Firsts and Lasts(maybe)

Well it's the end of April and I'm finally feeling like I'm crawling out from under the rock of my event. The air is warm, the birds are chirping and I've spent a lot more time with my kids than in past months. 

This weekend we traveled to college station where we supported the director in that division, execute her event. I can't believe this as I type it- but we have never stayed in a hotel with the triplets. I don't know why really. Maybe because our schedules have allowed us both to travel for business alone? Maybe we just haven't "wanted" to subject ourselves to such chaos? Maybe the task has just seemed overwhelming so we work around any overnight stays. I don't know why we never did it, but we have now. 

I packed car snacks and new movies for entertainment. You would have thought we were going 900 miles, not 90. I asked alissa to pack their bags Friday while I was at work. She laughed at me when I said 5 pairs of underwear/panties each even though it was one night and they are potty trained. Don't laugh. If it was going to happen- I was going to be prepared. 

We ate dinner, met one of our favorite aggies for frozen yogurt and were prepped for bed around 9:30pm. 

We were piled in beds, clobbered by toddlers but by 10pm everyone was asleep. I had 11 inches of the bed but I could hear them snoring and it was magical. We've never had kids in our bed unless they were sick, so this was a treat. 

I teased gg about sleeping in the hotel room alone and that was a huge mistake. I scared her :( into thinking I would leave. We put on new hello kitty and cars socks(hotel socks) and then they got with the program. They figured out quickly that this was indeed a treat. 

So the lights went out and the next morning Becker got up at 6am- two hours earlier than his usual wake up time. Not fun. We headed to grab breakfast then to the event. 

The Aggie cadets raised over 113,000 for babies and our hearts were full.

Tired from just 24 hours we did very little the rest of the weekend, except plan for their birthday party.

I can't believe they turn three next month. The three amigos turn three. I really do feel like it was yesterday that I was on my knees praying that God not take sweet Becker. Feels like just a few months ago Riggs took his first "Frankenstein" steps. 

Another backyard party we will have. Today I was thinking that one day (like next year) they will be vocal about where and what their party will be. I keep worrying that the day they want a jump party or a chuckee cheese party is on the horizon. :/ I love the simplicity of at home parties and opening our world to our friends and family. I like the business the weeks before bring. Art work decorated walls, a homemade cake, a pictorial video of their year. They won't want that soon. They will want to celebrate by taking their friends by the hand and leading them around at their party. They will want boy and girl themed parties with very little input from me. Ouch. 

But this year. It's a fiesta. This year it's at our home. This year they will still want me to hold them while they blow out their candles. This year it's a backyard party and I will celebrate one more year that He gave them to me. That's what birthday parties are for right?

Happy week everyone. 

A girl.

When they told us we were pregnant back in 2010 it confirmed what I doubted all those years. It even confirmed what I had doubted over the previous 48 hours. The only thing I could think of was, "is this real?" "Are they sure!" So when they told us it was twins, that was it, you could have just closed this book, I was happy for a lifetime. But when they said,"we see a third." That was a game changer. 

I've said on this blog before that while we always wanted three babies- our plan was to have them like everyone else does, one at a time. The quality of our embryos were not great. In fact the third one was dying and not freezable. So when we were finally told at 10 weeks that it was in fact triplets I of course started having thoughts like, " whew, ok, we're pregnant and while I don't feel out of the woods and I don't really want to celebrate- "but honey, do you think there's a girl in there? "

I'm a little embarrased to admit it but I was one of those girls that said the whole, " oh we don't care, as long as their healthy!" But to be honest, I secretly wanted one girl. Yes I wanted the whole dress my girl up stage, the mother of the bride stage, the best friend stage- but deep down I knew this would probably be the only time I was pregnant and this shot was my only one. 

So on week 12, we went for our bi-weekly specialist appointment. When the tech came in and did the ultrasound I almost couldn't take the suspense. I had a gut the night before and told whit on a whim that it was "two boys and a girl." I've never been right about anything in my life so I didn't put too much weight in that.

