever. (We hope) He still enjoys his silky/soft blankets, increasingly likes cars, and making sounds etc. He will bring you the same book to read about 60 times a day. Sometimes they disappear, however it doesn't phase him. The many faces of Owen never ceases to amaze me. Here is one, he does alot when he is running.... it cracks me up! Owen also really enjoys pulling the wagon with Lilly and Grey in it!<br />
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Lillian continues to be quite the character. She is our talker, and our non-naptaker. She doesn't really believe she needs a nap. She is the care taker of the boys, and quick to try to soothe them if they are upset. She is the first to point out "ou-weeee's" and will point to every scratch or speck on your skin. She then will wipe over it, and that really means that she would like to put medicine on it. You will soon know that her is intent, as she will not stop pointing and wiping her skin until you do something about it. She is our dancer. She loves her some MELMO, and likes to watch, and wait for any opportunity to dance. She is a technology hoarder. She has about 3 old cell phones in her crib currently, and she will nearly attack you for your phone, laptop, or iPad! She hums and sings. She has started piling toys on top of either Todd or I in the evening. I think that she is trying to be helpful and pick up the toys, however, she will bury us in toys for about 30 minutes until we cannot move, and then gets frustrated when you move and they fall off. We need to transition that energy toward putting the toys in the toybox! She is gets the most pink when she is outside, we always think she is sun burnt but she just gets really red faced when she is active outside. She is the only one that doesn't get upset when we have to lather them in sunscreen constantly. <br />
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We have a few things going on in the next month. Todd's birthday is May 21st. We will be having dinner and a movie! YAY!! Of course, their birthday. This birthday party will be low key compared to last year. Sesame Street themed is a no-brainer! I am hoping this month will be without any illness, besides teeth and the norm.Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-77971026470494126582012-04-22T00:29:00.000-04:002012-04-22T00:29:53.840-04:00Toddlers. 3 of themThat is what we have. Toddlers. 3 of them. True, through and through toddlers. <br />
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Now, with nearing 2 years old, you would think that it would sink in that we will have (3) terribly two toddlers... but it's becoming more evident day in, and day out. <br />
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There really isn't much new around here. The kids are 22 months, and definitely able to display their likes and dislikes. We have not used any bottles for them in over a month. They all still adore their blankets, and have to leave them in their bed in the morning... unless they are sick. Grey still uses his pacifier in his bed. That is the extent of their needs for soothing usually. Lillian currently has strep, but is on the mend. She started running a high fever last Sunday after the zoo, and a trip to urgent care on Monday she swabbed positive for strep. She is much better now after 1 week of antibiotics. <br />
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Here is our current schedule. <br />
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0730: wake (usually) Owen is first, and then the other 2 follow<br />
0800: Eat breakfast<br />
0930ish: Snack and water<br />
1130ish: Lunch<br />
1230ish: nap<br />
2:00: wake and afternoon snack<br />
4:30: Dinner<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tbDC2f6YifhTddAJc4q4zh62Kc7I6sBAvMmwZeiKMWmeS7pWiAobvGcAlRIjra_atSwHLSLLCxV8BnzdOJG7ShJ2Tj61uPWB6_MrKJlJxDy0hhdCsJaBPWrz2cx6RFpZMIg7jnrQa5MO/s1600/boyseaster2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tbDC2f6YifhTddAJc4q4zh62Kc7I6sBAvMmwZeiKMWmeS7pWiAobvGcAlRIjra_atSwHLSLLCxV8BnzdOJG7ShJ2Tj61uPWB6_MrKJlJxDy0hhdCsJaBPWrz2cx6RFpZMIg7jnrQa5MO/s320/boyseaster2012.jpg" width="320" /></a>6:00: Bath (usually 3 together)<br />
7:00: Snack and Milk in sippy<br />
8pm: bedtime<br />
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Owen is definitely the first to enter toddlerhood. He takes toys from Lilly and Grey constantly, he has tantrums more frequently than the other two currently. Owen knows what he wants. It usually has to do with his shoes, socks, a ball, or a book. He is "passionate" about all of these things! He still is not talking a whole lot, and I think most of his tantrums are due to frustration that he has with being unable to express himself. They all love Sesame Street right now, and he seems to like Big Bird the best I think. Owen LOVES birds. HE LOVES BIRDS and BALLS. He will make a very loud grunt, and point to which ever one he sees, and say "BAWWWW", or "BIRRRRRRRRRRRRRR". This happens countless times a day. He loves to rough-house with Todd. He LOVES his daddy. He likes to watch him mow, and mimicks a lot of things that he does. I have to say given Owen's tantrums, he still continues to be the most sensative, and sometimes giving him a stern "No" he will have his feelings hurt. It is not uncommon for him to come over to you and crawl up on your lap with a book, or give you kisses on your nose. He is a very loving little boy as well. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifToiCS0ZPZhm3HKqHOgfhAxI2VP7hbPrshxb9HMUZpkf7wNcNpE-SF1d1c8VT89O2NTZgvRP3r0ycU_rkoPd5xxMvrfJfMbHvbaYY8a2wSlNY_n90jk5v6PB10fyCwa7H_YW_J0H6hTLJ/s1600/lillyeaster12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifToiCS0ZPZhm3HKqHOgfhAxI2VP7hbPrshxb9HMUZpkf7wNcNpE-SF1d1c8VT89O2NTZgvRP3r0ycU_rkoPd5xxMvrfJfMbHvbaYY8a2wSlNY_n90jk5v6PB10fyCwa7H_YW_J0H6hTLJ/s320/lillyeaster12.jpg" width="320" /></a>Lillian still likes to disrobe frequently. She throws less fits than the boys in my opinion. She loves to put on layers of clothes, no matter how many she has on or takes off; there is still room to improve her attire. So, either disrobing, or adding layers depends on her mood. She is notorious for biting when she is unhappy, or just letting out a very girly high pitched screech. She loves her clothing and shoes, and PHONES! Technology is a passion of Lilly. She loves cell phones, cameras, remotes; you name it, she will stop at nothing to get it from whoever has it. She too likes Sesame Street, and "MELMO" seems to be her favorite. She repeats most of the words you want her to say. Sometimes she will just say "um hmmmmm" when you want her to say something, but nonetheless, she is doing pretty well with her talking. She gets her point across:) Lilly loves to be the nurturer of the 3 too. If either of the boys are crying she will try to make it better, usually with a pat, or cup, or snack. She loves her brothers!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgFdbB5DW1Nlbkqgeh6b4WlpkOlM-dpKK4syDHk0akaTtkIWEOn3g4OX7l1ei2FkhlXdJ5QFRDCIioTwZeRneLs44GoSy6IzOHwsyPemkJjlQt8kecQAa2d9ZWUFPeWorPAWkNFkeyWLO/s1600/g.chaireaster12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgFdbB5DW1Nlbkqgeh6b4WlpkOlM-dpKK4syDHk0akaTtkIWEOn3g4OX7l1ei2FkhlXdJ5QFRDCIioTwZeRneLs44GoSy6IzOHwsyPemkJjlQt8kecQAa2d9ZWUFPeWorPAWkNFkeyWLO/s320/g.chaireaster12.jpg" width="320" /></a>Grey is doing quite well. He is the child that does very well playing by himself. Grey is usually the victim of toy theft, but if he's had enough... he will tackle the thief. He loves television, and especially Sesame Street. He likes Elmo too, and is pretty good about trying to say the words you ask him too. He is more and more social every day, and is often seen waving and saying, "Biiii" or "bye" to people or things that aren't departing. It's very funny. He likes to carry around bags, books, and especially likes chalk and going down his slide. He is having some sleep issues. I have made him a monster nonetheless. Since for quite some time he had a feeding tube, and was on tubefeeds during the night Grey was in our room. Anytime he made a peep, I was up, and at his beck-and-call. He continues to think that we were roomies, and this is our current arrangement. However I am trying to break the habits I have enabled..... but this child is stubborn. A few nights in the last month he has had to cry it out in the middle of the night. It's tough being a big boy. <br />
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Discipline is difficult at this age I think. Especially when all 3 of the kids have different ways and abilities to communicate right now. I talked to Grey's developmental peds doctor on Friday when we went in for a routine visit. Here is what he said....<br />
1. Time outs are effective at this age<br />
2. If there are tantrums, you treat them differently depending on WHY they are happening<br />
<ul>
<li>If it is a communication gap, have them point and show you what they want</li>
<li>If they are just MAD, they are entitled to be MAD or frustrated just as adults are. At this age he said that you just ignore them if they are just needing to be mad and let their emotions out. He said when they are 3 or 4 depending, if they are mad and want to just be emotional and throw a fit, they need to go to their room to do so. </li>
<li>If the tantrum is just because they want a toy, or they are angry at a decision you have made for them, then just ignore their fit. They will eventually stop.</li>
</ul>
3. I discussed with him the throwing of food, and cups etc in the highchairs, he said at this age, you really only should just take away their cups, or whatever they are throwing. <br />
4. I talked to him about little quirks that the kids have with carrying around balls, being territorial of toys, and such. He said that is just toddler behavior. His advice was to just let it be, it will pass. He said he would be worried if they didn't do these things at this point. <br />
