Monday, September 29, 2008

What will they be?

Against my better judgement I allowed Austin to play cowboy! He did make a cute cowboy though, but hate the gun!
The boys playing soccer.
My nephew James pulling the boys in the wagon!
Alex says..."look mom, I'm running!".
"mmmmm" Max is tasting his block.
Emerson can finally get on the Zebra all by himself now.



What will they be?


I have a question for all the mothers of small children out there. When you look at your kids do you see them as these cute little adventurous creatures that smile and babble at you or do you see them as what they will be in the future. I've found myself contemplating my children's future...a lot! I look at Austin and think "this kid will either be something amazing, like a doctor or a lawyer.Or he will be one of those kids that grows up and at 30+ is still sleeping in his old room with me doing his laundry and cooking his meals."He just has that personality that if he puts his mind to it, he can run the world. However, he gets frustrated easily so I can see him giving up if he can't do something right the first time. I hope he grows out of the frustration aspect. He is such an incredible kid. At 5 he says things that only an adult should say and his ability to comprehend is uncanny for his age. I really do think if he wasn't "foreign born" he could be the President someday. Hopefully DEMOCRATIC!!!! OK, sorry all you Republicans out there. Just wishful thinking on my part! He really does that personality that would be great for politics. Let's just hope he's not as shady and slimy as most politicians. As far as the triplets go, they are all so different. And their personalities change so quickly. What they where at 6 months old is completely different than what they are at 13 months. Emerson is my cautious baby. He walks, but is afraid to fall so he holds on as long as possible. He sits and plays for hours, so contently. He will analyse everything in his path. But he is also my biggest Mommy's boy at this point. He's shy and reserved and prefers his mama. So as far as I can predict he will be a scientist of some sort. Maybe a research analyst. Or he will be the one on my couch at 40 eating a bag of chips calling for me to get the remote for him. Alexander is Mr. Personality. This kid is bound for greatness. I can see him being an airline pilot , meeting and greeting all the passengers with a smile and a hand shake. He is so adventurous. He will try anything and go to anyone. He flashes those big blue eyes and everyone melts. So I think "yeah, maybe a Pilot or a male model!". Max is a hard one to peg. He is my dare devil. Doing first than thinking about it. He is easily adaptable. He will go anywhere but is leery of people he doesn't know. He's not really a social kid. He could care less about strange people and mostly is just happy doing his own thing. I would think he might be a writer. More like a Novelist rather than a script writer. Something he doesn't need to be that social for. Either way I think he will be my first to go of on his own. He will climb mountains in Nepal. He will sky the slopes in Switzerland and he will admire the Sistine chapel in Italy. And our new baby? I'll have to wait to analyze him until he's here, but so far I think he will be a bongo player in a Cuban band. At least that's what it feels like from the inside. I just can't wait to meet him. It's amazing how we think of our kids. I am in complete aww of my kids. They amaze me every day with the different things they say and do. I never thought I could love any one or anything they way I love them. It's truly unbelievable how far they all come in the little time they've been on this earth. Only time will tell what they will be, but like any mother, I will love and support them irregardless!
This weekend was fun. On Friday we all went to my Dad's house for my brother, Christians 20th birthday! I can't believe he's 20. Where does the time go? It just makes me want to savor every moment with my kids! Anyway, the boys had a great time running around and exploring the new environment. They chased the cats and where quite content to be passed from family member to family member eating cake. On Saturday we went to Davids Aunt's annual Bratwurst and beer party. It's always nice to see those of his family that we don't see often. The food is so amazing and the boys had a blast running around their huge yard in Grand Island. Austin ran with all his cousins. He dressed like a cowboy and played soccer and football. He was upset to leave but the boys where exhausted because they refused to nap the whole day. They where just so busy. Max was hysterical. I really don't think he knows he's just a little boy still. He tries his hardest to run with the big boys and grab the ball. He was running from one side of the yard to the next just laughing and playing. Emerson and Alex spent the whole day in the arms of the Aunts and their Oma. They loved the attention. I brought lots of toys and they played and loved to be pulled in their wagon. All in all it was a fun filled weekend. I was glad we got out since it looks like Fall is finally arriving. Not that I have any problem with that. In fact I welcome Fall with open arms. Being pregnant, I enjoy the crisp air for better sleeping and I would much rather be curled up on the couch watching my boys play on the floor than be outside in the heat and humidity. Next weekend will be a nice fall weekend. A friends baby turns 1 so we have a party and we are going pumpkin picking on Sunday. I can't wait. Fall is my favorite time of year!!!!!!


Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Feeling Better

Max's first Oreo
Emerson's first Oreo
Alex's first Oreo
Dinner at the dining room table like big boys.
Enjoying their polish sausage and pirogi in their new high chairs!
Max LOVED the sausage.
Emerson said "Mo...Mo"
Alex had seconds and thirds.
Max praying the Bills have a winning season!
Alex walking like a champ.
Emerson looks like he was holding on, but he was mid step.
We tried to get the kids to sit for a picture, but they all rebelled!
Bradley and Austin, too busy to look at the camera.
Feeling Better

The last week has been challenging. The boys all had a terrible cold. Max ended up with an ear infection and was absolutely miserable. My poor boys. They are starting to feel better but we are still having "snot" issues. Their noses are running like faucets. And now have the raspy cough. David spent most of the week entertaining a friend from out of the country so it was just me, Austin and three sickly babies. In between runs to their pediatricians office we managed to have some fun.

We spent the week trying new foods and practicing walking. Emerson is still overly cautious about walking. He will only take 5 or 6 steps before he bends down and crawls the rest of the way. Once he gets over the fear he will be fine. Alex on the other hand has absolutely no fear. In the last few days he has just begun running everywhere. He looses his balance when he stops to praise himself. He will stop mid step and say "YAY!!!!" ...and clap and clap. The only bad part about them walking is that we will be discharged from physical therapy. This is such a shame. We love our therapist. She's amazing. I don't think my boys would be age appropriate or even advanced for their age in certain aspects if it wasn't for Carol! I think we made a forever friend in her!

So, my boys also spent the week trying new foods. They seemed so interested in everything I would eat so I began giving it to them. This week they had their first Oreo cookies. This was an interesting experience. They where actually moaning as they ate them. Trust me, the mess was worth the look on their little faces when they got to the cream. They also had polish sausage and pirogi. They loved it so much, Emerson kept saying "Mo...Mo"...baby for more. I was worried he would have a stomach ache after all that sausage but nope, nothing happened. Their teeth are coming in like crazy. They all have between 8 and 10 teeth. It seems like yesterday when I had three toothless babies crawling around gumming everything. Now I have to watch them because they bite everything and everyone. In fact Max bit the dog this week. You should have seen the look on her face! She handled it well, yipped a little bit than laid back down! Poor Sidney!

This weekend was a little hard for me. I wasn't feeling the greatest. Of course I ended up with their cold and I can't take anything because of the pregnancy. Oh well, almost done. We are entering the 7th month...only 13 more weeks to go! The count down to baby boy#5 begins!

On Sunday we all went to my Dad's house for my nephews 6th birthday. It was allot of fun to see my Dad and the rest of my family. I just love to see my grandparents holding and loving their great grandchildren. Austin had a blast playing with Bradley. They are only 7 months apart so they get along well until someone does something or says something the other one doesn't like. But in general they have a lot of fun together. Boys will be boys!

Monday, September 15, 2008

So Sick!

Do Alex and Emerson look sick? They where to busy playing and laughing to worry about being sick!
Austin was too sick to get dressed, but not to sick to play the WII.
Now my poor Max is really the sick one, look at that nose! AWWW!

So Sick!

UGGGHHH! My kids all have a cold. What a pain. The infamous Kindergarten curse! The second a child enters Kindergarten, they automatically get a cold. Pretty much everyone I talked to is
having the same issues. Runny/stuffy noses, lethargic kids with head and body aches with mild fevers. Since this is pretty much identical to what happened to Austin last year when he entered school, I thought to myself,"what causes this?". Is it one kids inability to tolerate another kids
germs? Is it unwashed toys from the previous year? A rare form of Kindergarten bacteria? It's hard to say. Why does it always happen within the first couple of weeks of school? I wish I had the answers. I may not have them but it seems everyone and their brother does have the answers. When you say to someone, "My kids have a cold", their is always the witty comebacks, home remedies and common sense comments that will inevitably follow! I decide to write down some of these to see what you think.

Classic and some not so classic cold remedies!

Of course the most famous...Chicken soup remedy (which by the way I make every time just in case it really is a miracle cure!)

Give them a warm bath before bed...Don't I do this anyway?

Plug in the humidifier...I do if they are stuffy

Rub them down with Vapor Rub... Check!

Lots of fluids...check

Take them outside

Don't take them outside

Let them sleep with the window open

Close all windows

Hold them upside down in a steamy shower....HUH?

Stand in front of the open freezer...I thought this was for the croup?

Keep them warm and dry ...I do that as a general rule

Feed a cold, starve a fever or is it starve a cold feed a fever

Take them to the Doctors right away

Let it run it's course

I'm sure some of these work and some don't. All I know is I practice common sense and within a few days my kids feel better. I know the Kindergarten cold is a right of passage and Austin will get over it quickly because he is resilient. The babies seem to be handling it so well. They are all playing and smiling, snotty noses and all.

Aside from the colds this week was spent sending Austin off on the school bus and keeping my new walkers from falling on their faces. Just a typical week in the Stinner household. What will next week bring? I'm sure some new and exciting adventure!
Just a little side note...My Aunt is finally home. I visited her on Sunday and she is looking so great. All in my family are going to keep a close eye on her the next few months to make sure she keeps on this path to recovery! Thanks for all the prayers!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

They're Walking!

