Thursday, January 29, 2009
Delaney's First Visit from the Tooth Fairy
A little snow and ice didn't stop the tooth fairy from making a delivery. I hardly thought this would be that noteworthy, but when Delaney is involved there is always drama. Sleeping Beauty, who is always last to wake up, was in my room at 6:30 a.m. I was half awake because I had heard Rick's alarm go off but I was trying really hard to go back to sleep. She whispered, "Mama, the tooth fairy came." I replied, "Really, what did she leave?" But, she was gone. I looked up and she is running back towards the hallway. I figured she was just going to get her dollars when she took a left towards the boys room. I chased after her but she had already turned on the light and with great excitement was informing the boys of her special visit. I quickly turned off the light and told them to go back to sleep but not long afterwards they were awake. I can't really be all that upset. After all, the magic and sparkle in her eyes warms my heart.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
And...it's gone
Since I am playing domestic goddess this week, I prepared a home cooked meal of fried chicken, corn on the cob, biscuits and gravy. Delaney was eating her corn on the cob when I noticed what appeared to be something brownish on her corn. I immediately told her to stop chewing and to open her mouth. Sure enough...she was missing her bottom tooth. I was thinking we would have at least a couple of months before she lost it and I never thought it would just fall out. Of course I was frantic that she was going to swallow her very first tooth. Being the sentimental person that I am, I was not about to let that happen. I had to have that tooth. I was getting ready to have her spit into a napkin when I saw something tiny stuck to her cheek. And there it was her little tiny baby tooth! 
Nana gave Delaney this little pillow some time ago. Thanks Nana, for having her prepared because mom sure wasn't. She's very excited about the upcoming tooth fairy visit.
Sweet dreams...toothless girl. Making the Best of It
The kids didn't even mention going out yesterday, but since a little snow fell last night on top of the ice they were all about going out today. They started begging early this morning. I actually feel sorry for them. Since, they have been big enough to really enjoy the snow, we've had very little snow and Jax so wants to make a snowman. We don't own a sled or any other kind of sledding device so I had to improvise. We used a laundry basket and the kids had fun pushing each other down the driveway. (Devin, thanks for the idea!) We were only out for about 35 minutes before they decided it was too cold and were ready to come in for some hot chocolate.
My lazy boys always want "mommy" to dress them. Recently, we even bought them velcro Nike's and they still insist on me helping. Today however they were all about dressing themselves. It's all about motivation.
My lazy boys always want "mommy" to dress them. Recently, we even bought them velcro Nike's and they still insist on me helping. Today however they were all about dressing themselves. It's all about motivation.
The kids loved making snow angels!
God's Plan
Find the right guy, get married, and have kids.....It's suppose to be easy. Right? Even before we were married, we talked of having kids. After all, both of us are by nature "planners." For certain, we would have two...maybe three if we could afford it. Our only point of discussion was when would we start a family and how far would we space them out. Rick only wanted a couple of years between kids and I wanted 3...maybe even 4 as I really wanted to enjoy having just one child. Thinking about this thought almost makes me laugh, knowing now how it would all turn out.
We were married in October of 2000. I was only 25 at the time and I could have waited, but at almost 30, Rick was anxious to be a Dad. I always had a intuitive feeling that getting pregnant would not be easy for me. So, I agreed to begin trying after being married about six months. After trying for six months, Rick's patience was already worn a bit thin and being who I am, I began to really worry. Of course everyone told us to be patient, including doctors. At a year, my doctor completed a few test but didn't find anything wrong and placed me on Clomid, a common fertility drug given to women. But, that wasn't the answer. At that point, Rick had been speaking with a co-worker who was pregnant and had seen a fertility specialist. She urged us to speak with him, so we first saw Dr. Sims in July of 2002 and he ordered a complete work up of test on each of us, even repeating some test my other doctor had completed. This meant numerous trips to the doctors office for tests, ultra sounds, blood test, more test etc. During one procedure, where they shot dye into my tubes to make sure they were open, the doctor discovered that I had a septated uterus, which meant if I were to become pregnant then most likely I would miscarry or not carry to term. Dr. Sims scheduled me for surgery in late August. The repair to my uterus was a success but during surgery, it was discovered that I had severe endometriosis. He was able to remove some of it but not all. He suggested I take a drug called Lupron for at least six months which would basically throw my body into a menopausal state. He felt this might give me the best odds at reducing the endometriosis, as this was the only thing that he had discovered which could be causing infertility. After completing some research and much prayer, we decided to go against his recommendation. After we gave Dr. Sims our answer, he began a different approach without any hesitation.