5. I asked him about watching television, and that they really like Sesame Street. He said that is very individualized with families, but he thinks there are a lot of skills that can be learned from shows such as SS, and as long as that is not their sole activity of the day, or a way of each day's entertainment all day... it was normal. <br />
6. He told me that at this age, the punishement needs to be very concrete. If one of them takes a toy away, or hits, the only real discipline at this age needs to be time out, and explain the reason to them. They have a hard time knowing the reason for the consequences that they face at this age, and the consequence needs to be immediate. He gave me an example of if you tell them, "If you hit your brother, we will not go to the playground today." He said that is too general. They can't equate the punishment with the crime at this age, and he said really until about 3. I told him we have tried with Owen to say things like, "If you quit crying, or if you pick up your toys, we will go outside. " He laughed and asked me how that worked..... I told him that we would try to do more concrete positive reinforcement with them. <br />
7. He recommended 1-2-3 Magic, Commonsense Parenting of your toddler, and the Secret Lives of Toddlers. He said these books give you a good idea of what the toddler is thinking so you can figure out what you should do about each instance that may come up. <br />
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Wow, I thought training our dogs was difficult. Might I add, we failed at that... but failing at this is not an option:) Neither Todd nor I want kids that are unruley, disrespectful etc.... how to get that is going to be the trick. It's hard because we ahve 3 different little personalities, lots of different situations, and many different people coming in and out of our house that they MUST listen to. We want them to respect everyone, and listen to them, but also have consistency in how things are done. Updates to come on this I am sure!<br />
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I am traveling for work a few nights this week.... We booked a trip to Cabo for November. <br />
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Easter was good. Above are a few pics that we took. I thought that pictures would be easier to get as time went on, but... it's not. Now they just move, and cry, and rebel against pictures when they don't want to sit together... so it is what it is. <br />
<br />Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-28120205050470453042012-03-10T22:34:00.000-05:002012-03-10T22:34:47.022-05:003 can be a crowd....Spring is around the corner. We cannot wait here!<br />
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I had a wonderful birthday. Todd gave me a mother's ring with different colored sapphires. It is beautiful. <br />
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We have ventured outside a little bit. It has been so nice to get out and let the kids run around. Leap year day, we went out and all 3 of the kids walked up and down the block all by themselves. It was a major accomplishment. Today we went out front in the driveway and played around, rode on the cars, and barked at random dogs. We also visited with our neighbors, it's so nice not to be hibernating!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSDsAI1JZTUNxLhdXBXmVs7WlBqvs6i1D-2HBl5BTTQ33ItHDfgOi8HFsehrjf3Do-x0JU3eWKrsiE83DK-LLZmrynQaWAWIGBGHxuceN_aFE-4tSKZN43hCY-NlmX0HmqnadVYEvSkbQ/s1600/owenSTOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSDsAI1JZTUNxLhdXBXmVs7WlBqvs6i1D-2HBl5BTTQ33ItHDfgOi8HFsehrjf3Do-x0JU3eWKrsiE83DK-LLZmrynQaWAWIGBGHxuceN_aFE-4tSKZN43hCY-NlmX0HmqnadVYEvSkbQ/s320/owenSTOP.jpg" width="320" /></a>Owen has been plagued with ear infections this winter. He again has another infection. He is allergic to 2 classes of antibiotics that are typically used for the ear infections. We went to ENT last week, and he gets tubes on the 16th. It was an absolute breeze for Grey, we are praying for the same with Owen. He is on another antibiotic right now for recurrent infection. The ENT thinks that he has had fluid around his middle ear for quite sometime, and he phrased it as "chronic". He said that he had no doubt why he is not talking yet, he said to him us talking is like he has ear muffs on. He thinks that his speech will take off within a month of getting his tubes. If not, we will continue to work with him, and get a speech therapist if it is warranted. We had their 20 month check up. He was 36 inches, and 35 lbs. Off the charts for his age, and definitely his adjusted age. Dr. Riddell said he thinks he's great. He said, "Yep, he's big, but he's healthy and proportioned perfectly... he's just going to be a big boy." Fine with us. After all, we called him a tank at 3lbs 3 oz. Owen is definitely in the toddler phase. I would maybe even classify him as a terrible 2. He thinks that all the toys are his, even if the last time he played with it was yesterday.. or last week for that matter. He often plays gate-keeper to the playhouse door. He still loves to clean, run his little sweeper, climb on anything possible, run from you when you try to get him for anything, and hide if he knows you are looking for him. He loves shoes and socks. His new word is "hot". That applies to ANYTHING. Food, water, bathtub, sippy-cup...he doesn't like hot temperature things. If he thinks you might be fibbing to him about whatever he is asking about being hot, he will blow on it, just for safe measures! I love that big O!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebz6w0Vg98cCAti6-NiFFFAd3lc1EgRbY4Vd5oF2U7NuzgCpGZyjL9SwqEl4dKeqRWOpZMmI-2OO_SGez42M3Nl7LzaP_TxiYgJBmoZRLJA5HIuVzWqX8inMUOPR4E4biSy81yIP2XRDV/s1600/owenlove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebz6w0Vg98cCAti6-NiFFFAd3lc1EgRbY4Vd5oF2U7NuzgCpGZyjL9SwqEl4dKeqRWOpZMmI-2OO_SGez42M3Nl7LzaP_TxiYgJBmoZRLJA5HIuVzWqX8inMUOPR4E4biSy81yIP2XRDV/s320/owenlove.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4mef3oJurZ2xWwoJAwdSo-XYjyUD9wF-j5G5nLh4G2cWyeT9eKmsBKerjrjuJcheTL1lNv1GSxiVS-aS6fJptK9MEvQPmh_fYxHgA-M1zfYbUMDC8fHzxfV48ufW1ahyphenhyphenJ2NYlsq_cqEH/s1600/greyonthe.move.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4mef3oJurZ2xWwoJAwdSo-XYjyUD9wF-j5G5nLh4G2cWyeT9eKmsBKerjrjuJcheTL1lNv1GSxiVS-aS6fJptK9MEvQPmh_fYxHgA-M1zfYbUMDC8fHzxfV48ufW1ahyphenhyphenJ2NYlsq_cqEH/s320/greyonthe.move.jpg" width="320" /></a>Grey loves to be outside! He grooves on walking around himself, although if it is windy he will grab on to you, and prefers to hold your hand while he walks. He is now running around, literally. He has yet to get as fast as Owen, but he isnt' to far off. Grey is great playing by himself. He is usually the victim of toy theft. He usually shrugs it off and finds something else to play with, occasionally he will whine and look at you waiting for you to scold the thief... but more and more he is out and out tackling the assailant. He has learned taking the matter into your own hands provides swifter justice. I try to discourage that, but you cannot help but to turn your head and laugh at times. He is my real climber. He is the mastermind of mischievousness around here. He has figured out that if he pushes the slide over to the playhouse, you can almost climb onto the roof... if you push a chair over to the gate you can stand on your tippy-toes and try to flip the lever to escape, and if you want to make quick friends, get some snacks and go to the gates and feed the dogs. He often is the winner of the stair races. He loves to slide down the slide, and usually at the top he screeches for you to look at him before he departs for the bottom. He has truly blossomed into his own. He is eating like a champ, and drinking much better than he ever has. His dietitian is even going to decrease visits to once a month soon since he is gaining weight steadily.His stats at his check up was 31 inches 22lbs. Small but mighty that little guy is catching up fast! Dr. Riddell was so happy with his progress both physically and developmentally.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoBmOyh9kNYbbEEKQPbWbV9dlahI96r-Vp7XiRXS3SBoSSvMXrjntywo7efyigfjZs41U2KCynlhpADr78tRkqf62OOuJ3PL_9sfcRm0ErdaCzFhBqpzYi_rwb4VuJIVouEe-uOtx9Z6u/s1600/grey.car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoBmOyh9kNYbbEEKQPbWbV9dlahI96r-Vp7XiRXS3SBoSSvMXrjntywo7efyigfjZs41U2KCynlhpADr78tRkqf62OOuJ3PL_9sfcRm0ErdaCzFhBqpzYi_rwb4VuJIVouEe-uOtx9Z6u/s320/grey.car.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADYi-YPeL7DotaHEr9YASXXhZTC8I45BOGZuMk4Kn3m6phcKhE05J6n2nJjiMwybgvOzM0hcoo_ZNuLvg9wUlwbCNp4DL_Fe6-_AXnWebXtzgC_VGabF3qSDl0IEsZPOlI8qMDCRKIhjU/s1600/grey.lilcars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADYi-YPeL7DotaHEr9YASXXhZTC8I45BOGZuMk4Kn3m6phcKhE05J6n2nJjiMwybgvOzM0hcoo_ZNuLvg9wUlwbCNp4DL_Fe6-_AXnWebXtzgC_VGabF3qSDl0IEsZPOlI8qMDCRKIhjU/s320/grey.lilcars.jpg" width="320" /></a>Last but certainly not least... Lillian. Lilly is our dancer. The boys like to dance, don't get me wrong... but she stomps her feet and raises her hands and arms.. twirls around. I need to get a video of it. She enjoys entertaining. This is concerning because she LOVES to disrobe... but we hope they aren't related, and she will grow out of that habit! However, not only does she like to disrobe, but she will put on multiple layers of clothing if allowed, and will scream if they dont' go on correctly. She is a giggle bucket, and can certainly be the troublemaker if given the opportunity. Thus the title of the blog. We recently took our first trip to Kendallville, which is in N. Indiana, my hometown. The kids haven't been there since birth, and we made the trip last week. The kids don't ride well in the car. 2.5 hours, and stopped 3 times for snacks, readjustment of blankets, shoes, socks etc. On the way home the boys were asleep before we got out of town. Right before we got to I69, Lillian promptly took her shoes off (both of them) and since she sits in the middle of the boys in the truck, she clocked both of them in the head at the same time. They both screamed, were startled.. they were asleep. She giggled, and giggled..... Grey went back to sleep, Owen cried for the next 2 hours. Lilly then went back to watching to Sesame Street. She may find herself in the third row on our next road-trip. She too is running in protest to things. She holds her own weight with Grey and Owen. She enjoys carrying around bags like purses. She still likes her rocking horse and the teeter-totter. Lilly is still a "mommy's girl", but is becoming more and more independent! Her stats at the check up was 32 inches, 25lbs. As Dr. Riddell said, "Almost perfect". We'd like to think so too!<br />
