And on it goes

Things seemed to be on the upswing around here on Saturday.  Reese still wasn't himself, but the nasty diapers were few and far between.  We thought we were in the clear.  Saturday night he threw up and just clearly wasn't feeling well.  We got him to drink a little pedialyte and put him to bed.  Sunday morning he looked horrible.  He was extremely lethargic and not very alert at all.  I called our pediatrician who said to push fluids and get him to the ER if he didn't get better.  My mom came and took care of him while the other 2 slept and we went to church.  When we got back he looked a little bit better.  So, we ate lunch and decided to see if he improved.  He really didn't want anything to eat.  After lunch he was screaming and inconsolable.  That was it.  We went in.  Let me tell you, this did not come without a lot of consideration.  Going back to the hospital we went to when he was a little baby and had just had his episode was not something I looked forward to.  We went in though and it was certainly not a great experience.  The nurse who helped check us in was the nurse who took care of him last time and I was unimpressed to say the least.  I had to do a lot of praying for patience.  We got in to a room and after being there for an hour and a half I finally called in a nurse (no one had even checked on us, not a Dr., not a nurse).  I asked how long the wait would be and told them we were ready to leave and go somewhere else.  I don't like being "that mom", but he really needed to be seen.  They convinced me to stay and told me the Dr. would be right in.  She came in and ordered an xray of his belly and a blood test.  They couldn't get blood, which meant they couldn't get an IV in either.  They said he really didn't look very dehydrated though.  They came in later and said the xray showed a distendid bowel and possibly an obstructed bowel.  They told us they didn't have good pediatric surgeons and wanted to send us elsewhere just in case it got to that point.  So, off we went up to Comer Children's Hospital.  Of course we had to take an ambulance just in case.  For those of you keeping track Reese has taken 3 ambulance rides.  We got to Comer where things were immediately better.  They took an xray which showed intestinal irritation, but no obstruction or anything of that nature.  They said his intestines were irritated from his belly issues and that he just needed fluids.  So with fluids, rest and a little food we were finally discharged at about 4:30 this morning.  So, we spent about 16 hours between 2 ERs.  We are so thankful that it wasn't more serious than he was.  I am waiting to see whether or not we need to follow up with the pediatrician, which I'm guessing we will.  So, from here we'll just have to wait and see. 

Hand, foot and mouth...x3!

Let me start by saying this week was full of crazy days.  I'll start with the good of the last week and a half and then get to the bad and the ugly.

Last week we took the boys to a parade for the 4th of July.  They were great!  I would post pictures, but I'll talk more about that later.  It was hot, but it was fun.  We also did a little birthday shopping on the 4th.  Lots of mixed feelings there.  We also got a swingset!!  Our neighbors were done with theirs and generously offered to give it to us.  They gave it to us last summer and even bought us baby swings for a baby shower gift.  This week they, along with some help from guys at our church, put it up.  I can't wait to spend many days out there playing!  The boys love swings, so we are very excited and grateful.  I also had a great visit from a friend who just left a little bit ago.  (Nancy, I'm sitting, aren't you proud :))   Another great thing is that Noah started clapping this week and Reese got his 7th tooth!  Aiden is still working on tooth number 2 and Noah has 2 teeth.  It's fun to see all the differences!

Now on to the bad and the ugly.  Saturday night Reese had a fever.  It was 101.7.  He still had a fever Monday morning.  Thankfully I had help available on Monday.  So I left Noah and Aiden home with our neighbor Megan and then the boys' Oma Marry (an honorary grandma).  Long story short he had hand, foot and mouth disease.  The Dr. told me that Aiden and Noah would almost certainly get it.  Sure enough by Tuesday Noah had a 102.7 fever and Aiden a 101 fever.  Hand, foot and mouth causes a rash, fever and blisters in the throat.  Nasty!!!  So soft diets and crabby boys followed.  Just when I thought things were looking up Reese had a tummy ache this morning (nasty diapers, enough said).  I cried.  It was the 3rd time I just had to break down and cry this week.  In addition to all of this our computer got a virus and crashed, which also means our home phone won't work.  A couple of other things happened in the mix as well.  It was hard to have a positive outlook this week.  The hardest part of all is that my parents were on vacation this week.  My parents live less than 5 minutes away so it's never a big deal to have her come over.  I've learned how much I miss having her close to me and how much I wish Nate's parents lived closer (they live about half an hour away).  I'm thankful for great neighbors and great help that we can call when we need them, but I still need my mom.  That being said here's what I realized through all of this.  I need to be more thankful for the fact that I normally have healthy kids.  This is temporary and will pass.  I will be more appreciative of our parents.  They sure put up with a lot raising us!  Finally, I've remembered that along with the hard part of having multiples, we get 3 times the kisses, hugs, giggles and love.  I just need to put that into perspective sometimes.  This too shall pass!!!  Let's just hope it's soon.   :)