In November, I took my first round of fertility shots. I was accustomed to getting shots from a pro/nurse but from my husband, a novice on a daily basis was not exactly fun. However, I was grateful because I was definitely too much of a wimp to give them to myself. Our first round failed and I developed cysts on my ovaries which meant I would have to go back on the pill for the month of December. Each round of fertility treatment cost us around a thousand dollars. I remember that Christmas very well as with every holiday during this time. Every child made me think about whether we would ever experience the joys of children. It was definitely a very sad Christmas for me. In January, we went for round two of fertility drugs and the doctor told us that if it didn't work, our next step would be Invitro which would be even more costly. The doctor upped my fertility dosage. To be honest, I didn't think twice about this. My desire to have a child was so overwhelming I just never really thought about the possibility of multiples especially since we couldn't even have one. Knowing ovulation didn't seem to be my problem, I kept inquiring about IUI. The doctor said it was only an extra $350 and that really seemed like pocket change considering all of the other costs we had encountered. Without hesitation, I said, "let's do it." This would allow them to get the timing and everything else perfect. And so our infertility road would end here (almost 6 years ago today) and God would have many surprises ahead for us.
While all of this seems so clinical, I know without doubt God gave us our miracle and infertility was all a part of a greater plan. During our struggle to conceive, we both grew closer to God and joined the BA Church of Christ. However, during this time I must admit my faith was severely tested. I couldn't help but think, "Why us?" I also couldn't help but think that Rick would be better off with a wife that could give him children. Each month seemed like an eternity and I was always searching for answers. Fortunately, I continued to pray. Although many of our close friends and family knew of our struggles to conceive we really didn't share with our church family until January of 2003. We had our entire Sunday School class praying for us. So many of our church friends offered us so much encouragement and support during this time. And, what do you know...we conceived that very month. Coincidence...I don't think so. God's Plan.
We were married in October of 2000. I was only 25 at the time and I could have waited, but at almost 30, Rick was anxious to be a Dad. I always had a intuitive feeling that getting pregnant would not be easy for me. So, I agreed to begin trying after being married about six months. After trying for six months, Rick's patience was already worn a bit thin and being who I am, I began to really worry. Of course everyone told us to be patient, including doctors. At a year, my doctor completed a few test but didn't find anything wrong and placed me on Clomid, a common fertility drug given to women. But, that wasn't the answer. At that point, Rick had been speaking with a co-worker who was pregnant and had seen a fertility specialist. She urged us to speak with him, so we first saw Dr. Sims in July of 2002 and he ordered a complete work up of test on each of us, even repeating some test my other doctor had completed. This meant numerous trips to the doctors office for tests, ultra sounds, blood test, more test etc. During one procedure, where they shot dye into my tubes to make sure they were open, the doctor discovered that I had a septated uterus, which meant if I were to become pregnant then most likely I would miscarry or not carry to term. Dr. Sims scheduled me for surgery in late August. The repair to my uterus was a success but during surgery, it was discovered that I had severe endometriosis. He was able to remove some of it but not all. He suggested I take a drug called Lupron for at least six months which would basically throw my body into a menopausal state. He felt this might give me the best odds at reducing the endometriosis, as this was the only thing that he had discovered which could be causing infertility. After completing some research and much prayer, we decided to go against his recommendation. After we gave Dr. Sims our answer, he began a different approach without any hesitation.
In November, I took my first round of fertility shots. I was accustomed to getting shots from a pro/nurse but from my husband, a novice on a daily basis was not exactly fun. However, I was grateful because I was definitely too much of a wimp to give them to myself. Our first round failed and I developed cysts on my ovaries which meant I would have to go back on the pill for the month of December. Each round of fertility treatment cost us around a thousand dollars. I remember that Christmas very well as with every holiday during this time. Every child made me think about whether we would ever experience the joys of children. It was definitely a very sad Christmas for me. In January, we went for round two of fertility drugs and the doctor told us that if it didn't work, our next step would be Invitro which would be even more costly. The doctor upped my fertility dosage. To be honest, I didn't think twice about this. My desire to have a child was so overwhelming I just never really thought about the possibility of multiples especially since we couldn't even have one. Knowing ovulation didn't seem to be my problem, I kept inquiring about IUI. The doctor said it was only an extra $350 and that really seemed like pocket change considering all of the other costs we had encountered. Without hesitation, I said, "let's do it." This would allow them to get the timing and everything else perfect. And so our infertility road would end here (almost 6 years ago today) and God would have many surprises ahead for us.