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Our next thing is to stop the night time bottle after Owen is done with the tubes. By April 1st or so, we will be done with bottles. They all continue to eat fairly well. It's hit and miss like all toddlers, but eat a variety of fruits, veggies etc. <br />
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Other than all that, things are status quo. It's always busy, but I feel like we have fallen into a new "normal" routine. Organized chaos is the norm, but it's better and better each week. We could not function and continue to strive without the help of our families and helpers we have in and out of the house. Every one of them helps us stay sane!Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-17919982722085688682012-02-15T21:24:00.000-05:002012-02-15T21:24:19.405-05:0020 months and 34 years tomorrowIt's been a "trying" few weeks. Lilly and Owen had ear infections for about 2 weeks. Grey then got it along with a GI bug. We ended up in the ER Tuesday of last week with Grey. He wouldn't raise his head, sit up, or walk. He was dehydrated related to his fever and vomiting.... add an ear infection in there for him as well. He got almost a liter of fluid which would be the equivalent of what an adult would need. From Wed to Friday of last week he had 1 wet diaper. He refused to drink from a cup, and would only take the gerber fruit squeezers. Finally... he ended up taking UNflavored Pedialyte. He has been much better since then. So happy to avoid the ER again. This weekend they all seem better. 2 weeks of fevers and vomiting for them is terrible. My mom got it, my in-laws were sick, I got it, Todd got it... wow... it was a doozy! After disinfecting everything from top to bottom.... we are mended!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UZ5cnMMva-kNUVSsjz87gXDD4mCNMDzTGvX8NMAQaQ0wRDNtU5Hxu9mscwRnOZ2mH97ZduxIr9Cd1GlNaEFEo2qNPjTE1W2WN37TFKongbo7DKcQGUaIIE-ufduBxLy5gdsbivY_xmm_/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UZ5cnMMva-kNUVSsjz87gXDD4mCNMDzTGvX8NMAQaQ0wRDNtU5Hxu9mscwRnOZ2mH97ZduxIr9Cd1GlNaEFEo2qNPjTE1W2WN37TFKongbo7DKcQGUaIIE-ufduBxLy5gdsbivY_xmm_/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a>Owen is doing super. I believe he might be getting his 2yr old molars. He is really drooling, and picking at his ears. I looked in his ears tonight, and I think they look fine. I will address on the 27th with Dr. S. Riddell getting tubes for the little man. He has been plagued with a lot of ear infections in the past few months. He is RUNNING everywhere. He continues to love his shoes and socks. He loves to play in his playhouse. He likes his fruit squeezers, and although he isn't the best eater we can usually find things that work for him. He loves milk. This child will drink milk over anything! If we'd let him he'd drink 30 oz of milk a day. He is 36 inches tall and 33lbs. He's a solid little man! He giggles like no other. I will have to get a video of his giggle some day... it will make you laugh so hard!<br />
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Grey is doing much better than he was last week. He is back to eating and drinking normally. He is walking around just fine... sometimes looks like a drunk little sailor but nonetheless, he is awesome. He is starting to imatate words, and demands attention a lot. He is very funny, and loves to play peek-a-boo. We have a developmental therapist coming to the house twice a month and she helps work on fine motor skills with him. He really is not interested, but he will get there. I firmly believe in that. We are going to start implementing time outs soon. I think they are ready, I know we are! He is orniary... and I am so glad I can say that! Love that little man!<br />
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Lillian is really trying to talk lately. She is imitating a lot, and will say "snack", "no, no, no", "hot", and will try almost anything you say. She is obsessed with iPads, phones, remotes, and nearly anything electronic. She is getting her eye-teeth, and has been grumpy this month. She likes to dance, along with her brothers. Todd has taught her to do a karate kick and say "hi-ya" when she does it. Today she bit Owen and drew blood. Biting has been something that they have all taken turns doing, but she has had more biting than the boys. She is also running all over. Her napping leaves a little to be desired. She doesn't think it's necessary any more. Little does she know. Lilly loves to take her clothes off. Lets hope that also doesn't continue....<br />
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They are all 20 months old tomorrow. Boy how time flies!<br />
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Todd is feeling much better. He recently spent the weekend in St. Louis with some friends, I think that renewed his balance a bit.<br />
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I will be 34 tomorrow. I travel to Columbus Ohio next week. Todd will be holding down the fort. I am hoping we stay healthy!<br />
Happy 28th Birthday to my lovely sister Tyann tomorrow!<br />
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<br />Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-9478592246227835082012-01-07T23:15:00.000-05:002012-01-07T23:15:16.548-05:00Happy New Year! 2011 in reviewBetter late than never, but Happy New Year! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsMugHkVmYkBNBWL24C_uMtGgxu5NJxHRZgUJMgp1MdU07P-qZSX8eH9c3_S8Yia34LdzHeVOEpDnGE25fcrORj_hg4zJraa7pI8205vsexHQdBLqq1-SRAwQM3DULLJIIuOrFxdPblF3/s1600/monkeyjoe3" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsMugHkVmYkBNBWL24C_uMtGgxu5NJxHRZgUJMgp1MdU07P-qZSX8eH9c3_S8Yia34LdzHeVOEpDnGE25fcrORj_hg4zJraa7pI8205vsexHQdBLqq1-SRAwQM3DULLJIIuOrFxdPblF3/s320/monkeyjoe3" width="240" /></a>Todd and I had a low key new years eve. We did take the kids to Monkey Joes which is a bounce house place for kids in Castleton. They were quite unsure of what to do in there. There are 2 bounce houses that are for kids 3 years old and younger. It took Grey a few minutes to get used to the bounce house that we were in, and since he was on his first day of antibiotic ear drops because he has an ear infection, I think it was loud in there for him too. <br />
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Owen was less adventurous than I thought he would be. He stayed pretty close to us, and just sat back and watched people and bounced a bit. <br />
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Lilly was the social butterfly, pointing and crawling over to random children. Grey actually really got into it once he got used to it. We had to take him out of there kicking and screaming literally. He did not want to leave. After that, we went to a Mexican restaurant in Castleton, and it was so nice to be able to take them, and not feel like they were spinning out of control. They ate really well, they were pretty well behaved... and Todd and I actually got a few bites in between cutting stuff, and fetching sippy cups. It was a good evening. We went to bed a little after midnight... and that was that! This is them on an alligator in the bounce house! I had muscles that hurt Jan 1 that I forgot I had!<br />
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I wanted to review 2011 in writing. A year of triplet toddlers is a challenge, however I don't think until you see it in writing do you realize how much of a challenge it really is. I know there are those that would like to see us more, and without a doubt, I'd like to make it up to Kendallville in N. Indiana at some point soon. I have come to understand that you won't please everyone, and you have to go about life as you live it, and ultimately do what you have to do. I'm attempting that. This is long, so read it if you see fit. You will have to correct the typos yourself, cause after writing this, I won't want to reread it for a while. <br />
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January 2011. <br />
Grey still had his NG tube in his nose, so that was taken out every week and we were still trying to bottle feed a little bit. He then had to be retaped frequently, as he was getting pretty darn crafty at taking his tube out. That was usually done on Sundays so he could have his face tape free for most of the day, and we could get lotion on it. It got pretty chapped, and often times a little bloody from being dry, and the adhesive remover and adhesive that was on it constantly. Grey was still getting feedings via pump every 3 hours. (I don't miss that pump! OR that tube for that matter) That month Grey had 5 doctor appointments, a swallow study, 2 sets of labs, and xray to look at his bowels in preparation for a g tube, I had a dentist appointment, I had bronchitis, and between Lilly and Grey, they had 15 hour long therapy appointments in January. They also all got their RSV vaccines on the 14th, which would lead to 3 days of grumpy babies. That was monthly from Oct 2010-April 2011. Grey was still on 12 medications; one dose of something every 4 hours. This picture was January of 2011.... Wow, we've done a lot of growing!<br />
