"nap club"

The first rule of mommyhood, is to not brag about something your babies have (or have not) done b/c as soon as you do, they'll prove you wrong & do the opposite. HOWEVER, with that being said, I think I'll risk it b/c I am SOOOOO proud of my babies. The past 2 months ALL three of the babies have been sleeping through the night in their own cribs & getting at least 10 hrs of sleep ... it's so wonderful!!! They typically take a few naps during the day (Alyssa & Brandon will sleep more often, while Cassandra prefers to stay awake & play with Mommy) and recently I have started to be more strict about their schedule (sleep, eat, play/therapy, etc ... I know, I know ... strict Mommy!). Today I was feeling brave and wanted to tackle the inevitable transition from swing to crib for their naps (or at least for the big afternoon nap). Obviously they can't nap in their swings forever & I'd rather tackle it now when they're still "small" or can't scream as long/loudly as they will when they're older - I also don't want them to become too dependent on the swings for naps (for obvious reasons). The past few weeks, I've been "encouraging" them to fall asleep on their own & develop their own self-soothing techniques instead of putting them to sleep by rocking, holding, chairs/swings, etc (at nap & nighttime) .. this is VERY important when you have more babies than arms & can't rock everyone to sleep, not to mention how beneficial developing self-soothing techniques are to babies!

ANYWAY.... today when the babies were starting to get fussy & doing their "tired" cries after the noon feed, I put them in their cribs to see what would happen & how long they'd tolerate it. I was prepared for the worst & honestly thought they wouldn't fall asleep or would just cry for an hour. Well after crying about 5-10 minutes, they all fell asleep (even with the sunlight coming in - I never found curtails I liked but will hopefully be putting some up soon to help block out some of the bright sunlight & get even more sleep time). The girls ended up lasting a WHOLE hour (whoo hoo!!!) before starting to cry (which was about how long I thought they'd nap after lunch), and because I didn't want them to wake Brandon, I brought them downstairs to do some therapy then nap a bit longer in their swings. My precious little prince ended up absolutely shocking me & after THREE & A HALF hours, I had to wake him for the 4pm feeding!!! :) WAY TO GO BRANDON!!!!!!!!

I'm realistic & know that this might not be as successful the next few days, but I was impressed with my little angels - they're so good to mommy! I am sooooo spoiled - who knew triplets would be so wonderful???

why yes, my middle name is "supermom" (edited)

SOOOO all Memorial Day weekend my poor hubby was sick & I had a fourth little baby to take care of! It started out as a bad tension headache but then he started getting a low-grade fever so he was immediately quarantined to the upstairs while I had the babies downstairs. I took care of the feeds, did some laundry, made a few different soups for my hubby, & even made a quick Wal-Mart run while everyone was napping! I even made time to do our daily therapy with the babies. Both girls have officially mastered rolling (well technically, Alyssa can roll onto her tummy & back while Cassandra can only rolls onto her back)!!! After our therapy on Sunday, I strapped a baby in the Bijorn while the others were napping & made dinner (had to stop in the middle to switch out babies) :) On Monday, Kris finally went to the dr who told him that he might have something viral (b/c of the fever) & gave him some meds for the headaches. Ultimately Kris was told to "avoid stressful situations" but we all know that won't happen for at least another 18 years!!! Good luck Kris! Whew .. I am tired! Hopefully Daddy is feeling better soon so I can at least have a day off (heck .. a few minutes would even be nice)!!!

genius alyssa in therapy

genius cassandra in therapy

whew - i'm exhausted after all that work!

alyssa the determined

Oh sweet sweet Alyssa, my adorable first born! You have been such a fighter from the beginning - even though you & Cassie were the same weight, you were "smaller" & more fragile in my eyes. You needed oxygen longer than the other two, had lung issues, GI issues, couldn't have breast milk as fast or as much as your siblings, and more importantly, I couldn't hold you when I held the others. Just thinking about how far you've come these past 5 months makes me cry - I am SO blessed to be your mommy & love every second I have with you! You have transformed from the "fragile" little peanut into my big "lady bug" with the most determined personality! You make your needs known & are already taking charge as the eldest! You are such a little leader already & I know that Brandon & Cassandra will look up to you - even if you're mere seconds older than them! I love your little smiles, your coos & yes, even those deafening screams (but what a blessing they are when I think about how weak your lungs were just a short 5 months ago!)..... You are truly a "daddy's girl" & got him whipped first by giving him the nickname "engow" (the sound you made only when you saw or wanted your daddy). Your gorgeous baby blue eyes are just soaking everything in and already say so much ... if only I could be in that little head of yours for a day! :) I have so many dreams for you & your siblings, but only God knows what path your little lives will take & we're just along for the ride .. but what a fun ride it's been so far!