While all of this seems so clinical, I know without doubt God gave us our miracle and infertility was all a part of a greater plan. During our struggle to conceive, we both grew closer to God and joined the BA Church of Christ. However, during this time I must admit my faith was severely tested. I couldn't help but think, "Why us?" I also couldn't help but think that Rick would be better off with a wife that could give him children. Each month seemed like an eternity and I was always searching for answers. Fortunately, I continued to pray. Although many of our close friends and family knew of our struggles to conceive we really didn't share with our church family until January of 2003. We had our entire Sunday School class praying for us. So many of our church friends offered us so much encouragement and support during this time. And, what do you know...we conceived that very month. Coincidence...I don't think so. God's Plan.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Mama's Not Ready for the Tooth Fairy
Today was our second visit to the dentist and everyone scored a perfect check-up. I can't go without mentioning that we go to Family Smiles Dentistry in Broken Arrow. Dr. Evan and his staff are beyond amazing. Everyone treats the kids like royalty and know exactly how to connect with them. They make taking three kids to the dentist easier than a walk in the park.
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I was however shocked when the assistant told me that Delaney had two loose teeth. Being the emotional person that I am, I thought I was going to shed tears. I know it's ridiculous but it seems like they are getting more grown up everyday and this was just another reminder. The assistant told me that kids are losing them even earlier these days, and it was perfectly normal. Jax has one very slightly loose tooth. Nothing for Baylor yet, but that's not surprising as he was the last to get teeth. While I can barely remember the first year of their life as it was such a blur, I can remember the two's and cutting molars. It always seemed like one of them was teething so we gave them teething tablets or as they referred to them as T-T's. Before long, they asked for them each night as a part of their bedtime ritual. Seems like yesterday...
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I was however shocked when the assistant told me that Delaney had two loose teeth. Being the emotional person that I am, I thought I was going to shed tears. I know it's ridiculous but it seems like they are getting more grown up everyday and this was just another reminder. The assistant told me that kids are losing them even earlier these days, and it was perfectly normal. Jax has one very slightly loose tooth. Nothing for Baylor yet, but that's not surprising as he was the last to get teeth. While I can barely remember the first year of their life as it was such a blur, I can remember the two's and cutting molars. It always seemed like one of them was teething so we gave them teething tablets or as they referred to them as T-T's. Before long, they asked for them each night as a part of their bedtime ritual. Seems like yesterday...Saturday, January 17, 2009
Baby Tag
One of my blogging goals this year was to journal my pre-blogging days and at the top of that list was to document my pregnancy. So, I guess participating in this tag is a start.
1. Were you married at the time? Yes
2. What were your reactions when you first found out you were pregnant? Disbelief... I even thought the pregnancy test might have been old. I think I was afraid to get to excited but underneath I was ecstatic and so relieved to think that we had finally did it. But, I took a second home test just to be certain. Now, finding out I was having triplets is a completely different story in itself.
3. How old were you? 27 and 28 when I delivered
4. How did you find out? Since we had gone to great lengths to get pregnant, it certainly wasn't a complete surprise. I however was certain I wasn't pregnant so I had been refusing to take a test. Finally driving home from work one day, I realized I was indeed a few days late so I took a home pregnancy test & PRAYED.
5. Who did you tell first? I called Rick at work and said, "you were right, and I was wrong." The only time I have been happy to say that. :) It didn't take long for the word to spread as family was anxiously waiting.
6. Did you want to know the sex? Absolutely...I am a planning freak!
7. Due Date? I didn't really have one. October 16th would have been 40 weeks but my doctors took it one week at a time and in the early stages hoped I would make it to 28 weeks. Everything after that they said was icing on the cake. The unknown was very hard on the "planning" me.
8. Did you deliver late/early or on-time? 35 weeks...a real miracle!
9. Did you have morning sickness? Dreadful round the clock sickness but evenings were the worst. Thank God for the miracle drug, Zofran!
10. What did you crave? EVERYTHING...Pepsi early in my pregnancy to settle my stomach & pretty much any large quantity of food towards the end. I ate a ton of cheese and as weird as it sounds I really liked Charlie's Chicken.
11. Who/What irritated you the most? not being able to be a "normal" mother to be & bedrest
12. What was your first child's sex? Technically, baby boy C was delivered first.
13. How many pounds did you gain throughout your pregnancy? little over 30 pounds
14. Did you have any complications during pregnancy? Bedrest at 26 weeks due to pressure on cervix. I had to monitor my contractions twice a day and check my blood pressure, but it could have been much worse.