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February the basement was started. That lasted all month. We had an ice dam on our roof, which led to a new ceiling in our great room, dry wall asphyxiation, which resulted into a week in Muncie with everyone and the dogs. We also lost power, and spent a night in a hotel. i had my 33rd birthday. Grey got labs once, 14 therapy appointments amongst all of them. Jasmine also had to go to the vet 3x for a UTI. Grey was still getting feedings every 3 hour for 1 hour via pump. He still had his NG tube. Mom and I cleaned our house from top to bottom in preparation for everyone to come back after the drywall mess. Todd took 2 business trips because he started a new job this month too.<br />
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March was an ugly month for ear infections. Every week we were at the doctor for someone having an ear infection. The basement was finished. Grey had a study to look at his bowels in preparation for his gtube, which he had surgery on March 19th. He was in the hospital for a few days there. I also got an ear infection, and Todd got a nasty cold too. Grey had 5 doctor appointments, and 8 therapy appointments. <br />
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April resulted in a lot of hospitalizations for Grey. We were battling what we now know as reflux, he was vomiting and getting dehydrated. 3x this month we were in atleast overnight with Grey. He then ended up doing continuous feedings, and had his NJ tube placed. This tube was a royal pain. It went into his nose, down to his stomach thru that, into his small intestine. That tube could not be taken out at all. It had to be placed under xray by a doctor, and if it moved even an inch, he'd have to go back to the ER, and it'd again have to be placed by a doctor via xray. This was because we fed him into his small intestine, and when you feed through the intestine it has to be in the right place, or he would reflux and vomit. The feedings had to be continuous because the intestine is not flexible enough to have a large bolus of feedings placed into it. Grey was on feedings for 18 hours a day. Todd also had a week long business trip. 2 MD appointments, and 9 therapy appointments. April also resulted in ear infections for Owen and Grey in different weeks. <br />
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May, Grey had another surgery and had his NJ tube discontinued. He had his GJ button placed, and this had to be replaced twice this month, once each week until the last week of the month. This was a procedure that required anesthesia etc. Todd had his 34th Bday. 2 nights in the hospital for Grey being dehydrated with his tube not working well. He also had an ENT appointment. Grey then got tubes in his ears the last week of May. Grey also had an MRI of his brain. So 5 rounds of anesthesia for Grey in May. 7 therapy appointments. Todd also had a week long business trip. Still doing 18 hours of feedings, via feeding pump. He also got his "baby" this month. This was his GJ button that was vented to a diaper because he had so much nasal drainage related to his ear infections in April and May. This diaper was wrapped up and placed in his onsie! lol<br />
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June was their 1st Birthday, and their 1st hair cut! I had a business trip the second week to Ohio. Their birthday party was on the 26th. Grey had 3 doctor appointments this month, and 12 therapy appointments. Grey was cleared from the metabolic specialist this month, and he had 3 sets of labs to follow up on this. He was continuing to get feedings for 18 hours a day via pump. Lilly and Owen saw the eye doctor along with Grey. Owen again had an ear infection the last week of June. <br />
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July I had a business trip to Virginia. I was starting to have hernia issues, and pain when lifting the kids. (I was wishing it would just go away) I went to see the surgeon and had a CT scan for the first time. Grey had a gastric emptying study and an upper GI procedure. We later found out that Grey was just wanting attention in the middle of the night. This was the beginning of the end of Grey as a roomie with Todd and I. Lillian was released from occupational therapy! YAY. Only 7 therapy appointments this month. Lilly had an ear infection, and Grey also got a post op ear infection. Both had 2 rounds of antibiotics. 6 doctor appointments They also got their 1 year shots! THAT was fun! Grey was still being fed via pump 18 hours a day. Becca also left us! I hurt my back, and ended up in the ER. 2 days off work and flat on my back for that! ;(<br />
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August- Ashley our new sitter started. I had a colonoscopy. Grey was in the ER for his feeding tube possibly acting up. Ended up, reflux. Owen had another ear infection, there was a NICU picnic. I went to Chicago for a bachelorette party! YAY!!! Becca had a shower for what is now Leah! Todd had his summerfest trip to KS City. Lillian had a nasty cold that lasted for 3 weeks with diarrhea. 7 md appts, 8 therapy appointments. Grey started seeing a therapist for feeding stuff as well. <br />
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September. <br />
Grey had his feeding tube replaced urgently Labor Day weekend. By this time St. V ER knows us by name :). 8 therapy appointments. Grey had his eye muscle surgery. We had window estimates all month, and our carpet cleaned through-out. We saw Grey's liver doctor, and developmental peds doc... Dr. Brei. Dr. Brei told us Grey would take a little while to eat. Still getting 18 hour feeds via pump... that will start to slowly decrease. I had my surgery on the 26th, and came home Oct 1st. I was then off for 4 weeks. sheww... Glad that is over! All 3 had a bad cold that infected everyone that came into our house right before both Grey and I had surgery. Feedings for Grey were give all night, and 3 hours during the day via pump. If his feeding tube comes out, I have 10 minutes to get a catheter in the hole before it closes, and 2 hours to get to the ER. <br />
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October was a month of ear infection and GI bugs for all 3. Owen had an ear infection and virus that lasted all month into November. It was a month of 12 md appointments, and 8 therapy appointments. We also added speech therapy to help with Grey's eating. He also had a swallow study, and a set of labs. We had 3 monsters for Halloween! 15 month shots were a DOOSY!!! Grey was getting feeds all night, as well as 2 hours during the day via pump. Owen is teething, and not sleeping well at all! (Molars)<br />
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November led to persisting ear infections. Owen had hives so bad for 2 weeks I was convinced he had hives or the measles! Grey had a follow up eye appointment. We had family pictures. Thanksgiving was great... Grey is now getting 8 hours of feedings at night in his tube, and one hour in his tube during the day. We added a dietitian to the mix of appointments. I had a cavity filled... I felt pretty recovered from my hernia surgery at this time. 7 therapy appointments. Owen is teething and up many, many nights. (Canines)<br />
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December things are looking up! Grey is done with his feeding tube as a trial. Grey then pulls his feeding tube out to seal the deal... Jasmine went to the vet for UTIx1. I had 2 meetings for therapy for next year. Grey had 2 appointments with doctors. He is now taking everything by mouth! GOOD THING, cause he no longer has a feeding tube. We hosted our family Christmas here on the 17th! Grey ended the year with another ear infection. <br />
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Wow, that is tiring just typing it. I am glad that I kept all of this in my pocket calendar. It will help me when I look back and wonder where the year has gone. I have high hopes for 2012. Grey has no feeding tube. I am hoping that the illnesses subside with the ears! We have 3 walking little munchkins, and slowly the therapies are going away. They will start preschool in August 2 days a week. I look forward to seeing them grow and mature. <br />
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Cheers to a wonderful 2012!Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-62948803494546092952011-12-30T20:49:00.000-05:002011-12-30T20:49:45.605-05:002011 is almost gone....Wow, Merry Christmas I haven't posted since then. The kids got a lot of toys, all of which they have really enjoyed. We got them a Step2 playhouse. They like going in and out, and putting their heads out the windows. My family Christmas was December 17th, and then Todd's parents come over on Christmas Eve and stay the night, and we do Christmas morning then. We didn't even finish wrapping everything this year. The kids didn't know the difference. They did enjoy unwrapping presents, however crawling on the boxes was the most fun this year. It was an excellent Christmas. Couldn't have asked for anything better with either family. We had a good time with everyone!<br />