The tech said well baby A is a boy. She then worked pretty hard to see B.  Keep in mind that all this mashing on my stomach has almost made me hurl. I was pretty much surviving on watermelon and grapefruit juice and the morning sickness was more like all day sickness. She finally worked her way to baby C and we were about to explode out of the room when she said, "well!!, it's a girl!" 

There are two times in my life that I thought I would cry and didn't. This was one of them. The other was my wedding day. Both days I was so elated with joy that I had this ridiculous smile plastered across my face. The one where one of those pageant girls is riding in the back of a mustang convertible at a parade doing that fake wave. That was me. Iremember texting my close friends and family the iPhone emoticons of two boys and a princess. I remember yelling " I told you!" to whit, like he had ever disagreed with me. 

So there it was. We were having triplets, and one was a girl. And grace would be a part of her name. 

 I'm writing this tonight because lately that girl has been my hard one. She works herself up during the bedtime  routine and it's so hard on this momma. She likes to ask for 1,021 things to avoid bedtime and guess who trots around the house trying to please her every command? Yep. Me. 

The boys are perfect at bed and ask for nothing other than a prayer or a back tickle. She has trained me to put sticker earrings on her, perfectly place 5 blankets on her, pat her, get all of her ponies in the crib, pray over her and tell her what's for breakfast and sing about 6 songs and tell her about every charm on my necklace. It's a circus and I'm the lead act. 

She's sensitive, she's caring, she notices things I wouldn't guess an almost three year old would. She's kind, smart, strong and beautiful. And with all that chaos at bedtime I'm working on some solutions but tonight- I'm not all that worried about it- I'm just thankful for that one girl. 

I remember

I remember the day we found out we were pregnant. I remember the day we found out it was twins. I remember the day they told us there were three. I remember the day the doctors told us we would be delivering these three tiny babies 11 weeks too soon. I remember the night the neonatologist came in our room and told us how sick our babies were. I remember the way the nurses looked at me when I came in with warm brownies only to be told Becker was in real trouble. I remember when they told me his numbers weren't improving. I remember the phone ringing at 2:33 am and the neonatologist on the other end of the phone telling me to come to the hospital that Gianna was really sick. I remember rocking those babies begging God not to take them from me. Not then, not ever. 

I remember bringing them home and feeling like we had beat all the odds. I remember carrying bags that had heart monitors attached to my babies. I remember the alarms on the bags going off, just when we relaxed, to remind us that "nothing" was certain. I remember hand washing being crucial to a visit in our house. I remember my friends being afraid to hold my tiny babies. 

I remember finding out the role the march of dimes played in their lives- completely behind the scenes. I remember when my job came up and the opportunity it afforded me to tell my story. I remember how I felt the first time I visited the NICU after taking this job. Knowing exactly want these families needed and the common thread we shared. 

I remember what our first year of having a family team meant to me and how raising money for a cause that changed our path, changed our story- could change me. 

I hope you will join us in marching to help all babies. The ones born too soon, the ones born with a heart defect, the ones born right on time and perfectly healthy- MOD is touching all babies. Let's give them a healthy start. 

Happy Wednesday friends. 

"Where's Cooper Mommy?"

Gg came into our room last night when we were getting ready to go on our date night. She grinned at me and said, "mommy, where's cooper?" Before I could answer she said, " he's sick, he's with Jesus." I was glad she answered for me because I wasn't sure how to answer. I laughed a little because the sting wasn't so bad coming from her sweet self. I immediately asked alissa if she told her that and alissa smiled and said yes. I liked that when gg told me, she was so confident that Jesus had Cooper.

This week has been weird. In the middle of the night I'm not carefully stepping over a sleeping dog, we are not up and down 15+ times letting him out to potty and I'm not awakened by him snoring. When I get out of the shower, he isn't tap dancing on the concrete floors in the bathroom and he isn't waiting for me to leave the shower door open so he can drink the water. It's been sad. Lonely.

Whit keeps confirming that we did the right thing and that he went so peacefully because he was beyond ready- but I of course struggle with the balance of a full life and the responsibility of ending one. 

Ouch. 

When they put him to sleep, we were in the room. He put his head in my hands and I rubbed his ears. We cried as he drifted off. I was reminded of those days in my mid twenties when we got him. We weren't married. We barely had stable jobs and we were already taking on more than we could handle. Cooper was our second dog and we felt Colby needed a playmate. We were determined and committed to the life of these dogs. I'm proud that his life was a full one.