My precious princess here are some of your recent moments:

losing my mind

I'm not ashamed to say that I have had my fair share of "ditzy" moments & played into the blonde stereotype a few too many times, but recently I have caught myself doing some bizarre things that make me second guess where my mind has been.... The other day the babies were doing something cute & I was looking for my cell phone so I could take a picture & send it to the grandparents, but where do you think I found it??? In the cheese drawer of my REFRIGERATOR - don't even ask me how it got there! In the past few months, I have put the milk in the cabinet, cereal in the fridge, started laundry loads without putting the clothes in, and forgotten to eat meals I've prepared & found them hours later untouched, etc WHEW!!! The "momma brain" has definitely kicked it....

(please don't judge my fridge .. I haven't had time to run to Kroger!) :)

diaper geenie allergies

Now don't get me wrong, my sweet hubby has been absolutely AMAZING with the babies & I couldn't have been able to make it these past 5 months without him; however, my Prince Charming DOES have a little weakness ........ he is allergic to the diaper geenie! Bless his heart, but diapers just aren't his "thing" - never have been & I'm sure they never will be. Even when the babies were in the NICU, he wasn't eager to rush in & change their diapers, but that was probably because of the one time Brandon almost peed on him... :) Anyway, IF my poor husband gets stuck changing a dirty diaper it will rarely end up in the diaper geenie. Most of the time it ends up in the pack n play or next to the changing station (despite the fact that the diaper geenie is literally inches away!) The next time I go to change a baby, I'll find diapers lying around (some that have been there for hours!) & have to put them in the geenie myself! When I asked him why he never put the dirty diapers in their rightful place, he told me that once he put the clean diaper on the baby all he can focus on is washing his hands & can't "remember" to put the diaper in the diaper geenie. :) KRIS!!! Welcome to my world...

brandon the handsome

My little prince you are such a stud! Your personality is the strongest of the three and I can always tell what you're feeling b/c you wear your emotions on your sleeve (or face!). For the most part, you smile, coo or laugh , but the second I give attention to someone or something else, you'll start to pout or fuss (I'm even holding you in my arms as I type this entry b/c you wanted my attention while the girls were napping). You are definitely "Mommy's little man" and have me wrapped around your finger (as you all do!) .. I'm such a sucker! You have recently started some "call & response" conversations & enjoy hearing yourself "speak" - of course I think you're a genius! This morning you even were making the "gee" sound & wanting me to say it back to you(in my mind this is your version of "mommy" ... don't try to convince me otherwise!).

You are the man of MANY faces!

We already know you're a bit of a daredevil & ready to start crawling/walking around - hence all the straps on the swings & chairs .... well this morning you even made it out of a tight swaddle, did a 180* turn & flipped onto your stomach. This settles the "no-blankets-in-the-crib" debate :) Oh Brandon.....

cassandra the sweet

I would have bet (& lost) TONS of money that you, Miss Cassandra would be a total drama queen b/c you were definitely the stinker while in the womb (in fact, you WERE the one who decided to change positions & ended up making mommy go into labor!) but you have been everything BUT drama - you are such a sweet little princess and a total joy in my life! Even though you are the "youngest" (by seconds), you have been a little leader - the first to get off oxygen in the NICU, the first to breast feed, the first to get out of the isolette & into a "big girl crib", the first to come home, etc ... I couldn't be more proud of you! You are such a mild-tempered little angel and already have so much patience, waiting your turn while your siblings are getting mommy's attention. I do love our one-on-one moments while the other two are napping & enjoy our little "conversaions" & games of peek-a-boo! You have recently started showing off your strong neck muscles & has mastered your daily "therapy" sessions with mommy - pretty soon you will be rolling over & crawling all over the place!!! Go Cassie!

You rolling over - mommy is so proud!!! (not sure your siblings are as excited) :)

doing your happy dance

some of my favorite recent pictures of you:

You're even just discovered your thumb! You don't have a preference yet, but will easily take the paci or find your thumb if you have to self-soothe .. genius!

family walk

Each night we have "family walk" which typically lasts at least an hour & we all walk (sometimes run) 3-5 miles around the neighborhood. It helps entertain the babies, get our workout in and let us all catch up at the end of the day. Tonight Kris & I each had a baby in our Bijorns & used our single stroller for one baby (felt strange to have a small stroller instead of our huge triple one) :) Of course we were still a "freak show" & people knew us as "the triplets", but it was a fun walk b/c tonight was the first time we all wore our super cool sunglasses! Gotta protect our eyes!

