From My Valentine

Jay and I don’t really do much to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  We both feel that if we need the calendar to set aside a day of the year to remind us that we love each other, then we should probably seek marriage counseling!  Despite our hatred for the day of love, and for everything Valentine’s Day has turned into, every year we join the masses and stand in Hallmark to find the perfect card to express our love to one another.  Mine usually involves a cute bear with a whip and contains many threats of what will happen if Jay doesn’t do exactly what I need done, while his is from the heart and contains numerous reasons as to why I am so wonderful!  It’s the perfect combination for us.  Normally this is where we end our Valentine’s Day show of affection… unless you take our trip to the store after Valentine’s Day to buy a boat load of candy on sale into consideration!

This year Jay decided to give us each one more gift.  On Valentine’s Day, Jay informed me that his work requires him to have a digital camera on hand every single day.  He couldn’t help but notice that since I began blogging our digital camera (really it’s his, it’s the reason I married him!) is always at my side and memory card is always full of hundreds of pictures (usually the same shot over and over again) of the kids.  He was having issues getting the camera away from me so that he could work, and then had further issues sorting through pictures of our precious children to find his work pictures of dirt holes, ground stakes, pipes and other random constructiony type stuff (hmmm… is constructiony even a word?).  So, instead of going to the over-crowded restaurants and joining in on the forced celebration of love, where does Jay take me… to Best Buy of course!!!  Let me tell you, it’s the best time to shop for electronics!  There was NO ONE in there!  Ten minutes after arriving we walked out and I had a brand new Nikon Coolpix camera in my hand for all my picture taking needs!  It took me longer to figure out how the damn straps went on this thing than it did to purchase it!  Now, he could have taken the new camera and left me with the old, perfectly functioning Canon camera we already had, but where would the love have been?!  We both win… he gets his Canon back and I get a brand new Nikon! 

Here are some pictures taken from our new camera.  I'm still playing with it, but I'm sure I'll figure out how to operate it someday!

Noah:  2 years     Paige and Carter:  3 1/2 months (15 1/2 weeks)

Mommy's Little Helper

Being stuck in the house with three children for three weeks has been draining.  I’ve been back at work for a week now after dealing with RSV.  We spent this past weekend on lockdown waiting to see if we would come down with the horrible stomach bug that has plagued my office since I returned.  Every day we watch as another co-worker falls victim and runs home in misery!  Luckily, we seemed to have done something right and God granted us a pass on this illness…

Noah has handled solitary confinement quite well these past few weeks and he’s been a great help to us as well!  Last week, I finished feeding the babies and was working on getting them changed into pajamas and into bed when Noah did the cutest thing!  There I was, sitting on the nursery floor, just finishing getting Paige all bundled up for the night when Noah squats down next to me, hands on his knees, puts his little face right in mine and says “Noah help?”  WOW!  “Sure” I say, hey even help from my one year old is still help!  “What do you want to help with?” I ask him.  “Carter diaper” he says!  And he proceeds to go to town!  I sat there in total shock witnessing my almost two year old help me by changing his brother!  Yes, the process would have been quicker if I had done it myself, but I know an opportunity for a blog post when I see one!  Not to mention seeing the sense of accomplishment beaming from my son when he was finished!

Please disregard the state of the nursery in these photos!  We have never had time to finish decorating it and the twins’ dressers are still being built so their clothes are stored in bins!  It’s amazing how you run out of time to get these things done once they actually arrive!  Our changing table is still in Noah’s room and I’ve found that having this makeshift changing spot in their room, with their clothes is actually more efficient than running back and forth!  And when you have multiples… efficiency is key!  Oh... and please ignore the fact that Carter is covered in puke... he can be as messy as Paige some days!

Here is Noah’s understanding of how to change a diaper from watching mommy and daddy:

Step 1:  Give Carter his binkie, even if he spits it out… and be sure to crush his rib cage in the process!

Step 2:  Put on a glove.  This step was learned by watching daddy!  Daddy does not do diapers without a glove and Noah is just like his daddy… he even put it on the correct hand!

Step 3:  Violently rip Carter’s pants from his body!

Step 4:  Unsnap Carter’s onesie!  (I love how Carter has no idea of the danger he is in)!

Step 5:  Remove diaper!

Step 6 and Step 7 must remain in your imagination because daddy did not feel that photos of Noah cleaning Carter’s winkie with a wipe and putting on a clean diaper were appropriate for the world to see… and I can’t say I blame him!

Step 8:  Throw out the dirty diaper and wipes! 

Mommy stepped in at this point and re-dressed Carter in his pajamas!  I am so grateful to have such a wonderful helper!  He takes pride in helping me out as much as his little body can!  He takes bottles to the sink, he gets burp clothes, he retrieves binkies, and he burps the babies during their feedings!  Okay, so he only enjoys burping them because he can smack them as hard as he wants and he doesn’t get in trouble… but still, he’s helping!!!

