Missing Beauties Missing Sugar Mommy

I would like to begin this post as follows...
"Dear loyal blog readers,
Yes, we are all okay.  No I have not left the planet.  Yes, I do intend on continuing the blog.  I do feel bad for neglecting it.  Really, I do Gramma Pam and Aunt Molly.  I promise to find a few extra minutes a few times a week to dedicate to the blogs again." 
Life has been a little hectic.  Okay a slight understatement.  The Beauties are growing and changing so quickly, sometimes I think I forget to breath we are so busy.  Five birthdays in 2 weeks time.  School, spring break, work, household things, laundry, derby, dance, work, laundry...it's crazy here.

Spring is officially here,  We are finally spending some time outside.  YAY!  How we were really disliking icky weather.  I think this in itself will help both Mommy and her Beauties feel more alive.  We were all sick of being cooped up in the house.  Even the mall was getting a bit old.
I am working about 20 hours a week at Care, which I really enjoy.  I think Matt is enjoying having some time with the Beauties as well.  I will say however, that not a lot is being done at home.  Our house is a disaster.  No, it really is.  It's gross.  I really need to clean it.  But, tonight I chose the blogs.
I have lots more photos and stories to share of the last couple weeks.  I will do a little each day (for Aunt Molly, Gma Pam and u too Sam.)
For now, nite-nite.  Enjoy the updates.

Daddy's gonna jump in the water

We went to the Lake on Saturday afternoon to watch the "Polar Plunge."  The Plunge is an annual event that raises money for the Special Olympics.  This year was Daddy's first year to participate in the plunge.  Burr.  the Beauties were very very excited and intrigued waiting for the jumping to begin.  We had front row view.  The Beauties had a great time throwing rocks and sticks in the water as we waited for the fun to begin.  Daddy jumped in with a group of officers and he even went under water.  Did I say burr?  The water in March, in Iowa?  Burr.  He was all smiles the entire time and the Beauties wanted him to jump in again.  He passed, and said next year he would.  The Beauties also were able to meet and get their photo taken with Herkey.  They were all very excited, well except Jocelyn, she only liked him from a distance.

The Beauties favorite part of the afternoon...throwing rocks and sticks into the Lake.

Three Princesses and The Party

Three Babies that look like Little Girls

Three years.  Three wonderful, crazy, fast paced, emotional, challenging, exhausting, overwhelming, unique, incredible, beautiful, amazing, busy, couldn't imagine my life without these beautiful miracles years.  I sit here and think of all the witty things I could write so that one day when my beauties are reading this they might say, "wow, Mom really knew how to put it into words."  Although I know the truest of words are those spoken from your heart.  From the heart is all I know.
When Matt and I learned that we were expecting triplets we were overwhelmed with joy.  We could not believe it.  We had been through numerous losses and couldn't bare the thought of losing another baby.  We took one day at a time.  Some days one minute at a time.  The pregnancy was scary.  So many what-ifs.  So many unknowns.  I went into preterm labor at 24 wks and spent the rest of my pregnancy as a resident in the mother/baby unit at the hospital.  It was difficult, however worth every single second.  My labor was kept under contral being stopped three times over the course of nine weeks.  At 33 wks and 1 day...we would finally meet baby girls A B and C.  Jocelyn, Farrah and Silvie were born on March 11th, 2007 at 10:37 and 10:38 and 10:38:15.  Everything happened so fast.  The details are really a blur in my mind.  The one thing I regret terribly about their birth...not video taping it.  I so wish I would have let Matt film it.  With Chloe I felt like an active participant, no epidural, pushing, breathing touching her and holding her the second she came.  With the triplets I was merely the "porthole" baby, baby, baby...just like that.  I remember crying the entire time and shaking.  I head all of them cry, but was unable to see any of them for several minutes because they were premature.  Matt went with them to the NICU, while they finished putting mommy back together.  It felt like an eternity before I fianlly was wheeled to the
NICU to meet my precious three.  They were perfect.  They were beautiful.  They were my triplets.  We did it.  We really did it.  This was only the beginning.
The first several months is a complete blur.  I was ALWAYS breastfeeding on of them.  I breastfed exclusivly girls (remember that when you have your own.  Mommy did three at a time.  I will be your lactation guide.  Cheering you on.)  Matt went to the Law Enforcement Academy fo 13 wks.  Only home for the very shortened weekends.  Their first birthday.  What a milestone.  How did a year pass that quickly?  Then the second bithday.  A second year gone.  With this day, another year, the third year.  Three year old triplets!  I know it is overused but, "where has the time gone?  I blinked and they are three.  Three.  Really?
I look at them and I see babies that look like little girls.  They are more than I ever imagined possible.  I wonder why God picked me.  I am grateful to him every second.  I hope when my Beauties are all grown, they will read this and know that while Mommy may not have been very witty, or creative with her choice of words, she loved us with her entire being.  I hope they know that my life was better because they were my daughters (all four).  Our lives have been blessed.  Touched be the Lord above.  As I sit here with tear filled eyes...Happy Birthday to my Three year old Triplet Beauties.  Jocelyn.  Farrah.  Silvie.  Mommy loves you.

Happy Birthday to my Triple Miracles

Happy Haircuts

Tuesday was a no school day for Chloe.  We decided to head out and find something to do.  The house is boring and we are tired of toys and movies, we needed some real action.  As we were driving around with no destination...a brilliant idea popped into my head.  Haircuts.  Let's go and get haircuts.

We stopped into the salon that Chloe and I have been to before (not my normal one but they take walkins, which is so much better for us.)  I asked about time for not one but rather FOUR walk ins.  Of course they did not even have time for one let alone four.  So I decided to keep thinking.  I grabbed a price card on my way out and went back to the brainstorm.  As I thought about where to try next, I glanced at the price for a child's hair cut.  $21.00.  WHAT?  For real?  Honestly, I pay double that for my own haircuts (which makes me barf) but, I feel like you don't have a lot of option as an adult, and the prices just keep going up.  The Beauties are cute...doesn't take any "extra" to make that happen.  Still, I felt extremely sick that 4 childrens haircuts were going to be $84.00 (not even including the tip.)  Doesn't really add up.  They do not shampoo, they don't use other product, they don't blow dry, or curl or straighten.  All they do is "trim the hair" so what does that $21.00 go?  Not happening.  They can "rob" someone else.

So we went on our merry way and ended up at Cost Cutters.  

They were not busy and said they would be happy to do two at a time, so they wouldn't get as antsy.  Great idea.  (They only charge $9.95 for a kid.  1/2 the price sounded a lot better to me.  

The Beauties did great.  They LOVED sitting in the chair getting the "hairs" cut.  They were so brave.  Not to mention so darn adorable.  So different from big sissys first cut.  Poor Chloe was scared to death.  Amazing she loves it now.  Chloe decided that she wanted "just a few long bangs."  She also decided that Farrah should keep her bangs.  Jocelyn and Silvie should grow their bangs.  

When all was said and done, $66.00 later, all four Beauties looked pretty darn cute.  The triplets even received certificates fot the "1st" haircut.  Complete with their hair attached.

I think my Chloe girl was a little upset that she did not receive a certificate with her hair attached, so last night after the triplets went to nite-nite, we pulled out her baby book and I showed her the locks of hair I saved from her very "1st" cut.  That made her very happy.  She even commented on how I saved a lot of her hair, compared to her sisters.  She's so sweet.  They all are.