Noah's heart

Last week Thursday was the big day for finding out how Noah's heart was looking these days.  I was afraid we would never make it there because of traffic!  There was a big accident right in front of us that completely stopped traffic on 94.  After following some people going the wrong way to get off the expressway we found a way to get there just on time. Phew!  It was one appointment I really didn't want to reschedule.  I just wanted to know how he looked.  After at least 30 minutes of trying to get him to hold still for an echocardiogram they had enough images.  They gave him a toy for being such a good boy.  Ha!  :)  Dr. Trivedi came in smiling and said his heart looked perfect!  Relief!!  She said we never have to come back to the cardiologist.  So thankful!  She congratulated me on having 3 big healthy boys.  Noah weighed in at almost 21 lbs. and is almost 30 in. long.  He is a big boy!  It was emotional to see the ultrasound and hear his heartbeat on it.  It took me back to a year ago when we loved having all the ultrasounds to see our boys and heart those beautiful little heartbeats.  I could have cried.  I think the fact that they are almost 1 is starting to hit me and remind me of how much we've been blessed.

If you tell our boys, "No", you will get 3 very different responses.  Tell Aiden no when he is doing something wrong and he'll give a little smile and continue to do what he is not supposed to be doing.  According to my mom he gets that from me.  Tell Noah no and he'll stop what he's doing.  He may shake his head no and smile or if he's tired he'll stick his lip out further than any lip in history.  Tell Reese no and wait for the drama. He will bury his face in the back of his hands and sob.  It's almost comical.  It has been so interesting to see how they all develop and respond differently.  They grow so much from week to week developmentally.  Noah is saying "ball" and throws a ball around and then chases it.  All 3 are standing by furniture, with Reese starting to hold on with one hand and even starting to let go.

We had a blast having a sleepover at Grandpa and Grandma Brouwer's house this weekend.  We did a family garage sale.  The boys LOVED being with their older cousins (and so did I! Such great helpers!) aunts, uncles, etc.)  June was a busy and fun month.  July is a much slower month during which I hope to just relax and have fun with my little guys.

It's a zoo!

It is an absolute zoo around here these days!  At least it feels that way.  The boys are really on the move these days and tend to move like a little herd of animals.  It is hilarious.  The only time it's not quite as hilarious is when they gang up and do something like knock a kitchen chair over.  It's a miracle there are no broken bones in our house yet.  They push each other over, crawl over each other and just cause general chaos.  They are also into everything.  In the last few days I've caught myself saying things like "We don't eat magazines!", "Don't eat the bank statement!", "No dog food!".  Reese actually had a few nibbles of dog food after breakfast this morning.  They tear things apart, unfold laundry, make a mess and stand up against the door so that I can't get in.  Ah, yes.  They are boys.  :)

On a completely unrelated note I was interviewed for our town's newsletter yesterday.  I submitted a story about 6 months ago and they had room to put it in the letter for July.  It's a hometown heroes kind of thing.  I felt like the 2 officers who saved Reese deserved more than just a letter in their file and an extra day off.  So, I told the story yet again yesterday.  The reporter loved the idea of honoring them in a more public way.  It will be in the July issue.  Maybe I can get her to send me an electronic copy and I can post it.

Tomorrow is a big day for Noah.  He will hopefully have his first and last appointment with a pediatric cardiologist.  When he was born he had a little opening in his heart.  This is something that normally closes before a baby is born, but since they were premature it didn't have time to close.  Most of the time they close on their own and nothing needs to be done.  Our pediatrician has kept an eye on it and thinks it's closed.  We are praying that is the case.  I think they next step is just medication, so that's not a big deal either.  The worst case scenario is surgery.  I hope and pray we don't ever have to put one of our kids through surgery again any time soon.  So, tomorrow we hope to hear good news and make this the last ever appointment to a cardiologist.  Prayers are appreciated for this (and always..for everything!).

Finally I wanted to share what the boys and I did for Nate for Father's Day.  It turned out too cute not to share.

In case you can't tell, it's says DAD.  :)

Pictures!

I promised some pictures of recent events, so here they are! Here are a few of the first time the boys went swimming (in kiddie pools, in the backyard) 



Next is a nice family picture from the day my cousin got married. We were dressed up, so we figured we should capture the moment that I wasn't covered in food or snot. :) 
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The last picture is of a picnic I went to with the boys today. (A big "thank you!" to our friend, Sue, for going with me) It was a multiples picnic. I went to school with many of these ladies! It was a great time to get together and realize we're not the only ones who lead this crazy life of raising multiples! It was a blast!

Sorry about the pictures that are sideways.  I couldn't figure out how to turn them once they were loaded and I was too tired to reload them.  :)  So, tilt your head and enjoy!