15. Where did you give birth? St. Francis Hospital, Tulsa
16. How many hours were you in labor? got lucky here..none
17. Who drove you to the hospital? Rick
18. Who watched? Rick
19. Was it natural or c-section? c-section
20. Did you take any medication to ease the pain? Yes, I wasn't completely nuts.
21. What did your child weigh? 4.4, 4.8, & my big girl...4.10 ounces
22. Did your child have any complications? Normal complications for preemies, including sleep apnea. Jax had the most difficulty after birth and had to be fed through an IV. I didn't get to hold him until he was 2.5 days old.
23. What did you name them? Jaxon Wayne, Delaney Lillian, & Baylor James
24. How old are your first born today? 5...I can't believe my babies are this old. Sometimes I want to freeze time, but then everyday turns into a new adventure.
I was tagged by April. You can read all about her cute adorable little guy Austin. I tag Faith & Shannon and anyone else who wants to join the fun.
1. Were you married at the time? Yes
2. What were your reactions when you first found out you were pregnant? Disbelief... I even thought the pregnancy test might have been old. I think I was afraid to get to excited but underneath I was ecstatic and so relieved to think that we had finally did it. But, I took a second home test just to be certain. Now, finding out I was having triplets is a completely different story in itself.
3. How old were you? 27 and 28 when I delivered
4. How did you find out? Since we had gone to great lengths to get pregnant, it certainly wasn't a complete surprise. I however was certain I wasn't pregnant so I had been refusing to take a test. Finally driving home from work one day, I realized I was indeed a few days late so I took a home pregnancy test & PRAYED.
5. Who did you tell first? I called Rick at work and said, "you were right, and I was wrong." The only time I have been happy to say that. :) It didn't take long for the word to spread as family was anxiously waiting.
6. Did you want to know the sex? Absolutely...I am a planning freak!
7. Due Date? I didn't really have one. October 16th would have been 40 weeks but my doctors took it one week at a time and in the early stages hoped I would make it to 28 weeks. Everything after that they said was icing on the cake. The unknown was very hard on the "planning" me.
8. Did you deliver late/early or on-time? 35 weeks...a real miracle!
9. Did you have morning sickness? Dreadful round the clock sickness but evenings were the worst. Thank God for the miracle drug, Zofran!
10. What did you crave? EVERYTHING...Pepsi early in my pregnancy to settle my stomach & pretty much any large quantity of food towards the end. I ate a ton of cheese and as weird as it sounds I really liked Charlie's Chicken.
11. Who/What irritated you the most? not being able to be a "normal" mother to be & bedrest
12. What was your first child's sex? Technically, baby boy C was delivered first.
13. How many pounds did you gain throughout your pregnancy? little over 30 pounds
14. Did you have any complications during pregnancy? Bedrest at 26 weeks due to pressure on cervix. I had to monitor my contractions twice a day and check my blood pressure, but it could have been much worse.
15. Where did you give birth? St. Francis Hospital, Tulsa
16. How many hours were you in labor? got lucky here..none
17. Who drove you to the hospital? Rick
18. Who watched? Rick
19. Was it natural or c-section? c-section
20. Did you take any medication to ease the pain? Yes, I wasn't completely nuts.
21. What did your child weigh? 4.4, 4.8, & my big girl...4.10 ounces
22. Did your child have any complications? Normal complications for preemies, including sleep apnea. Jax had the most difficulty after birth and had to be fed through an IV. I didn't get to hold him until he was 2.5 days old.
23. What did you name them? Jaxon Wayne, Delaney Lillian, & Baylor James
24. How old are your first born today? 5...I can't believe my babies are this old. Sometimes I want to freeze time, but then everyday turns into a new adventure.
I was tagged by April. You can read all about her cute adorable little guy Austin. I tag Faith & Shannon and anyone else who wants to join the fun.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Addiction
Apparently, addiction can strike at any age. While all of the kids enjoy the Wii system, Baylor seems to love it. Over the break, I would notice that the other two would lose interest after a bit, but Baylor would stick with it playing for quite some time and he learned how to maneuver the system with ease. When picking up the kids on Tuesday from my mom's, I stayed a while to help her with her new lap top. Baylor whined the entire time asking, when we were going to leave. This seemed odd but I didn't think that much of it. As soon as we arrived home, he caught me and spoke very quietly, "Mom, can I play the Wii?" I replied yes and he said, "okay...but don't tell Delaney or Jaxon." He wanted it all to himself. This is a new learned skill as none of my children have learned the skill of secrecy even when it would benefit them. During his Wii gaming session, he went exploring options and inadvertently erased a couple of channels. Of course, he was very apologetic and although we didn't punish him, we did stress the importance of not clicking on random buttons. Fast forward to the following day....we had been home for about five minutes. I was in the kitchen when Baylor approached me, "Mom, I need to tell you something. I am not going to play that Wii game." Thinking it might be because he felt bad for the previous day, I asked him why. He replied, "Well, I just been playing it too much." I said okay and he started to walk away but then turned around, "I'm just really not going to play that Wii game." I told him if he wanted to play it then it would be okay and asked him if he wanted me to turn it on for him. He adamantly replied this time, "I told you...I DON'T want to play it!" However, while he said it, he walked straight over to the controls. I said, "I'll turn it on for you." He said, "Okay, thanks...I want to play Wii Skorts(sports)." It was as if he tried to stay strong but just couldn't help himself.
