Friday, May 27, 2011

Growing up!





Growing up!

It's official, I have asked my children to STOP GROWING! It seems everytime I turn around someone is taller, smarter or mouthier then the day before. I'm not exactly sure when they turned from sweet little babies in to these loud, crazy, completely loud mouthed tiny men.

OK, so I DO know how it all happened...the live with me! I hear myself coming out of their mouths. Whether it's Alex's "You wittle boys need to stop wunning awound befo someone gets huuurt". Or Austin's "I have had JUST about ENOUGH of your attitude mister!". It just seemed to happen so FAST!

I can't deny that I laugh a little when I hear my words come out of their mouths. It is gratifying to know they listen to me. I wish they followed directions a little better instead of just regurgitating them back to their brothers.

Anyway, I have asked them to slow down on the growing and perhaps stay toddlers for another minute or two. They haver politely declined and instead have decided to join forces and mutiny!

LOVE

LOVE

Most people can relate to how much we LOVE our children. When they are born(or adopted), it is the happiest day of our lives. Those tiny hands and eyes. Those faint smiles(gas)and those teeny tiny feet. We count fingers and toes just to make sure they are in one piece. We take pictures of every second of everyday to show the world OUR LOVE! However, when our children are born someting else entirely takes over...FEAR. We fear that they will get sick or hurt. We fear that we will out live them, we fear that something will take them away and we can't control the outcome. This world is a dangerous one. Our fears take over, we can't help it. We check on them every 5 minutes and pinch their toes to make them wiggle. We get way down deep close to their face and wait to feel their breath. It's love and the need to protect. Every species protects their young. As a human being I vow to protect my children from the moment I knew I was going to be a mother. At times that made me crazy. So what happens when all the protection in the world can not prevent tragedy?

I recently came upon another triplet mom's blog. Our stories were similar. She had a 4 year old at the time her BBB triplets were born at 33 weeks. They spent some time in the NICU and came home...happy...healthy. She shared all her joys with the blogisphere. "This one is sitting up, that one loves belly time, this one is cooing up a storm". It was like I was reliveing all these amazing memories about my almost 4 year old bouncing baby boys. Then the blog NO ONE wanted to read! While putting her babies down for bed our bloggers sister noticed one of the babies laying on his belly. She turned him over only to find he was unresponsive. He wasn't breathing! She called for the mother who administered CPR and called 911. After several attempts to restart the babys(6 months old) heart, they finally got it started. The hospital staff ran test after test and eventually it was found that the baby had a brain hemorage. He was leagally brain dead.

As I read her post I SOBBED. I cried for every mother out there that has ever lost a child. I cried for every joyous moment that won't be. For every trip down the isle that wouldn't happen. I cried for my children. I cried for their rough beginnings and every tear they have ever shed. I cried for the pain in that mothers heart. For the pain in her childrens heart. For every broken heart...ever.

As of today(this very moment)little Owen Bissing is on life support. Not to save his life, but to save other children all over this country that will recieve his organs and have a chance at life. Pray for his family. They need all the LOVE and prayers that your heart has to offer.

There is so much more to this story that is not mine to tell. I will however ask that ALL of you that read this story stop for a moment and kiss your children, your grandchildren, your neices and nephews and everyone in between. Hold them tight in your arms and let them know how much you care. Life is a gift from God. It is precious and fleeting. It can be taken away at any moment. Don't spend your life concentrating on the BAD of the world. Enjoy the people around you and most of all spread LOVE!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

It's a Potty kinda thing!


Triple Trouble!

It's a Potty kinda thing!

When Austin was 23 months old I explained to him that diapers were no longer an option. He was old enough to have political opinions(he once told the cashier at the Dollar store that his mommy said George Bush was an A-hole)that he was old enough to potty train. Within 24 hours he was completely potty trained. We donated the rest of his diapers to a friend and bought big boy underwear. From that point on he was trained. He never even had a accident.

When the triplets were 18 months old I decided I was going to lay the ground work for early potty training. After all I had 4 kids in diapers and the cost was astronomical. I was going to be SUPER MOM and potty train these guys the same way I did Austin. I sat them side by side in 3 Elmo potty chairs gave them all books to read and waited. I thought as soon as they heard their pee falling into that little red seat and heard their mommy singing the famous "I'm so PROUD of you" song that they would instantly feel joy and self worth and abandon their diapers forever! I wish I could say that, but I can't! Instead 3 18 month old bare assed baby boys went running, screaming and peeing through my entire house. They peed on the curtains, on the carpets and on each other. It was a peefest! I put their diapers back on and decided to wait.

Over the next year I tried several times to get the boys on the potty. It was always the same result. They would run like little mad men peeing everywhere. When they turned 3 I decided enough was enough. I was spending $300 a month on diapers! Every time I changed a diaper I would sit them on the potty. They started to get the hang of it. Maxim would pee, Alex would sometimes pee and Emerson rarely peed but at least he tried. Finally over the winter the potty training stepped up. The boys would remove their diapers and occasionally sit on the potty and go, all by themselves. I was seeing the end in sight!

Here we are almost 2 1/2 years after first starting the potty training process and I am happy to say that Alex is fully potty trained. He only wears big boy underpants and often recruits his brothers for potty breaks. He is a little bit of a Goldie Lox when it comes to pooping though. He has to jump from potty chair to toilet and bathroom to bathroom before finding the potty that suits his poopy needs just right. Emerson will be the next to fully train. He doesn't like to have a wet diaper on his bottom and Maxim has decided to wait for a while(UGH). I have faith that by the end of the summer I will have 3 pooping, peeing perfectly trained pre-schoolers that will constantly scream out ..."MOMMY, I GOTTA PEE!!!!!"
{{{{GRIFFIN, you're next buddy!}}}}