My Max, smiling as usual!
Emerson, making a call...OK, so he hasn't figured it out quite yet!
Alex, just being his cutie self!

Austin was a little camera shy this week! Must be a phase! I'll catch him next week!!!!!

They're Walking!

Well, I am officially exhausted. I have this huge pregnant belly, that seems to be growing everyday! I have three toddlers that all seem to want me at the same time. And a five year old who has the intelligence of a grown man and the mouth to match! But I wouldn't change a thing.
Some things are just worth going through for the end result. I watched my 5 year old go off to Kindergarten and I got this overwhelming sense of pride. But at the same time I was scared for him. Afraid he wouldn't be all he could be, afraid he wouldn't make friends and afraid he would hate it all. He didn't! All my fears where false. There was absolutely no reason for me to be afraid. He has lots of friends, he's listening and participating and he loves school. Who would have thought!

The boys are doing fantastic. In fact both Alex and Emerson have finally begun to walk. Alexander started taking steps on Sunday. He had taken 1 or 2 steps previously, but on Sunday he started cruising. He still prefers to crawl or to high kneel walk. But basically he walks when he really wants something. Than on Tuesday, Emerson just let go of his toy and started to walk. He looks at me with this devious look and than off he goes! Their therapist told me to entice them to walk more. So I tried semi-sweet chocolate chips. well they loved them and they both started walking where ever I wanted them to go, just to get the chocolate chip! They are so funny, before too long they will be running everywhere just like Max! Other than the walking the boys are having a blast interacting! They crack me up! They are loving playing with their toys together and playing on the couch! This seems to be their favorite new game! Life is good! Soon baby #5 will join in the festivities and life will be complete!

On Monday we took the boys to The Robert Warner Center at Children's Hospital to be evaluated. Because they where 8 weeks premature we have them evaluated to make sure they are developing normally. Well we are happy to report that they are more than "normal" they are all above average for their age. Now, technically they should be testing at a 11 month level since they are only supposed to be 11 months. But they are testing well above their actual age of 12 months. In most areas they are testing between 12-15 months. In some areas as high as 17 months! We are so happy. We really couldn't ask for more from our three little preemies.

I want to thank all of you who sent well wishes for my Aunt. I very happy to let everyone know that she is doing really well. She is finally out of the ICU and is recovering amazingly. She will hopefully be going home soon. Thanks everyone for the prayers and keep it up! It seems to be working!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

A New Day, A New School


They played in that tent for over an hour!
They even chased the cat together.
Aunt Shelley, Carter and my boys!

Ready for his 1st day! What a big boy!
My boys, playing so nice!
Off to the bus stop!
Off he goes! No fear! He never looked back!
I took this picture of Alexander while waiting for the bus. He's such a photogenic kid!


A New Day, A New School

This week was an incredible one. The boys are growing so fast. They are starting to communicate with us more and more. They understand "NO" which is really working out great since my 5 year old doesn't seem to understand it! They now understand when you say "go get your "baba" or "pick up Elmo". They also get excited when I say, "want to watch Baby Einstein or Monsters Inc.". It's just so amazing. Everyday is a new experience and a new achievement.

My very good friend Shelley and her son Carter came to see us this week. It's always nice to see old friends. I miss Shelley so much. It's hard when your friends and family move way for jobs or life experience. It was nice to spend time with her. She knew every baby by name when I brought them down from their naps. I knew right than that maintaining this blog is essential for those people who can not be with us and watch our children grow. I know Shelley is a faithful reader and I thank her for loving us enough to want to be a part of our lives. Thanks "Sheliza"! The boys can't wait to play with Carter again...oh yeah and your short strings! Love You!

On Tuesday Austin started Kindergarten. I was literally freaking out in the morning. I don't know why.I had terrible anxiety. I didn't want him to go. All of sudden I realized my first baby was on his way to becoming independent. I think for a fleeting moment, I just wanted him to be that sweet little baby again. He was so excited when he woke up. He got dressed right away and ran down stairs. He barely ate breakfast and waited impatiently for the school bus which was 25 minutes late. He was so excited to get on the bus that he just screamed "bye" and ran on the bus. I panicked a bit as I saw the bus drive off. The little monster that gave me such trouble this summer was off starting this new adventure without me ...and I was actually going to miss him...and I did. I couldn't wait for him to come home. When he did he was so excited. He jumped off the bus and ran to me. He was spewing out all these details to his day, I could barely understand him. After a quick snack he said... "When can I go back, Mommy?". That's it I guess! My baby is growing up! We also had some scary times this week.

My Aunt Terri, who most of you know is more like my sister than my Aunt fell ill. We rushed her to the hospital on Saturday where they admitted her to the ICU in critical condition. We where unsure of what the outcome would be because she was very, very sick. However, on Tuesday, Terri opened her eyes and began to talk. We are hoping for the best and appreciate all of you that have called with well wishes and concerns. Continue to pray for her quick recovery and for
her son Thomas.