Now if only he would teach Daddy some of these tricks!  Just kidding Daddy!!!  You are a wonderful help too, but then again you don’t get the thanks that Noah does… you helped create this chaos we call life! 

Decisions, Decisions!

A few weeks ago on a rainy Saturday afternoon, we took Noah to Discovery Place Kids.  Was this the germ infested breeding ground that harbored the RSV that attacked my children, or was it Noah’s new found favorite hobby of sucking on the shopping cart handles at Wal-mart?  The world may never know… but we had a good time and I thought I’d share a few pictures.

Noah had a great time trying to decide what he wants to be when he grows up!

A Fireman:

A Mechanic:

 A Train Conductor:

 A Boater:

 A Race Car Driver:

 A Farmer:

 A Sales Clerk:

 A Rock Climber:

 A Gymnast:

 A Ship Captain:

 Or An Actor/Model:

 Guess we have lots of time to figure this out!

 Anything Noah decides... Mommy will be proud!

RSV? Yes, Three Please!

RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) struck our house in early February.  For those of you who have children who have had it... I'm sorry.  For those of you who have never heard of it... it's hell!  This is the short version of our week with RSV.

On Thursday, February 2nd, I took Noah to the park.  I noticed he had a runny nose, but it was a nice day so I let him play.  By Friday evening when I came home from work he had a fever and wouldn't move from the couch.  We gave him some Tylenol and he seemed to get some relief... until around 9pm when his fever reached over 102.  Daddy took him to the emergency room and we discovered Noah had RSV.  Nana (my mom) came over and watched after the twins so that I could go and be with them at the hospital.  I packed up Brobie (yo gabba gabba) and raced to be with him.  After torturing him with a bunch of tests, they gave him a breathing treatment and sent him home.

We got little sleep that night because the babies were cranky.  Saturday went well, we gave Noah Tylenol throughout the day. 

Saturday night we once again didn't sleep because the babies were cranky.  By Sunday afternoon Daddy took Paige to the ER.  Her breathing was very labored... after torturing her with x-rays, blood tests and breathing treatments they decided she had congestion and sent her home.  By Sunday evening she was gasping for air.  Daddy took her back to the ER around 3am.  Turns out she did have RSV. 

They admitted her, gave her oxygen and once again Nana came to be with the kids so that I could go be with Paige at the hospital.  Shortly after I arrived at the ER they transferred us to a children's hospital thirty miles away.  I rode in the ambulance (mobile intensive care unit... it was even better than an ambulance) with Paige.  It was both of our first ride in an ambulance so we were pretty stoked!  When we reached the children's hospital at 8am on Monday they hooked her up to an oxygen monitor and told me to settle in. 

Daddy came right away and stayed most of Monday with Paige and I.  The boys were with Miss Dana (their Nanny).  It was decided that I would be staying at the hospital overnight with Paige so Daddy went home to get us some supplies.  Paige's oxygen levels were very low, but they never gave her any more oxygen or breathing treatments. 

We brought Carter out to the ER at the children's hospital and had him tested for RSV as well.  He had it, but not bad enough to be admitted and he was sent home with Daddy.  By Tuesday afternoon they released Paige and we brought her home.  Tuesday night, I was rushing Paige back to the ER because she wasn't breathing.  After running through all the same tests, they sent us home with steroids and liquid albuterol. 

We finally saw the kids pediatrician on Wednesday.  She was shocked that the children's hospital had released Paige.  She thinks Paige should have been in there for several days because she is so little and so very sick.  She set us up with two nebulizers and told us to administer breathing treatments to all three kids every four hours and to come back in two days. 

On Friday, the kids were not getting better so the treatment were upped to every three hours! 

This made for a VERY long weekend... but it paid off! 

Today, our pediatrician gave us good news!  Noah and Carter are doing much better and their breathing treatments are being moved to every six hours for a few days, followed by every eight hours for a few days and then off them completely.  Paige, on the other hand... our little attention hog... still has to have treatments every four hours for a few days, then down to six for a few and finally to eight and then off.

Jay and I thought dealing with the twins and Noah was tiresome enough, but to add a sickness into the mix... well, I'll just say we haven't slept since February 2nd when all of this started!  We are dragging, but we are so delighted to see that our babies are on their way to a full recovery! 

The entire experience was draining and I don't want to even think about the bills that are on their way to our house from this.  I can't count the number of times I broke down and cried this week. There is nothing like seeing your three month old baby girl strapped to a stretcher and wheeled into the back of an ambulance.  There is nothing like seeing her wheeled around the corridors of the hospital and you not being able to touch her.  There is nothing like seeing her in a sterile crib with sides that raise six feet in the air just in case she has to be tented.  There is nothing like seeing her struggle for air and knowing exactly how that feels.  There is nothing like being watched and talked down to because your baby girl is so sick.  There is nothing like seeing your kids not eat for almost a week and to hear them cough violently all hours of the day...