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We can officially say that we have 3 walkers before ringing in 2012!!!!!! I cannot tell you how happy this makes me! Grey is walking about 60% of the time, and Lilly about 90% of the time. Most importantly they are walking. Lilly rarely falls. That was her plan all along. Grey face plants, and then just gets up in the middle of the floor to try again. Of course we praise them so much when they are walking, and Owen is left standing in the middle of the room... looking at me like... "Seriously, I have done this since July!". I then praise him, and he runs away giggling. <br />
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I cannot express how happy I am with these kids. I look at them each day and after I am done running in circles, I thank GOD that I have them, and thank GOD I have my husband. I don't tell him enough, but every day life is nearly impossible without him here. For the first time in my life, I can look at my surroundings, and although it may be chaotic, I love my life. I really do. I have everything I ever wanted. I have a wonderful family both immediate, and extended. I have a great job, great people surrounding us day in and day out. I will also have to remind myself of this and reread this frequently! LOL!This is Todd and Owen napping together, something that RARELY happens. <br />
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New Years will bring a healthier me. I am sticking to my diet for sure, and Todd said he would help with that as well. Todd and I plan on going away some time likely for our 10th anniversary alone. Todd wants to go to Turks and Caicos... but I am just not sure that I want to go that far. I want to start exercising again, hoping my mesh abdomen has the same aspirations. <br />
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One of the triplet moms in our group (that has quads) has an excellent blog. She recently wrote a post that struck me, and I know a lot of my friends feel the same way. I struggle with guilt, working, having others take care of them during the days, worrying too much about how they are coming along developmentally, how we compare to what we should be doing at this age etc. I worry about wishing their lives away, as it has gotten much easier as the months tick by. I don't miss the baby stage, it was too chaotic... but I do have those guilty feelings that creep in. This is an excellent post. If you get a chance, read it. <a href="http://www.4tunate.net/2011/12/fighting-the-mom-guilt-battle/">Here's the link.</a> I also want to work on this too. <br />
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We have no plans on New Years Eve. A quiet night hopefully here. I noticed tonight that Grey had some purulent drainage coming out of his left ear, which makes sense as he has been very grumpy at night. He has no fever, and no cold symptoms... so saying little prayers that the other two remain healthy! We'll start ear drops tonight, hopefully it will nip it! <br />
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I think that's it...Happy New Year everyone!<br />
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Cheers to 2012!<br />
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<br />Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-65346066258093825032011-12-23T22:52:00.014-05:002011-12-23T23:36:18.561-05:00O' Christmas TreeI didn't have an opportunity to do a post last year of our Christmas decorations... but here it is this year. This is a very typical picture of around our house. The tree shaking in it's stand because there is a toddler pointing at it! Funny Grey's physical therapist came in the door the week we put it up and asked what the tree did to be caged in as such.... It's a beautiful, fake, 10ft tree. I love to see it all lit up, but this year as Todd put it, "That thing can't come down fast enough". We are very thankful it hasn't been toppled over yet!<br /><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689540228777683746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkX3byEX_0x93na42oGqPD00jfwGq3bw1bqOZlkQpiKhoBICHEoO8HY1RKCggPHJ_BTwt7jXKAMU_Oo2GgWDTCAaoMae27pguZjbLqPeU6TAALGvCCQGp-qX7NGYwAQQeJxddxjRSLGXu/s320/154.JPG" /><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689540656846822578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lwoAO7w8JTRNTVAObQuzcHhiGyFZ6DovNKy2cpl8fMLmPaQyDnITZ15BRWuC776lp3EGJlxwgf7nG_y7kmzuP-d92ajcefuLVgiA6G9AO0EkW-Q4L1FMyJePrj7VzbGM5yMIYyIxIpqN/s320/156.JPG" />This was an ornament my mom got me in 2002 right after we got married. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689541380839240626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27eQ_7Df_h-7GpgWP05-DdI1SV3dOT24HWzIeyw0SCqKJnz51uT8tZjWOQ5tnuPQnKty1KN-fj59VCJzd_iY9mps7JOv8yX0C8SHWJRsN74r_StRl3TJEMsAoDU1jDkFOwCPaYIE4p6St/s320/158.JPG" />This we bought in Hawaii on our honeymooon.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8JmSbXVVnljHp7o_fm7Gm7YYczgGeam2JGj5om1HbJw3RHG79CJlDRxZuCRhyphenhyphenjr4KhHn2GzCbNTxxYTrhVL4Mfc5Agbt557t19U4nLpUJJkx9KwvYuvtOdv6FW79wOyG1RQfGkCww8Jp/s1600/168.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689543178008879554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8JmSbXVVnljHp7o_fm7Gm7YYczgGeam2JGj5om1HbJw3RHG79CJlDRxZuCRhyphenhyphenjr4KhHn2GzCbNTxxYTrhVL4Mfc5Agbt557t19U4nLpUJJkx9KwvYuvtOdv6FW79wOyG1RQfGkCww8Jp/s320/168.JPG" /></a>This is an ornament that a pharmacist from the NICU gave to us last year before Grey was discharged from the hospital. It is very dear to us.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8VzrQAMTQP5oUoCNJ19vojBrijekeIEUHM0AQlTgvx_mvh2I_0rtqpWuzocxLjlquhHtHRoerehumkz9DUqvJON8VrvDV0s_1niMmUjYNKf0JMV_Uqarg1LN_0bBQEOI1Iv4goWCZfEj/s1600/169.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689543174467411458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8VzrQAMTQP5oUoCNJ19vojBrijekeIEUHM0AQlTgvx_mvh2I_0rtqpWuzocxLjlquhHtHRoerehumkz9DUqvJON8VrvDV0s_1niMmUjYNKf0JMV_Uqarg1LN_0bBQEOI1Iv4goWCZfEj/s320/169.JPG" /></a>This is from Jamie, a very close friend to Todd's late brother Travis, and still to the Maurer family! Jamie went to Notre Dame, and still lives near by. She and her mother prayed there frequently for Grey when he was sick. It's a priceless piece.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjEs_cBMhq8nzPRBSwqjBWdD-QDAqwFYOXF8tn2F3K1Ffmgpe_AcQKUGZyy3WY2er-xx_YDAyddHrOohCdnHtbedZ3W4vQ5LmL4dLmTXS-zSV4O7wSPJAZUnI0ArOiHasta6xQ0wLWnVa/s1600/180.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689542867190943842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjEs_cBMhq8nzPRBSwqjBWdD-QDAqwFYOXF8tn2F3K1Ffmgpe_AcQKUGZyy3WY2er-xx_YDAyddHrOohCdnHtbedZ3W4vQ5LmL4dLmTXS-zSV4O7wSPJAZUnI0ArOiHasta6xQ0wLWnVa/s320/180.JPG" /></a>This I believe Todd got in 2006 when we bought this house. This likely signifies the chaos I put him through by having the whole house painted on the inside twice because I didn't like the first color. He has such patience with me!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9tYhtXJgtlHosanN87qUEM2rPGcUYIdybghgHVA8Hugv3wtJflwekQlPOgjkO4O9hPws0c8AnC-JJ7DxcpM7ZeuZKhLh_Aq90G8ySeCcmfDPoLIIcraQEUpSpuZdjEOpUJ0y1_oiOdMz/s1600/162.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689542863297742962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9tYhtXJgtlHosanN87qUEM2rPGcUYIdybghgHVA8Hugv3wtJflwekQlPOgjkO4O9hPws0c8AnC-JJ7DxcpM7ZeuZKhLh_Aq90G8ySeCcmfDPoLIIcraQEUpSpuZdjEOpUJ0y1_oiOdMz/s320/162.JPG" /></a>This I bought I believe at Potterybarn in 2008, acorns signify fertility... this was just as we were beginning to dealve into it all!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmY8mWLtdWw4Z9iBtDtQVftut36lmkYl6NsiHooBcx3gShRSSmnrhQho6qXcy2jGkmyLe7gitaZg9v6BmDbVC1nzh-BSEO7RX7xnZdheryONckjvjkoTRQy8UFiUGMVTPc06LDnTIRKzn/s1600/165.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689542556871896194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmY8mWLtdWw4Z9iBtDtQVftut36lmkYl6NsiHooBcx3gShRSSmnrhQho6qXcy2jGkmyLe7gitaZg9v6BmDbVC1nzh-BSEO7RX7xnZdheryONckjvjkoTRQy8UFiUGMVTPc06LDnTIRKzn/s320/165.JPG" /></a>This was a 2009 ornament along with the bird below. We took one last trip to Gatlinburg, TN before we did our final IVF in December 2009. We went home from that trip with peace that whatever this IVF would bring was what it was meant to be.... JACKPOT!<br /><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689542553956710226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_lYs99HD9xswByBETvUE9bHFkisZNoyIEsteKOJ5jGUkJk2Oih0brMkJrkranRC6G4LtPkds1TZg31-uM8SdO-Y0KM9EgiVGnZ2Q8qy0lk-KOVmc9Sif_wwqNuFZdhLWCvTRhCMohf25/s320/164.JPG" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_tIqGkHk2Dk3qOIW6iHOf1GKNdrCX0KgUCaykZ9LQQJRPIsXMn3Pfq8pKVD9C3ftoJtzbG_Ok3HGkQgvqxejN7V04SX4C-8-iJgWGQ89ljmo6s11uiusD7r6ivxxGiZFw7xqKgdrZFgf/s1600/167.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689542231477598322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_tIqGkHk2Dk3qOIW6iHOf1GKNdrCX0KgUCaykZ9LQQJRPIsXMn3Pfq8pKVD9C3ftoJtzbG_Ok3HGkQgvqxejN7V04SX4C-8-iJgWGQ89ljmo6s11uiusD7r6ivxxGiZFw7xqKgdrZFgf/s320/167.JPG" /></a>These are our animal ornaments... Hendrix<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbG2a2s0KE563dZVRfjXe6DVU0kh30vPxBJw5sK8MA4wY-ZuKG7_QuNn9HIU4UXLKLndQWNi6JGNNn3QPdvep8ja9mInxuudmy_Rski6WnSzEebGm07W4ro0IorQMP4AAougN4rlgZgWW/s1600/161.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689542224270107170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbG2a2s0KE563dZVRfjXe6DVU0kh30vPxBJw5sK8MA4wY-ZuKG7_QuNn9HIU4UXLKLndQWNi6JGNNn3QPdvep8ja9mInxuudmy_Rski6WnSzEebGm07W4ro0IorQMP4AAougN4rlgZgWW/s320/161.JPG" /></a> Jasmine<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeWxUPFOPf0cDzQWFJikGbED4WTNLuKAZslBUdIcn1-4n07odCHxbFjck8bfT2fHZgiS7dm4yP3ovWU3FrNqPUP8nkMQhFFGkm1sW63YsffofvS2UrXU2shZCXmKsXH2jq-C89XegjZxq/s1600/160.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689541890755951426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeWxUPFOPf0cDzQWFJikGbED4WTNLuKAZslBUdIcn1-4n07odCHxbFjck8bfT2fHZgiS7dm4yP3ovWU3FrNqPUP8nkMQhFFGkm1sW63YsffofvS2UrXU2shZCXmKsXH2jq-C89XegjZxq/s320/160.JPG" /></a> RIP Happy kitty. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689540950967480242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyj6rLoDPeOEnKuA5LBamTXuWwShy1W5iUXpS-GgH-azfRG6-AXAebA9Xzb8rrgq-k5Y-dTN5N4Omcr7bydh9wpWLu2-Bow25UdcwTsFLik2g7voBsdT3kHEWWfOAQr0-aEUdPpJ_X9Bm/s320/159.JPG" />This is Owen's first ornament. Very fitting that it's somethign similar to a sock!<br /><div><div><br /><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689541884746065554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVisC3AMy4vlPEiHk9r2AOkvAqwP_1I6Sfx0-uAfX4l6dqOZ-Se6ehJgqDhi4YqWmjL9Jzbqj1lcjcp0hEv9KDBfI6GSPvPOSnkzierIKaKouuVs0H0kJPFYe9rJvBTlPtnFSaxW2EZ3dP/s320/163.JPG" /> This is Lillian's.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UhcMV0_CEn9-cU253i2ZcaLRYMSrfOyWCP_6rICQqfzoMV88CYhRCOZPu_oD7mKhTkNRX7b5nwdkmX8-9mBh5DYbg7S61a2cvKd05hR5a5iIrm_1MLsiDP66Dc2KEqOqnnqyF3nhYFnA/s1600/157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689540944880018322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UhcMV0_CEn9-cU253i2ZcaLRYMSrfOyWCP_6rICQqfzoMV88CYhRCOZPu_oD7mKhTkNRX7b5nwdkmX8-9mBh5DYbg7S61a2cvKd05hR5a5iIrm_1MLsiDP66Dc2KEqOqnnqyF3nhYFnA/s320/157.JPG" /></a> This is Grey's first Christmas ornament.<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PjWTQAsSUob0NNSn-KhpKFLYc_5R2w9F-qGgcsb0vpwOqCkH_xmC9h3Zulotwfp3W0V4dS8tC9ljRQ1sxK9ms3TUZ9cMOvpu0z1SFzN50-Tf22vUDMl8YIH-_MbfOdiaHXvh_tKZjWW1/s1600/155.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689540464912308962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PjWTQAsSUob0NNSn-KhpKFLYc_5R2w9F-qGgcsb0vpwOqCkH_xmC9h3Zulotwfp3W0V4dS8tC9ljRQ1sxK9ms3TUZ9cMOvpu0z1SFzN50-Tf22vUDMl8YIH-_MbfOdiaHXvh_tKZjWW1/s320/155.JPG" /></a>These I thought were so fitting. I found them at Target last year.<br /><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689543487972789394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQUU0dV8UsSP1syVwAa73mMZMzxhs3WeLtlXLT17v2rD2xed8gQ2E11vlZZ44C_cLBDLORb525ATS3uns2E0T5I-mxMBf9QJYfpWJgTR7YPD2__b9fsOboJGbE9fReH9kd2LO3x6pX57W/s320/186.JPG" />This is outside our house. It was too cold to go out and get a shot from the front. Funny there is 3 penguins pulling the sleigh. I love the big polar bear too. That is my favorite animal. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689543482319528514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXivHaAQo4Dj1Lf1jCKcT6usxGIg4eUcL2hwKGhOBt-ihXUW5KMJc_lR_EfwIp5g9l32zROsJBVkNMoMOmtQXOfQn1V8j9ChG0022RmBMmBGZZLSuwDoMJRhJODk2kj-kT6nwiFPl1NE5J/s320/181.JPG" />This is our foyer. We added a foyer pre-lit tree this year. It makes our house look a little more festive, since lights outside haven't been a huge priority the past few years!</div><div> </div><div>There are so many more ornaments that mean a lot to us both. I'll maybe be able to do this again next year! lol<br /><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-65984874218863714562011-12-23T21:58:00.003-05:002011-12-23T22:48:25.754-05:00Where to begin??<div><div><div><div> </div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxY8Rgq3JFLkShzRBqa0Dh18RHreW4XxCxTk_QrhFdAylehv9mkU_GD7di6q5TNo7CvtkKqLmwgUAqvTlCPVhwNRxLqV-2cP4Mso7nczvzDCecDVjFqbdb8xheUhecC_sLTa9d-B9d-Z5/s1600/379804_10150513468307214_500052213_10897451_613953021_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689532423846013538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxY8Rgq3JFLkShzRBqa0Dh18RHreW4XxCxTk_QrhFdAylehv9mkU_GD7di6q5TNo7CvtkKqLmwgUAqvTlCPVhwNRxLqV-2cP4Mso7nczvzDCecDVjFqbdb8xheUhecC_sLTa9d-B9d-Z5/s320/379804_10150513468307214_500052213_10897451_613953021_n.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Seriously, I always think that each month has a lot of milestones, but this last month has been spectacular. </div><div>Where to start?</div><div> </div><div>Well, we have the some great updates for the kids. </div><div> </div><div>Grey has NO FEEDING TUBE. He pulled out his feeding tube on Dec 20th (this Tuesday) and it is no where to be found. I don't know if he hid it, a dog ate it, it's in the tree... we have yet to find it. He is on an antibiotic, the site looked infected at first, but has since closed up, and looks absolutely wonderful. He is taking his antibiotic much better than I expected, as it normally would go down his tube just to make life easier. It has been about a month since we had used the feeding tube anyway, Dr. Maisel told me to tell him congrats, and keep eating! He loves to eat, and will try almost anything. Currently his favorite things are: Greek God's Yogurt (strawberry honey), mac n cheese, whole milk with whipped cream, grandma's ranch oyster crackers, grape-mango- peach Welch's juice, pop-tarts of any kind, gerber ravioli, gerber mystery meat (it's what I call it, if you have seen the jars, you know what I mean) he loves salmon, pudding, oatmeal, scrambled eggs made in the microwave, grilled cheese... the list goes on and on and on. The kid loves to eat. The last time the dietitian was here she said he has lost some weight despite taking in sufficient amount of calories. Since he has a shorter small intestine than he should have, absorption of nutrients remains a little less than it should be. Therefore, I talked to the doctor she thought we should increase his calories by about 100-200. We have tried that. I think his weight has remained the same. We will find out on the 27th. Grey is almost walking. He very routinely takes 5-10 steps and he is determined to walk. It could be even by the beginning of the year. He will be proficient soon. He is currently 21lbs and 30.5 inches. He is wearing mostly 18 month clothes, but 12 month pants still (his waist and legs are small). The doctor and dietitian said that his growth was super, and nothing to worry about. </div><div>Grey likes to play by himself a lot. You can find him off playing with his ball popper that he got for his first birthday, or trying to walk, or climbing on the furniture. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689532437398414034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouXEfe5hU81satjYAn0PEe9qRrrOQiHtbsT6PclMm8T-OdBjZk0xOArLh4H0Bzx2lDgfNbp0nuOMOegQtyNPHoJw2cj-itIxWdY1az9HE0ukMkFnjER53ZOWu1wiGXb8xWXzgpbpDIuOL/s320/381213_10150513465027214_500052213_10897426_24231351_n.jpg" />Grey is what I would call the most mischievous one of the 3. He is the one that figures out how to open the gates etc. He just recently figured out how to get into the gated tree area, and lifted the gate so that Lilly and Owen could also breech the perimeter. He is a stinker. Grey is getting his molars now, so a bit grumpy the past few days. I could not be more happy with Grey and his progress. One year ago, I would have never thought this little man would be where he is. The kid is a true miracle. </div><div> </div><div>Owen is changing daily. He is the true definition of toddler. He does not want to be fed, and will refuse to eat if you think you are going to literally feed him. He wants to feed himself, and is picky at times. The old stand-by meal is grilled cheese. He likes to snack, but if you put it on a spoon in hopes to feed him... FORGET IT! We have had some sleeping issues with him in the past few months, perhaps it's because he has a full set of teeth now. His room was a bit chilly, but we just got new windows in the majority of the house... this has helped. It has also helped the noise in his room... that might have been a reason for his sleeplessness too. He is running all over.<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689532442854337826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTACO8cVM1FEovXhscGeSqLxyBsNvT5r708sQeRt7g1i8xh9Gl_0eNOmH2Gkbj7cXberWPgUbHwF3eq4t2zligq9wgtUCP429GROSGfZgq7FEESeIJzfHn_rd-dJuWH6dL2CY-SyigIj99/s320/380921_10150513464092214_500052213_10897421_364991506_n.jpg" /> He LOVES to clean. If there is anything that resembles a rag, or washcloth, he is running it across any surface that he has seen cleaned. He likes to run his toy vacuum. Owen loves his shoes and socks, or anyone's shoes and socks for that matter. He is still pointed and making noises when you ask him where objects are, not really talking yet. He absolutely LOVES his father. When Todd walks into the room, he lights up. He has gotten a few toys this Christmas so far, and he loves to push around his toy truck and car he got. Owen can be heard growling alot..... hopefully that will subside when he decides to talk! </div><div> </div><div>Lillian, oh, my Lillian. Lilly is WALKING! Yes, walking. I have had her looked at by every therapist that has come into our house. They all say she is just "cautious, and has the skills to walk if she wants to". URGH! She prefers to bear crawl, or walk on her knees, but just these past 2 weeks or so she is walking a lot more. She has been walking through rooms, and back and forth, rather than on her knees. She is the screamer. If she doesn't like what is going on, she will shriek like no other. She currently is wanting to be rocked to sleep at night... and we are trying to break that habit. She is a stubborn little sister... but, she is a true momma's girl. She is trying to talk, and if you sound out things for her, she will repeat it... like T-T-T tree... she will do the T-T-T. She is doing much better with the shape sorters, and is the first to point to everyone's belly button whether it is solicited or not. She was the first to realize that Grey's feeding tube was not there... wondering if he had help with that... hmmmmm </div><div> </div><div>We got family pictures taken, and Lillian was the ham. Owen wanted to run around and chew on sticks, and Grey was teething... he cried the whole time. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689532428001493714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMgLwlDGTajk6uKpt8D8x1Bsyyfmp6NcfsasPAs54i0JlXl8IyfV6k9Zb49Ku8bVhTRhbEOUYTfrv2tznE0r5u7F6oBCUr0g9DH8FGlb4SL9exzVvxfFJBXUOgJNxq-Gwckfa9OZApy8m/s320/390735_10150513465842214_500052213_10897431_283417226_n.jpg" /></div><div>They also went to see santa, and I'll see if I can scan that picture... it's hilarious. Grey is screaming, and Lilly and Owen look scared out of their mind! </div><div> </div><div>We have changed around the house a bit. We have new gates up, and Owen is the first to test them to see if they truly closed. If not, he escapes very quickly with 2 others following right behind. </div><div> </div><div>I am really looking forward to this Christmas, it's so much different than last. I will try to post a little more, as I got a new lap-top from Todd for Xmas! </div><div> </div><div><a href="http://www.jamiesangarblog.com/index.cfm?postID=927">http://www.jamiesangarblog.com/index.cfm?postID=927</a> Here is the post to Jamie Sangar's blog that has our pics and a slide show is you want to visit it. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>This picture is priceless.... All 3 in the tub, obviously before Grey pulled his feeding tube button out!<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 233px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689535932639370802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrxHQSC7pAX3ZDUF0XacgTlFXT34J99KDZjc9Q1GDJ4YIhkOyLO1soVLZZlbQyyp0PDDCAD0fD2N-LVRtadJsvzTpx18T92YggKxwSv51IS5YuzubGKe-2cK0Lle0UYCpFem9MgOpdTFU/s320/threeintub.jpg" /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-84681014356971896162011-11-19T23:04:00.007-05:002011-11-20T00:00:25.893-05:00This day, 365 days ago..... our family was all home.What a difference a year makes.<br /><br />Today was the day of Grey's NICU discharge. 157 days is a very long time. Grey came home to us on an apnea monitor, an NG in his nose for feedings... and a scared little boy that had only been out of the NICU once since birth, and that was to go to the main hospital for a scan to look at his liver more closely. He didn't have very wide horizons yet. Grey came home a jaundice, yellow little boy. He barely took anything by mouth, drank about half an ounce twice a day; the rest was put down his tube for nourishment. As far as activity when Grey came home, he mainly just lifted his arms off the bed to look at his hands. He mainly looked at his right hand, but occasionally his left. He didn't yet lift his head, nor did he really try. He has just gotten off of oxygen a week before discharge, and didn't ever require it again.<br /><br />We knew when Grey came home that our lives would change from the routine we had been doing. We knew it would definitely be an adjustment for him as well. Afterall, he'd not been in a car, not been in a different bed besides his isolette, only been outside once, and he had never seen our house, dogs, and hadn't smelled or heard the things that he would come to later know. We had a lot of work ahead of us, and so did he. Grey was used to his own little room, his own environment, and his own ways.... and now, he was part of our ways, our life and our environment. He adjusted slowly to all of this.<br /><br />He slowly had to learn that he wasn't the only baby in the house. I think though, he adjusted better than I thought he would. At first, he needed darkness, silence, and tightly tucked blankets to make him feel like he was safe. I remember at our Christmas gathering with my side of the family the week before Christmas Todd spent the whole time up in our room rocking him, and keeping him in a low stimulation environment. We had him in therapy 3x a week that either Todd or I had to take him back to the hospital to complete. He didn't do well with going out of the house to therapy. We then consulted First Steps of Indiana which allows therapists to come to the house, and that has been a GOD send to us! Wonderful therapists, and so much easier on all of us. I remember the evaluation for First Steps with the therapists that come to the house to check out if they qualify, how developmentally they are, and what therapy they would benefit from. The therapist said to me, "He has a long way to go to catch up to where he should be. Kids like this just don't bounce back quickly. You will have to be patient with him." I remember going back upstairs to my office that day and being tearful for what Grey had already had to endure, and how it was always him that had to work harder, and do more. He recently was re-evaluated for his yearly evaluation for First Steps. The therapist that said that to me came again, and instead of bringing her toddler toys in to the house to evaluate Grey, she brought her baby toys as she remembered him from the January 2011 evaluation. The look on her face when she saw him trying to take steps, pulling himself up, and crawling up the stairs as fast as he could was simply priceless. I truly doubt that she remembers what she said to me, and I am more than sure it was no way maliciously stated.... but I said to her back, "He might be the exception to the rule, but he did bounce back quickly, and he is definitely not far from where he should be." She looked over at me and said, " I am simply amazed at how well this little guy is doing, I should have brought in my toddler toys."<br /><br />With that, I will end this post.... but I again want to thank St. Vincent Woman's NICU staff, doctors, therapists, etc. Special thanks to Becca, Erin, Brooke, Cathy, Laura, Shelly, Lindsey, and Alex for keeping Grey alive, and me sane. Also, I cannot even name all of the doctors that took care of Grey, but namely Drs. Bensaad, Tauscher, D, Simon, Hendrickson, Kokaska, Maisel, Roberts and so many others.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNuIHWal2tdIoAdnZySpHZ1rQBjCQZf7d-QfFd6GCEb0grm5wO2Vcp3w7_MOA1RqBfohJXBA5rkmVMWrX5WKDQ_Gb4KVnFMnOWYlQItgQW23FvYipSmX50GnNYq5JXSoVHjRLXIrpMuAt/s1600/picnicucrib2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676933319135759714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNuIHWal2tdIoAdnZySpHZ1rQBjCQZf7d-QfFd6GCEb0grm5wO2Vcp3w7_MOA1RqBfohJXBA5rkmVMWrX5WKDQ_Gb4KVnFMnOWYlQItgQW23FvYipSmX50GnNYq5JXSoVHjRLXIrpMuAt/s320/picnicucrib2010.jpg" /></a> This is Grey's last picture in his crib in the NICU<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdWAf7sweC6KgLTrXP44JTy3yR48mNa7REbctqWBWJhPn6tvpoHHc9bYCHA8hlJwxZDkagMsKed8VKqMQarLNkuWlUXvM_Nk4AkcA4BZL6ozrO2-yEZd83omZcquBlf9zpVbhW_PRICuN/s1600/greyhome2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676933317487974626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdWAf7sweC6KgLTrXP44JTy3yR48mNa7REbctqWBWJhPn6tvpoHHc9bYCHA8hlJwxZDkagMsKed8VKqMQarLNkuWlUXvM_Nk4AkcA4BZL6ozrO2-yEZd83omZcquBlf9zpVbhW_PRICuN/s320/greyhome2010.jpg" /></a> Grey's first picture at home. Notice the apnea monitor cords, his NG, yellow skin, and his 0-3 months clothes that he is swimming in:)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQPGA5ULb90ZhBkwHb359RDodcchTAO8iOe2I-4udSA4uHwWvhyphenhyphenF1e1OI8kiJkhIEW4xtigVrpr_2Jf-3drmyQ3Hgwc6CEYbinF99SgkQtCAEn3EEQm9xKBTllsfagvWthtUpor59pv-l/s1600/greyhathome2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676933313329966370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQPGA5ULb90ZhBkwHb359RDodcchTAO8iOe2I-4udSA4uHwWvhyphenhyphenF1e1OI8kiJkhIEW4xtigVrpr_2Jf-3drmyQ3Hgwc6CEYbinF99SgkQtCAEn3EEQm9xKBTllsfagvWthtUpor59pv-l/s320/greyhathome2010.jpg" /></a> Grey in a hat that I thought he needed.... I think he is wondering WHY?<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPZw-pUc7tW9W2ws3NRN6ELKwByd8mM1B_J1hyMWnqWugntrhX8eVP-0xquK1Lat9CdPuPQObQqozMSnRQuvsuA34GeEET38rtwdVZCAyG-n1m_iCzFjjCy28qYaG5lCUDa4ScHktzPLj/s1600/greyhands2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676933309101025810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPZw-pUc7tW9W2ws3NRN6ELKwByd8mM1B_J1hyMWnqWugntrhX8eVP-0xquK1Lat9CdPuPQObQqozMSnRQuvsuA34GeEET38rtwdVZCAyG-n1m_iCzFjjCy28qYaG5lCUDa4ScHktzPLj/s320/greyhands2010.jpg" /></a> This was his favorite pose. He loved his hands!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhfhgjjp9qND2927BkuAM16y7ckZNZcNCZYcRxi-4jIArEPxF6zX567n4yIqEhA6nBqVfVoS6sqOpU0D8b5IA2mlkQX-h01qlxi1yufp51zB_NU-7Cznio7bu6VCWGGiuNeb1X5VxI8Z9/s1600/all32010home.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676933309451731266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhfhgjjp9qND2927BkuAM16y7ckZNZcNCZYcRxi-4jIArEPxF6zX567n4yIqEhA6nBqVfVoS6sqOpU0D8b5IA2mlkQX-h01qlxi1yufp51zB_NU-7Cznio7bu6VCWGGiuNeb1X5VxI8Z9/s320/all32010home.jpg" /></a> Here they all 3 were. 1 year ago today. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Wow.... what a difference a year makes!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Here is a little video of Lillian and Grey entertaining one another a few nights ago. THIS is a little boy that doesn't have too far to go to be right where he needs to be. Thanks to GOD, a lot of prayer, a lot of work, a lot of tears, and a boy with a will power that just doesn't stop!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dziL-Z5LSttVCAzvoNBcChnYW6A4XfLJl5u2GQA2lTtNPtNZKF178wlhtryrLls6cXjRPfYmZv-otBVTblVbw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687477586364077523.post-60796313283121051262011-11-09T21:08:00.012-05:002011-11-09T22:22:39.948-05:00Oct/Nov updates<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOR6kFXAMO2eUel6FXIv34G8OQAJk3t_7PoOfDVQqbtPXN6uXrfV_Zfoy0YX2xWeIiKc2xHKMvoPK-aGfB7SxGOveSJWAWvQpP7gGxEugWgx0HUg3OmzbqeLtB0fRp6Hc5ixGriKcTTyV/s1600/3hall.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673197824163891586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOR6kFXAMO2eUel6FXIv34G8OQAJk3t_7PoOfDVQqbtPXN6uXrfV_Zfoy0YX2xWeIiKc2xHKMvoPK-aGfB7SxGOveSJWAWvQpP7gGxEugWgx0HUg3OmzbqeLtB0fRp6Hc5ixGriKcTTyV/s320/3hall.jpg" /></a> Here are our 3 monsters<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVL7oSFOhVx9bsvmwuI9EIXmTu_bxHy2_7nK-qn2IZhNN9E8-G3ariC18MX-AszkrzDif1ej49WdWCrcflCnLTTBelZHuaidoZD2tHythu9TE77GuUJMbwHTP0xBSYPMD9CIyhsfvaDgJ/s1600/greyhall.