2 Crazy Adventures

Trip #1 -
Call me crazy. No! Really! CALL ME CRAZY! The triplets made their first trip to the mall. Yup. The MALL! And it'll be awhile before they go again. Last Monday (11/12), Lindsay and I took "The 5" to the mall for their Christmas picture. I know, I know, "WOW...you're supermom...a Christmas picture already...you're crazy...I only have 2 and we haven't gone yet...etc..." Get it all out, Ladies and Gentlemen, I've heard it all. But don't give me all that credit: I HAVE LINDSAY! Without her, there would be no picture, trust me! Anyway, we got everything ready for the big trip so when Zoe got off the bus from school at noon, we packed lunch into the big kids and stuffed the babies into their car seats. We were on our way by 12:30. Our appointment was at 1:10, but we needed to hit up Payless first, since Ty didn't have black shoes to wear (which, by the way, you can't even see in the picture).

Three hours later, we left the mall with some great pictures. I should have known it was going to be a challenge when it took 45 minutes just to get in front of the camera. Then, the photographer walked in...and she looked about 16 and like she'd just picked up her first camera. Half hour later, we were still waiting for the camera's first "click". Eventually, we got a second photographer to help and the camera caught fire. Okay, not quite "on fire" but at least there were pictures being taken. On the way INTO the mall, I asked Lindsay if she wanted to bet on how many times we'd be stopped by strangers to see the babies. She laughed me off! Let me just tell you there were no less then 2 dozen GROUPS of people that stopped us. Actually STOPPED us. As they saw us coming, they'd put down their bags and gather into a group and expect us to stop by them. Like we're a train on the tracks and they were waiting at the next station on our route. My favorite question is when they ask if the babies are triplets!

Trip #2 -
First, you should know that Zoe's kindergarten class uses "Letter People" to learn the sound of each letter. For example: "Mr. M" had a "munching mouth" and "Ms. T" had "tall teeth". (If you look closely at the picture you can see the feet of the letters that the class has already finished hanging from the ceiling.) They are currently learning about "Mr. I" who is covered in "impossible inches". Since Zoe was the "Special Helper" on Thursday (11/15), she was asked to bring in a show & tell object that started with "I" and had the soft sound like in "impossible inches". So after phone calls to my mom and my friend (that's already had 4 kindergartners) and a trip through Webster's dictionary for ideas, Zoe decided she wanted to bring "INFANTS". We called her teacher and cleared it with her first. Then I needed to explain to Zoe that the babies wouldn't be taking the bus with her in the morning, we'd meet them at school. (Yes, she actually thought they were going WITH her...she was getting their car seats ready!)

Sure enough, a simple trip to show & tell became a very big challenge. First, the babies woke up early: 6am. Which would mean they would need to eat again at 10am - right during show & tell time. So, we had to hold the triplets off for an hour and THEN feed them. Second, it was raining...no...POURING outside. Third, Ty gave me a run for my money to get him in the car. But it wasn't enough to stop us.

Zoe had her show & tell and boy was it a show! While we waited out in the hall, Mrs. James had Zoe stand by the door and asked what Zoe brought for show & tell. Quietly, Zoe whispered, "infants". It was a little strange seeing Zoe so shy! Mrs. James asked Zoe to introduce the "infants" and then Zoe wheeled them into the class in their stroller. There was a chorus of "ahh's" as she came strolling in. All the kids immediately stood up and gathered around. Zoe got very protective and asked (i.e. ordered) them all to sit back down on the carpet. Of course Mrs. James was already all over it, but Zoe wasn't sure the kids would listen to their teacher, so she made sure to add her two cents. Once everyone was sitting again, Zoe got to stand there and call on her fellow classmates as they raised their hands to ask questions. "What do you do when they cry? Do they fit in the car? Which one was born first? What are their names? Which one is your favorite?" When Mrs. James asked if they wanted to take a closer look at the babies, Zoe was quick to make sure they all washed their hands. Eli was awake, so Zoe showed her classmates how she holds the babies, but was NOT going to let them have a turn. She made sure everyone took a few steps back to give Eli (and her) some space. Then Zoe let Mrs. James have a turn holding Eli before we put him back in his car seat. The "infants" were a huge hit! Their trip even made it into the weekly newsletter that Mrs. James sends home to parents. But boy am I glad I don't have to do it again!

3 Months or 13 weeks and 1 day?

There was QUITE a discussion around the table the other day when Shane mentioned that the triplets were 3 months old. My mother disagreed. She felt they were "3 months" when they hit 12 weeks (last week). So, Mr. Math Minor (Shane) pointed out that each month is, in fact, more than 4 weeks. And that ACTUALLY, 13 weeks is the average for a 3 month period. So let's compromise! According to the calendar, Cole, Eli & Ava are now...3 months...or 13 weeks and 1 day!