Daddy & Cassie (& Alyssa in the stroller)

Mommy & Brandon

Precious Alysa

friday the 13th

Some people think Friday the 13th is a horribly unlucky day, but for me it has always been the opposite (13 was my "lucky number" & volleyball number in High School). Today as I play with my babies I am overwhelmed with just how "lucky" I have been this past year alone! In honor of this special day, I want to list my top 13 things i love about my miracle babies & being their mom:

13. The cooing/gurgling conversations we have

12. The smiles we share & the open mouth "kisses" they give me

11. When they recognize who I am by sight or sound

10. Watching their personalities develop

9. Them starting to grab my neck while being held

8. The new normals in our routine that come with having triplets

7. Playing dress up & "tolerating" the daily photo shoots with mommy

6. They rely on & trust me 100% to take care of all of their needs

5. The smell & feel of their skin

4. Looking at every feature to see if they got it from kris or me

3. Watching them discover new things or hit new milestones

2. They make me want to be a better person, friend, daughter, wife & mom

1. My life now feels complete

look what i can do mommy!

Things have started getting a little more "active" around the Cherry household now that we've discovered how to roll over! I remember just a few short weeks ago when I could leave the babies in the Boppys or swings & go shower, grab something to eat, or run up/downstairs for a minute without worrying about them moving, but those days are no more! It started with them rolling out of the Boppys while they were doing "tummy time", then doing back flips & rolling over their heads out the back of the Boppy, now we've started rolling around IN the swings or vibrating loungers! Snapping them in is a must & they can't be left alone for even a second (even if they're asleep) .. how will I get anything done?!?! I need a few more baby monitors all over the house to keep an eye on them if I do decide I'd like to take a shower before 9pm or if I want to have at least one full meal before dinner!

Here are a few pictures of my little Houdini - Brandon is the first to master the slip! I hope he doesn't teach all these bad tricks to his sisters!

Alyssa showing off her moves!

multi-tasking momma

I have tried to update the blog a MILLION times but never seem to find the time (or have a few crying babies in the background) :) We have adjusted SO nicely to having everyone home these past 2 months. I have officially resigned from my job & have transitioned into my new role as a "stay-at-home-mommy". I have never felt so fulfilled from doing such monotonous things, but seeing the babies smile at me or coo in contentment makes all the puke, poop, etc tolerable (even enjoyable)! :) The babies are starting to interact more & have started rolling over .. let the craziness begin - soon we'll be walking I'm sure!

Multi-tasking has been the new key word in my life & I am amazed at how many things I can do at one time (or with one hand!). Just last weekend, I was home with the babies (Kris was out with friends .. what a nice wife I am! kidding babe!) doing their last feed of the day. I was breast feeding one while simultaneously bottle feeding the other two. In the middle of it I started laughing to myself at how comical I must look - sitting topless at the bottom of the stairs with a baby feeding & 2 others in their boppys in front of me. I was burping them, adding more milk/formula to bottles, giving meds to Alyssa, cleaning spit-up & typing an e-mail on my phone - I'm tired just thinking about it! Even just a few years ago, I would have laughed if someone presented this image & said it would be my new normal, but now I can't seem to remember what life was like before the babies (besides maybe a little more sleep!).

Speaking of multi-tasking, I'm off to make bottles for the next feed & while I'm doing that I'll be registering a bunch of baby products since I never got around to that (gotta get them in before the warranties are expired!), calling the Social Worker (to check on our reimbursement checks .. oh Social Security, I'll be glad to receive the last check & be done with you!), the pediatrician to ask about vitamins, Alyssa's GI to ask about her meds & the department of records to order Birth Certificates since I can't figure out their website! Just another day in the life of a "MOM" (mom of multiples)! Maybe I'll grab a granola bar & diet coke as I run through the kitchen! have I mentioned this is the best diet ever?!?! ;)

my first mother's day

It's hard to find the words to describe just how emotional & special today was/is now that I am a mommy. We didn't do much, & honestly it was about the same as every other day, but it was absolutely perfect! I started the morning out by getting my first gift - getting puked on during the 8am feed (thanks Cassie!) then I got my second gift - sleeping in until 11 .. ahhhhhhhhh! Cassie must have felt bad about throwing up on me b/c she wanted to cuddle in my arms while I slept :) What an angel! All morning I kept thanking God that He thought so highly of me to bless me with my THREE precious angels! I could NEVER have thought my life would turn out this way ... or that I would feel so loved & fulfilled by being a wife & mommy, but I definitely wouldn't trade it for the world! I have learned so much from my own mom that I only pray I will one day pass it down to my children.

"Mother to Mother"

When I sit & rock my babies,

I often think of you.

And I imagine,

you must have felt this way, too.

By your fine example,

I've become the woman I am today.

I felt your love for me

even when you did not say.

Through your actions, you showed me

to be kind, giving, and fair.

And now with my own children,

these attributes I will share.

Thank you, my dear mother,

for all you've done and all you do.

I hope my babies will know

such a loving, selfless mother as you.

--- Deborah Warren Craig ---