*And as a side note, as I was typing this post, I had to stop and turn on the Wii.
Here is a picture of Baylor from last Sunday playing the Wii. I made him take off his church clothes, but he never got around to dressing in some sweats or taking off his socks. Although, most probably don't want to see my little boy in his underwear, Rick thought his fashion statement was hilarious. He thought it was so funny, he even took this picture.
*And as a side note, as I was typing this post, I had to stop and turn on the Wii.
Here is a picture of Baylor from last Sunday playing the Wii. I made him take off his church clothes, but he never got around to dressing in some sweats or taking off his socks. Although, most probably don't want to see my little boy in his underwear, Rick thought his fashion statement was hilarious. He thought it was so funny, he even took this picture.
And another picture taken by my husband, the new photographer.....(He said he has decided to take more pictures. This is two for for the New Year so this beats his record from last year.) Since, I am speaking of addiction...here's Delaney with her current addiction, watching "Jon & Kate Plus 8." We have a bunch of episodes on our DVR and she watches one every evening even though she has seen them a million times. She has Baylor watching them at times. So, I'm curled up with the kids and looking at Rick in shock that he has picked up the camera once again. What you can't see is I am using my phone to access Facebook...my newest addiction. Looks like we could all use a 12 step program.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Spring in January
We finally managed to come out of hibernation today. We took the kids to a movie and then enjoyed some time outside.
It seems like only yesterday that the kids could barely control their four wheelers and each turn was a near crash into another. Now, they do figure eights around each other and try to see how close they can get to one another without crashing.
The kids actually humored me and posed for some quick pics in the wooded area across the street.
It seems like only yesterday that the kids could barely control their four wheelers and each turn was a near crash into another. Now, they do figure eights around each other and try to see how close they can get to one another without crashing.
The kids actually humored me and posed for some quick pics in the wooded area across the street. 
A lot of Nothing
For our second week of Winter Break, we have thoroughly enjoyed a little down time at home. We spent a lot of time playing and hanging out.
One evening the kids had a camp out in the living room. The boys slept in their Star Wars Station/Hut and Delaney slept inside her High School Musical Stage tent. As much as they really wanted to sleep in their tents, the little creatures of habit had a really hard time falling asleep. Early in the morning, a thunderstorm hit and one by one they all filtered into our room and slept on the floor.
Since one of the kids favorite past times is drawing, coloring, and writing, we set up an art station upstairs. We have had pictures taped to everything throughout the house, and taking just one down brought Jax to full blown tears. Needless to say, it was time to find a unified display area. Uncle Patrick built them this activity table and I decided to place the kids hand prints on the top to give it a little character. I hung the bulletin board from Santa and strung some wire to also display additional art and use as a place to dry their paintings. Uhhh...finally some organization.
We rang in the New Year by ordering pizza and playing the Wii. It was just a low key family evening. The kids were very tired from not napping, so our "mid-night countdown" came around 8:30. 
One evening the kids had a camp out in the living room. The boys slept in their Star Wars Station/Hut and Delaney slept inside her High School Musical Stage tent. As much as they really wanted to sleep in their tents, the little creatures of habit had a really hard time falling asleep. Early in the morning, a thunderstorm hit and one by one they all filtered into our room and slept on the floor.
Since one of the kids favorite past times is drawing, coloring, and writing, we set up an art station upstairs. We have had pictures taped to everything throughout the house, and taking just one down brought Jax to full blown tears. Needless to say, it was time to find a unified display area. Uncle Patrick built them this activity table and I decided to place the kids hand prints on the top to give it a little character. I hung the bulletin board from Santa and strung some wire to also display additional art and use as a place to dry their paintings. Uhhh...finally some organization.
We rang in the New Year by ordering pizza and playing the Wii. It was just a low key family evening. The kids were very tired from not napping, so our "mid-night countdown" came around 8:30. Uncle Patrick and Aunt Julie gave us movie tickets and a night of baby sitting for Christmas. It was nice to get out together and enjoy a meal and movie. And, the kids certainly didn't miss us one little bit; they love spending time with their uncle and aunt.
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