To celebrate, I thought y'all might like an update. In a nutshell: they're doing great. They spent their "birthday" at church, then home with family (& 9-day older cousin Micah), then cuddling with Daddy on the couch in front of a cozy fire.

According to their NICU discharge papers, they are "allowed" out and about now that they are 6 weeks past their due date (9/16). The doctors are still concerned about cold & flu season so they received their first dose of Synagis (to fight off RSV). And are due for their next monthly dose the day before Thanksgiving.

On a lighter note: Eli is the first to reach the rolling over milestone. He did it yesterday (11/5) from belly to back. Then he IMMEDIATELY complained that he was on his back. Every time I'd put him back on is belly, he'd immediately flip to his back and fuss.

All the babies are sleeping through the night...ON OCCASION...and just never all at the same time! The game plan is simple: If the first baby wakes up AFTER 4:30, I feed him/her and let the others sleep as long as they want. If the first baby wakes up BEFORE 4:30, they all get fed. =) There IS a method to my madness, but I won't bore you with it. Last night, they all slept until 5:30 (Ava), 5:45 (Eli) & 6:00 (Cole). So they each were fed and then I got 15 minutes to "relax" before getting Zoe up at 6:30 for school. After her bus came, it was BACK TO BED at 7:00 for a little catnap before Shane left for work (8:30). Not bad, right?

3 months down...and so far...so good!

p.s. Eli's picked up a bad habit...

Halloween Happenings

Before I even start...can I PLEASE point out that it's 11/3 and I'm doing this post. It's not 10/31 at 10:30pm! I have a friend that sent me a link to her Halloween pictures on Wednesday night around 10:30. Her pictures had ALREADY been uploaded to Kodak's website! THAT is super mom! Karen (a.k.a. Super Mom) has a 1st grader and 4 year old twin girls. Yeah...that's right...3 kids...all with their own wills...and she had the pictures all together before she went to bed that night. Sick, right? She blamed the chocolate she consumed. I just think she's my hero...

Okay, on to the Higby Halloween Happenings...

Craziness...that's what Halloween now means to me! For the week leading up to this sugar-filled day, Ty has been hassling me with "How many more days until Halloween?" every 5 minutes! It even got to Lindsay (our Nanny). Her creative, resourceful, youthful mind thought to make the kids a countdown calendar. She's so smart...

Wednesdays are always a little nutty around here. But this was above and beyond. We loaded Zoe onto the bus at 7am (6:57 to be exact) then Ty, the trips and I raced out by 8:45 to CBS, as usual. If we leave any later, I can't go through the Dunkin Donut's drive thru around the corner for some MUCH needed caffeine. Then, when Bible Study was over at 11:15, we raced home to be sure to beat Zoe's bus. Lindsay was at the Rachel Ray taping all morning, so she wouldn't be at the house in case Zoe's bus came early. The absence of Lindsay also meant that Zoe & Ty would not be entertained all afternoon! So, from the moment we hit the door at 11:45 (it's hard to race out of a women's event with triplets...they tend to stop traffic) until 3:30, I had 2 very hyper, very annoying, very persistent, very impatient shadows. And when I say "shadow", I mean that there were at least 3 times that I stopped short and had a child run directly into my backside!

Praise the Lord for neighbors! In the middle of the afternoon triplet feeding, I grabbed Zoe & Ty's costumes and told them to get dressed and go across the street to the Steffe's. When Lindsay finally got to our house (after a fun filled time with her friends in NYC), I went over and joined in the traditional Pizza Dinner. We started this tradition about 2 years ago. And every year, it gets a little more nutty. The kids eat as little as possible during this dinner and Juliette and I try as hard as possible to not lose our minds while the kids test our patience with spills, bad manners, questions, arguments, and trips up from their seats.

Once dinner was done (around 5:30), we headed out. The whole gang. All 5 kids, 2 Moms & 1 neighbor girl/Mother's Helper. Just in case you can't quite make it out, Zoe's Belle and Ty's Derek Jeter.

When the houses on our street were completely visited (around 6:45pm), we headed out to Hallelujah night at church. The kids were supposed to be Biblical characters. So, Zoe's title switched to "Queen Esther" and Ty became one of the athletes that Paul referred to so much in his writings. (A stretch, yes, but I didn't have time to change their outfits.)

Church ended at 8:15. We packed up and headed out (after leaving the paint drenched pumpkins in PopPop's office to dry.) Needless to say, the kids hit a sugar low and fell asleep in the car on the 10 minute ride home.

Thursday morning, Ty woke up and asked, "How many more days until Halloween?"

WAG Debut

We did it! We successfully brought the triplets to church! 11 weeks after they entered the world & 7 weeks after the last one was home, we ventured off to Church. It helped that the triplet's feeding schedule has spread out to 3 1/2 hours and church falls right in the middle of that span. It also helps that church doesn't start until 10 am. Still, we did it. That's not to say we didn't hit some resistance: not the greatest night of sleep, unexpected massive spit ups causing a need to redress a child (not that massive spit up is ever expected...it's just you don't expect it from Cole. Ava, yes. Cole, no.), a must-ask-1000-questions Zoe, and of course, a very...very...very slow moving Ty.