There is nothing like having your pediatrician commend you for all you've been through, for a sleepless week and a half, and for getting your kids on a path to recovery in such a short period of time from an illness that normally lasts weeks!  Thank you doctor O!!!!  And thank you to all of you who prayed for our family!  God was beside us the entire time... and we plan to see him this weekend when we go back to church after a very long absence!  I am excited to return to work tomorrow after being out for over a week and we are extremely greatful that we had Nana and Miss Dana to help us through all of this!  Now I'm going to go and give my three beatiful babies hugs and kisses and get their Valentine's Day gift ready for tomorrow! 

Parks and Recreation

Yesterday I took a half day at work for a doctor’s appointment, only to arrive at the doctors and be told that I have to reschedule because of a conflict… okay, no problem, but whatever happened to a courtesy call?!  So, I reschedule my appointment and figure the extra free time will give me more time to spend with Noah at the park, which I’d promised him we would do after I went to the doctor. 

Noah and I had a blast together at the park!  He insisted that I do everything he did!  If he crawled into the tiny little plastic house filled with sand, I was supposed to follow.  If he climbed to the highest slide, not only was I to follow, but he insisted I slide down with him.  I know darn well he can do this himself.  Imagine how I looked at the swings when I was trying to push him and then I'd run to the closest swing, hop on and get it going before I had to run over and push him again!  I definitely got my work out!  After we played we sat at the picnic tables and had snack.  Noah decided the cookies needed to be ON the table rather than in his bowl… yep… that bird poop covered old wooden type of picnic table!  I figured, I didn’t die from being a child… neither would he!

I noticed something about our kid today… he’s big on cleaning!  But only outdoors!  He can’t stand to have dirt on his hands, or to touch the ground for that matter.  He spent half the time at the park cleaning all the little pieces of wood chips they use for the ground off the actual playground!  He kept telling me it was messy!  I am pretty sure I should hide my cleaning OCD from him a little better.

Miss Dana (Nanny Dana) left the house around five, which meant I had an hour or so alone with the kids before daddy came home.  She had fed the babies at four, so they were set until after eight.  I decided I should sort some laundry and get it started so that my weekend wouldn’t be full of folding clothes.  This is when all hell broke loose!  Carter started screaming bloody murder!  I got him calmed down, the Paige started screaming!  I calm her down only to have Carter start back up again!  I ended up holding both of them, and walking around the house trying to calm them down with Noah following every step that I took, thinking where in the hell is Daddy?!  They don’t stop crying… they couldn’t be hungry after only 2 ½ hours since their last feeding!  YEP!  So there I am being forced to feed them at the same time because they are screaming and I’m home alone.  I have Paige in the crook of my arm with my hand wrapped around her head holding the bottle while she dribbles most of it of her mouth.  I have Carter in a boppy, holding his bottle in his mouth, and I’m completely stuck where I am… and guess who decides he needs to play with GLITTER again!!!

Somehow I manage to get through all this and get the laundry sorted.  It took a good hour to sort one basket thanks to Paige and her inability to hold a damn binkie in her mouth!  At this point I’m just exhausted from running back and forth and Noah keeps hurting himself, when suddenly daddy comes strolling in at 8:00, “Honey, I have dinner.”  It took me about two minutes to get my shoes on, grab my keys and run out of that house for a much needed five minute break!

I came home to find a full glass of wine with my name on it!  Thank you Honey!  Of course Noah tried to drink it and I mistakenly told him it was mommy’s medicine… his juice is now his medicine!

(okay, this picture is old... but it's still great)!

I have to laugh at myself though, I get all excited about coming home from work and seeing the kids, but they have me in or near tears within three hours!  Poor Noah kept telling me he was sorry, and he didn’t even do anything!  It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this though.  Daddy was ready to throw in the towel after about two hours!!! 

We somehow managed to get through dinner, give Noah a bath and get everyone to their beds by 10:30pm.  I spoke way too soon about the whole twins sleeping through the night thing… yeah no, they aren’t doing that all of a sudden!  Mommy got about 3 ½ hours of sleep last night thanks to those cute little bundles of joy! 

Wonder what tonight will bring!

Boating, Bathing Suits and Bathtubs

Monday night on my way home from work I was trying to think of something fun I could do with Noah.  Swimming kept coming to my mind, but it was 45 degrees outside and his pool was in the shed!  We haven't broken down and bought a membership to the "Y" yet, so I did the next best thing... I put on my bathing suit, put Noah's trunks on him, filled the bathtub with water and we spent the next hour flooding the bathroom and "swimming" in our tiny tub!

Tuesday night I came home to find this:

Fully decked out in his life jacket, insisting we take the boat out.  After an hour of explaining that it was way too cold to take the boat out, he finally let us take the life jacket off... with the promise of "swimming" in the bathtub instead!  He must have really loved my free entertainment because he's been in his drawer every night this week looking for his swim trunks and asking to go swimming!