He was a super friendly puppy but as he got older we were certain that something went wrong. We speculated that a utility worker or a neighbor in our old neighborhood hit him or was mean to him in some way. He quickly became introverted, shy and growled at strangers. He never bit anyone but was scary if approached. Whit struggled with this. He took him everywhere in hopes to pull him out of this. Cooper never really came around. He was scared of strangers and we joked that he had amnesia because just when you thought he knew you- he would forget and bark and growl.

Cooper was a very, very smart Lab. He would swim for hours without a break. He would pull you to the side if you pretended you were drowning. He was faithful, he was loving and he really was man's best friend. 

The last few years were tough. He was in pain due to severe arthritis. He was grumpy because, well, he was fourteen. He had accidents often and couldn't decide if he wanted to be inside or out. We waited too long. That's my fault. I selfishly wanted him to, stay. 

I think gg is right. He's with Jesus. Why do I miss all the things I found so annoying, just last week? 

I've decided that as we get older the desire to get more pets lessens with the more responsibilities we have. Kids demand our attention and with work and life- there is little left over. But this week I've decided it's less about that and more about the fact that there are pets in your life that can't be replaced.

Have a good spring break everyone. 

A Joyful Mother with Children

Lately I haven't really felt like blogging. I don't know if the words haven't come to mind or if what we've been doing has just been the day to day but nothing has really struck me as - OH I GOTTA WRITE ABOUT THIS! 

But today we were in church and the sermon was sort of all over the place- it was all good places and a much needed message about trusting in his plan but towards the end he made mention of a psalm verse that in all those down on my knees moments of asking for a baby- I never once read this verse. He was speaking to me. And today in church He made me smile. 

Psalm 113:9

9     God nests the once barren woman at home— now a joyful mother with children! Praise the Lord!

I think I smiled mostly because I felt God tapping me on the shoulder and saying, "hey, see what I did there? Tell your friends!" He answers. Maybe not in our time and maybe not exactly what we ask, but He answers and I am so glad to be one of His children.

We had a wonderful weekend. It was filled with a relaxing (and crying)Saturday at the zoo and viteks and margaritas at chuys and a stop at ninfas after church. A few big naps, a cold snap, a girls night out birthday celebrating our sweet Amy Murphy and chili by the fire tonight, to bundle it all up perfectly. 

I am in the countdown once again of a major event and every single day has to be full of making things happen. I also plan on squeezing in two dates with the boys in march. Gg and I went to the egg and I & Barnes and Noble for hers. It was perfect and she thought she was a singleton. :) 

Happy Sunday Friends. Stay warm! 

He taught me how to roar.

Becker has been doing this thing where he chases you from room to room, lowers his whole body, angles his jaw towards the ground and says "ROAR" in his best scary voice. I absolutely love it. Riggs has been wanting all things chicken. He says chicken about 100 times a day, only wants to eat chicken at meal time and wants to pretend he is selling chicken on his play McDonald's cash register. Chicken. Gianna has been bossing the boys around a lot and wanting to be held or pushed in the stroller 100%of the time- no exceptions. 

These might seem like every day occurences to you but for me they are THE details. Details that in 6 months will seem so insignificant but they are huge in our everyday . They are the lines on my page. They are the memories that make really hard days, a snap. They are the details that make me weep when they fade and when the kids stop doing them.

We went to Chicago on my birthday. Whit's was valentines, so we sort of did a work/ bday combo. It was so good to get away, recharge and celebrate our birthdays together. Work has been super busy so finding time to feed our relationship has been hard. When we're together I'm always like, "we have to do this every week!" And then it's like another month or two and I'm like, "wait! We have to do this every week!"

Time flies and details slip away. I often forget big details, when birthday parties and showers are-and my outlook calendar has been shutting down from memory overload. So along with some healthier eating, on Monday I'm going to be sprucing up my calendar and being intentional about setting aside some key time for solo dates with the kids and my hubs......because who wouldn't want to carve out time for some of this}}}}

I don't want to forget one single detail. Not even how to roar.....