I apologize to any of you who may not have been in attendance for the event...but it went well, so you can rest easy...it will most likely happen again next Sunday!

Moronic Move

Okay, here it is served up on a silver platter...your opportunity to bust on me for a lifetime:

Who will ever know why, but Monday morning, I decided I'd try on my wedding ring! Keep in mind, I took my ring off 2 months into my latest pregnancy (triplets) so that it wouldn't need to be cut off when I eventually swelled. I mean, I was SO swollen with Zoe, I was SURE I'd swell early with the triplets.

Okay...back to Monday...I hit a little resistance when I got to my knuckle, but I always did, so I just proceeded on...say it with me...MORON! Immediately, my finger began to swell and turn a LOVELY shade of blue. Lindsay (our Nanny) was quietly giggling in the living room and slowly beginning to panic. Not me, I calmly called my favorite neighbor who promptly told me my options, as she saw them: ER or Jewelry Store. I thought I'd call a store (who wants to pay the $75 ER Co-pay for a moronic move?) Here's how the conversation went:

"Hi! I have a hypothetical question for you"
"Okay"
"Hypothetically speaking, say a new mom of 2-month old triplets attempted to put on her wedding ring and well...hypothetically speaking, let's say the ring was pretty tight."
"Did this Mom try all the home remedies to get it off?"
"Yup...hypothetically...ice...lotion...oil...cold water...sticking her hand in the freezer...NOTHING would get it to budge...hypothetically...and now her finger is turning a lovely shade of hypothetical blue..."
"Then this mom should get to the ER or come into our store before her finger falls off!"

So I did! The store was right around the corner and the jeweler really struggled to get the clippers between my finger and the ring. After about 10 tries and a bunch of "mini" clips, the jeweler was able to pry the ring off. I guess it's a good time to get my rings sized, what do you say? Of course, I had to wait more than 3 hours before I could go back and get the ACTUAL size of my finger measured...and even then, my finger was still swollen. 24 hours later, there was still a bright red "ring" around my finger.

...And to think the ring was taken off so it wouldn't have to get cut off...Ironic, right?

Two Months Later

Well, we've survived two whole months! And we must be doing SOMETHING right because they're sure growing...

Cole - 12 pounds (actually, in his book, the nurse wrote, "11 lbs, 15 3/4 oz.)

Eli - 10 pounds, 9 ounces

Ava - 8 pounds, 3 ounces

Do I REALLY have a 5 year-old?

(sorry it's out of focus...it was 6:45 am before leaving for the bus)

Yes, I do! And apparently, once you're in Kindergarten, birthdays take on a life of their own...

BIRTHDAY #1...9/18/07 - Zoe's official birthday

Making sure to avoid all allergens, Ty & I brought the (apparently) uber-cool birthday snack of "Number Donuts", something I had NO idea existed, to school for snack time. And to think that I was just going to bake some "funfetti" cupcakes and bring them in. But no, that's not what Miss Zoe wanted. So, I called up Dunkin Donuts and requested 2 dozen donuts in the shape of 5's. Choosing a flavor was an act of congress...but finally, Zoe chose 1/2 chocolate frosted and 1/2 strawberry frosted. BOTH with sprinkles. I was fully prepared to pay an arm and a leg for these donuts but was pleasantly surprised: they cost the same as a regular dozen donuts!

BIRTHDAY #2...9/22/07 - The Princess Tea

Being that I recently had a major life change (a.k.a. "The Triplets"), there was NO way I was hosting a 5th birthday party here at the house. After a lot of research (and some serious heart attacks after looking at prices) Zoe and Mommy agreed on a YMCA party. A princess tea. The girls came dressed up as their favorite princesses and they had their nails done, put on make-up (which they got to take home), colored a crown, made a bracelet, & decorated a wallet. Then they had a tea party complete with Apple Juice Tea a & Sandwiches with the crusts cut off. They worked off those calories with a fashion show for those of us that stayed. Then they had cake and called it a day. Phew...I'm tired just writing all that. The beauty of it? I didn't have to plan, set up, bake, host, or clean!!!!!!!!!!!

BIRTHDAY #3...9/23/07 - Family Birthday Lunch

Are you kidding? 2 celebrations isn't enough? Zoe gets a THIRD? A friend of mine was always proud to celebrate her "Birthday Week" and now I'm seeing where that came from. This is CRAZY!!!!!!!!! Nothing too crazy...just some tacos. I baked a sheet cake (could it get easier?) and let Aunt Shannon & Zoe ice & decorate it. Zoe, of course, put a large "Z" on it. Ty climbed up to look at that cake and quickly noted, "Ooooooooooh, Zoe, HANDsome Z!"


All this to say...Praise the Lord we only celebrate birthdays once a year!