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673197822300430578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVL7oSFOhVx9bsvmwuI9EIXmTu_bxHy2_7nK-qn2IZhNN9E8-G3ariC18MX-AszkrzDif1ej49WdWCrcflCnLTTBelZHuaidoZD2tHythu9TE77GuUJMbwHTP0xBSYPMD9CIyhsfvaDgJ/s320/greyhall.jpg" /></a><br />Grey monster<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSO7ZpakubFsdCxu8ItvXDwBY4jUTAwp5aKAS8t3qoDz41dz0ea0aZyspWyIYMN414cg0EwxAyT68jgQolww8fB23vP2ISojx9XkzGFzpuKI-CxyEZYmtal4tbAw_VdLSgq7nDR5dMSAdO/s1600/owenhall.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673197814753108082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSO7ZpakubFsdCxu8ItvXDwBY4jUTAwp5aKAS8t3qoDz41dz0ea0aZyspWyIYMN414cg0EwxAyT68jgQolww8fB23vP2ISojx9XkzGFzpuKI-CxyEZYmtal4tbAw_VdLSgq7nDR5dMSAdO/s320/owenhall.jpg" /></a><br />Owen Monster<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2_eerIYHqgYGAAzFVNY_rSAKH7HeMnOA-p2WKNkFYPBXIKYzentBpFsL2qBphDEP3cAkNLo-fPKuTkqgAM4JKINOtIZiC3NktBQU5ULRzB-pZP8UPqScrKlCBefE0iMI4hBEUlkC36_N/s1600/luhall.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673197815020708130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2_eerIYHqgYGAAzFVNY_rSAKH7HeMnOA-p2WKNkFYPBXIKYzentBpFsL2qBphDEP3cAkNLo-fPKuTkqgAM4JKINOtIZiC3NktBQU5ULRzB-pZP8UPqScrKlCBefE0iMI4hBEUlkC36_N/s320/luhall.jpg" /></a><br />Lillian Monster<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div>We have a lot going on day in, and day out here. Currently we are all sick. All but Todd. I think that is the only way we can stay sane, is having one person not blowing their nose and coughing around here constantly. </div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673192359530705042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEKvuXDfNaH1Be5CWyfoP7dOxndmlcv1uJUL3H-7YwTlFDDY-MLtBk7ckDd_Wdab8zpY_pP4kojxCQtUIG4UW97ycvMf8BI2_LmJfBVFg05semnTECeyORG89Yxw39ANx_LKP1L6ZKSmS/s320/bats.jpg" /><br />Here is our zoo outing. As you can tell, they didn't know what to think of the bats, or the lady in the glass washing the windows in the enclosure. Our wagon at the zoo attracts all sorts of people. Everyone has their comment. I have to learn to have thicker sking when it comes to that. Oddly enough the people that just say stuff as they walk by, and don't ask us about them, ticks me off more than anything. Comments about people when you know they can hear you is just rude. Test me on the right day, and I'll let you know that. I decided the zoo trip was going to be fun regardless... and I just needed to get over it. Sometimes that attitude isn't easy to have. With multiples, you know you will get the comments and stares; I acknowledge that. Some people that come out with us spiratically can just accept this, and know that it is going to happen. But day in, day out of the comments when you go somewhere starts to rub you raw. Either way, I'm working on it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div>We have been on a few more trips this month. We went to the zoo, and also to the children's museum. I am convinced we got the PLAGUE from the museum. Grey insists on chewing everything. You can imagine the germs there. Chasing him with a Lysol wipe is hopeless. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>We also had our 16month shots, along with the flu vaccine. That was on Halloween night. They did great that night by the way. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Owen has an ear infection, currently on antibiotics. At the check up, he was overly concerned what was going on, as he was GOING to RUN away if he had too.. and indeed he tried. He is the more sensative of the 3. He cries when Lilly cries in pain, kind of cute, but rather annoying at other times! He is still enjoying his silky blanket, and must have it at nap and bedtimes. He has become quite the picky eater. He LOVES shoes and socks. Owen is also still talking like a caveman, grunting and pointing. Dr. Riddell our peds md just laughed, and said he thought that speech would come soon. Wondering how long his ears have been bothering him. Hopefully once that is healed we will be good. Owen also likes to help our cleaning lady Angel sweep. He is literally obsessed with the sweeper attachments, and will cry and point when he wants it. He nearly has all of his teeth in now, just waiting on 2 canines. I will have to get a video of him dancing, the kid loves to dance! At 16 months he is 33 inches, and 30lbs. Dr. Riddell says... "Wow Owen, you are going to be a big boy, and that is great!"</div><br /><br /><div>Greybear is progressing wonderfully. He thinks he can walk. You will see him look at his destination, which is usually greater than 10 steps away, and he can only take 2 steps... so he will try to get there, and fall flat on his little melon. Usually there are no tears involved, he just tries it again. He loves to throw himself back, and twirl around in his crib and fall down. His current trick with Lillian is a fake cough and sneeze. I will have to get that on video too... it's too funny. Now that he is sick with a double ear infection, when he fake sneezes, it blows snot all over... yummy....! He is eating better than I ever could have expected him to. Even though he is sick, he is still doing great. His oral intake of fluid isn't stellar, but we are working on it. He loves to watch the neighbor dogs and our dogs out the windows of the playroom. He too dances like there is no tomorrow, and now has started the a Jersey Shore like fist pump move when there is music on that he likes. He has adjusted to his room all by himself, although his feeding pole has to be wedged under a foot stool and his crib so he doesn't pull it over, and disconnect it... He is a crafty, smart little fella! His eyes are looking better than ever, and we just had some labs drawn on him last week or so, and they looked great. A year ago now, he wasnt' even home, and as yellow as his pumpkin. He is nothing short of a little miracle. At 16 months he is 30 inches long and 22 lbs. </div><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673191807012180162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0ApyMude9CaH7OmV0Up5V3shXsmK2TLG6jg0-FFPWJFTk4akAzZxSl6Ubh_9CS1_jPQkeDck8RimNwJ8Hhu1L9lVpkCDlsBbNoD5ZisBOWplHgV3-piti3acNB4UBTUwwTtj3RsHnu2M/s320/owenzoo.jpg" />Here he is questioning why these birds are diving in the water....<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673191391155964018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVoX_s8207BHyiWDNnoZGAWX52c7mbW8blIKeYjul87SAhqlEnloOItjGUMtbaFTKz9XiKyYqNFbXpGTASMwgjBKy15n8GgCNRtZQ25nuiWSHn6PtxHtpaKDg-zcymfizuiBniiat5gP5/s320/opinguens.jpg" /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673193556193491362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsFPklWNKwWbVj04soCj9DY43ntXBKO4qtK0lHdI0JNyNKUn7zAdcmcxzWGjIcuZQcVRf_gGxnpN1oav0dHHzIi0fNuj3t4eFCz4T8pIeDfE8HGFCTNOsXfFkhlMSrfxFK0Fv0QX7NAGP/s320/sealions.jpg" />The sealions also threw them all for a loop!<br /><br /><br /><div>Lillian.... oh, my Lillian. She refuses to walk. Yes. Refuses. She will knee-walk, and bear-crawl. She prefers knee walking if at all possible. She has great muscle tone, great control, good stability, and posture, she just will not push herself to do it. She too is a grunter, and pointer. Lately however, she is starting to make more sounds. I hate to push them to talk, because I know I will regret it... but we need them to keep moving along! She continues to be the best eater. BUT, when she is done, she will clear her tray by wiping it, throwing it, slapping it, or pushing it all on the floor. When she is done, she is not joking, she is done. She is great at her little fake sneeze and cough. She also loves to look out at the dogs outside, and just point, and grunt! She is the biter of the pack. Don't cross her, take her toy, or get in her way... that little piranha will bite you. I had to stop her from biting a boy about 3x her size at the children's museum for a toy banana that she thought she needed. At 16 months she is 30.5 inches and 24 lbs.<br /></div><br /><br /><div>I am doing fine. Have a little bout of pneumonia. Getting better each day. Surgery stuff is all healed. Looking forward to the holiday season coming up. </div><br /><br /><div>Todd is doing well too. Our 9th anniversary is today. Hard to believe how much our lives have changed, and how each trial and tribulation has brought us closer together even though we have our differences. </div><br /><br /><div>Today we went to look at preschools for the kids. We plan on in the fall starting them likely 1 day a week. We are currently looking at Holy Cross Lutheran Preschool, it is near our house, and convenient, which is a plus. We'll see, we have time to scope out some more. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>We are getting new windows for the house in the next few weeks. Our house is only 7 years old, but our windows are terrible. We are hoping that will keep the kids' rooms a bit warmer this winter. Our house faces the west, we get a lot of wind coming across the field across the road. </div><br /><br /><div>Hmm... I think that is most of it. <br /><div></div></div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673194015136132210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexhyphenhyphenlkhUfLXFwsX2lCNsJ-LIJGdkNa_iZPZfFVDbb0H-ELsFVnj_QT-_yMbN8OnJkW7ngs5Bf9SZHjkKf7cb3uvISGEnm-_KE3IhtQJfLFJbpdCx5HzhvU2NPHUiLx3tYoGvebDzNH-G-/s320/zoohallpic.jpg" /></div></div></div></div></div></div>This was right before their pre-lunch melt down. You can see the boys are getting a tad bit restless!</div></div></div>Tiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201227845865850489noreply@blogger.com0