Summer days and a look back

The past week has been busy and fun for us.  We've gone to the park a lot, including the splash pad near us.  We went to a wedding and the boys came to the after party.  We've just been busy.  I'll be sure to post pictures and write more about our events next time.  I also had a big first for myself.  I got all 3 boys in the car and went to the bank and to get air in my tire...BY MYSELF!!  That is a huge accomplishment for me.  You may be thinking that I am crazy.  What's the big deal?  If you have ever had multiples or kids close together you get it.  Packing up and getting everyone in the car is a ridiculous amount of work.  I did it because our week was going to be crazy and I knew those 2 things really just needed to get done.  Was it worth the work?  Yes, it was.  I felt like after 10 months I was a little bit more like a normal new mom.  Mark that down as a milestone for me.  :)

Last week my mom printed out our caringbridge journal for us.  Yesterday we were rereading some of what we had gone through.  We realized that this coming Saturday marks 1 year since I was admitted to the hospital with preterm labor.  Wow.  What a scary time in my pregnancy.  Then we read about the last few days and the day they were born.  I cried.  What an unbelievable day.  We were beyond ecstatic to meet our little boys.  They were so healthy and beautiful.  Then I read about Reese and how overwhelming and difficult the days surrounding his emergency was.  I realized something.  I thanked a lot of people, but never specifically my dad. He was at the hospital with me while I sat and cried in the ER.  He was such a great support for me while I waited for Nate to get there.  I will never forget one conversation we had.  Through my tears I told him it was the worst day of my life.  He looked at me and said, "Or the best".  He was right.  I still had my little Reese with me.  He was going to be okay.  What a great reason to give thanks!  Having my dad there with me was something I'll never forget.  So, thanks Dad!  What a great way to remember how much he's done just before Father's Day.

On a similar note I've been reading a book (very slowly) called The Miracle of Kindness.  It talks about how to look for people with a need and that 90% of the work is just showing up.  It's true.  There have been people who have been here for us all along and most of what is important to us is that they just show up.  There is nothing more difficult than when someone says I'll be there or I'll bring you a meal or I'll do that and then they don't come.  It makes it very difficult to ask for help (which is already difficult).  It encouraged me to really think about what I offer before I offer it.  I'm really looking for people who can use a helping hand and a way that I can feasibly help out.  After all, we've been in a season of need and know how it feels. So, look around.  I'm sure you can find someone in your life or even someone you don't yet know who could use your help.

On the move!

Well, all 3 boys are on the move.  Aiden army crawls like a crazy man all over the house.  He prompted us to put up gates, put in outlet protectors, etc.  He is into everything.  Reese is doing a cross between an army crawl and a regular crawl.  He gets tired of how slow his regular crawl is and goes into the army crawl.  Noah is doing the traditional crawl and it is hilarious!  Every movement is very intentional.  He thinks hard about every time he moves a hand or knee.  It is the cutest thing ever.  I love watching all of them move around.  They have also suddenly figured out how to go from crawling to sitting.  I was convinced they would never figure this out (okay, I knew they would eventually it was just taking a long time in my mind).  It's like they all of the sudden looked at each other and decided it was time to do it.  Aiden still lays on his side more rather than getting to sitting.  He looks like a model laying on his side.  Ha!  He generally pulls himself to his knees by things like the bouncy seat and then sits.

They are also graduating to big boys foods.  Thank goodness!  I was getting pretty tired of grinding everything up, including things like lasagna (it does not look nearly as appetizing when it's pureed).  We've starting cutting things up really small and letting them pick up their food.  Aiden is thrilled.  He wants to do everything himself.  They are also drinking out of sippy cups at meals.  Wahoo!  They still have an afternoon "snack" bottle with their yogurt for snacktime and a bottle before bed.

People ask me if it makes me sad that they're crawling and eating like big boys.  In short, no.  I love watching them learn knew things.  I LOVE that we can do more with them now.  They love going on the swings at the park.  That is so much fun to me.  I love watching them giggle as they swing back and forth.  I love that we can put them in the grass with a ball and they crawl around after it.  I loved when they were little and I could cuddle them whenever I wanted.  They didn't try to get away from me then.  :)  They are just so much more fun now.  I love to watch them play and move all around.  I'm also asked if I look forward to walking the way I looked forward to crawling.  NO!  That will be much more difficult for me to handle.  That's a big step in mobility.  They get into a lot now, imagine what they will get into then.  Oh my.  What 1 won't think of the other 2 will.  I'm asked often if I still have a lot of help.  Yes and no.  It depends.  I have 3 afternoons a week that I generally have help for a couple of hours.  Wednesdays I have my mom and other days there are people that I can call if need be. I am beyond grateful for the people who help me on a regular basis when they could easily do something else with their time.  I love having them here.  Generally speaking though the days are just me.  Is it hard?  Yes.  Do I sometimes wish I had more help so it would be easier to get things done?  Yes.  At the end of the day though I do my best.  If I didn't finish everything on my list for that day, oh well.  If the boys are well taken care of and I've survived the day I consider that a success.

I was thinking this week about how much we like to share our "journey" with other people.  We get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing other people interact with and love our boys.  Watching the boys with their grandparents, aunts and uncles, our friends and even people who are just amazed at the miracle of triplets is so great.  That wasn't as easy at first.  We live in a world where everyone is very private.  I can remember when we went through Reese's "episode" and surgery I had a very hard time understanding how it effected other people.  I just wrap my brain around the fact that it was hard on other people.  That probably sounds selfish, but that's reality.  It took me time to realize how hard that would be if I experienced it from a different perspective..aunt, sister, or otherwise.  So now that I see how much they can bless people around them I work hard to make sure we share what we have been given.