Big City

I miss the beach.

But, even being back home we are still having a great summer. Today we had this summer's first trip to the pool and I think it's safe to say the girls liked it, especially Katie, also known as "the Fish." That kid loves the water.

Yesterday we had another big milestone - the girls first trip into New York City!! We only live about 25 miles outside the city, but we don't seem to go in very often. I had signed up to try out for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (which was a bust - don't look for me sitting across from Meredith anytime soon) and we decided as long as I was going in we would all go!

We went in early and visited my uncle at his law firm on Madison Avenue. The girls liked his big windows, big chair and big desk.







Then PJ and my aunt took them to Central Park while I went and failed the Millionaire test. After a long walk back to the car, then a long ride home (through the Lincoln Tunnel which I think was the girls favorite part of the trip, they ooohed and aahhed through the whole thing, clapping when we finally reached the end) we got home safe and sound and tired.

Then Charlotte sat on the couch and promptly threw up all over herself. Just when I was thinking wow, LaLa didn't even get carsick! Glad she gets to keep her title as The Puker.

All in all though, a good day. The girls seemed to like the city, they had wide eyes the whole time- pointing at everything. We have to go back soon - I see an FAO Schwartz visit in our future.

Beach Lessons

Only a little more than halfway through our (AWESOME) vacation, and I've already learned so many new things about my children.

Such as, they LOVE watermelon. But it must, must be eaten outside.



No matter how much sunscreen I put on them (and I swear, I put on LOADS), these girls are going to tan.



They enjoy an outdoor shower.



And dining outdoors is pretty nice too.



Katie is quite fond of funnel cake (who wouldn't be though?) but not as big on ice cream.



Charlotte is a funny, funny kid.



They look so cute in bathing suits it's almost painful.



They don't eat sand anymore but some beach pebbles just look too delicous to not at least lick.



They both love the beach.



They REALLY love the ocean.



And Katie will always let you know when she's had enough....



So far we definitely haven't had enough!

I'm Gone

I should probably have mentioned that I was going on vacation.... so...

We're on vacation!

Saturday we left for Cape May. The weather has been so-so but it's still been a great trip so far. The girls have been very good, and they love the beach. No more eating the sand like last year (though they did try to drink the ocean water...blech).

We've already gone to the beach, played in the sand, swam in the ocean, flown a kite, went to the boardwalk, had funnel cakes and lemonade and ice cream.... and we still have a lot of vacation left!

First Haircut

Today was a big day. One I thought might never come when I was looking at my bald, bald babies just last summer....



That's right, we went for our very first haircut. Although that might be a bit of an exaggeration - it was honestly just a trim. They were definitely starting to sport a nice little toddler mullet, and they had straggly pieces hanging in their eyes. The stylist did a great job of just neatening it all up.

And shockingly - my girls were SO SO GOOD!

There was some bribery involved in the form of Mommy and Grandma's cellphones, and maybe a lollipop, but still, they were angels. I thought Charlotte might be okay since she doesn't mind me putting pigtails in her hair but Katie usually won't even let me do that. I was really proud of them and they look so so cute.

On our way to the salon!



Charlotte went first.....



Mmmmm..... lollipop.....



Okay, don't take too much off the sides!



DONE!! LaLa you look great!



And then Katie, who didn't seem to enjoy it as much as LaLa but still was happy to sit on Mommy's lap and play with her phone....



Katie was more camera shy than Miss Charlotte...



This is the best 'after' we got....



We did have trouble getting the cellphones away from the Divas....



But when we got home Daddy had bought us presents - our own combs!! :)



Such big girls!! Where did my little bald babies go?

Goodbye, again

I know I've written before about all the things I just knew I would never, never do once I had kids. Things like, oh say use a leash or bribe them with cookies or let them walk around with runny noses.

Top of my list was the fact that I was never, ever going to drive a minivan. I mean there was absolutely zero chance. Zero.

Until I found out I was pregnant with triplets (many many 'nevers' go out the window upon hearing that news.... chief among them the "I'm never having triplets!" one). And we realized that we needed a car that could hold three car seats. And that is a very limited type of automobile.

And so, almost exactly two years ago, we went and bought a minivan. Not just ANY minivan, mind you, but a USED KIA MINIVAN. That's right..... try to control your jealousy.

Somehow early on, the minivan earned the nickname Mr. Poop. I honestly can't even remember why though it did come from my husband. Yes, good Old Mr. Poop, my minivan.

Now we have decided to sell Mr. Poop. My mom just bought a new car and we are taking her old one (an Infiniti SUV, so a definite upgrade). The van is out in the driveway with a big "For Sale" sign in the window.

And I can't believe how terribly sad I am about it.

I remember very clearly the day we bought the van - I was about four months pregnant and the whole idea of triplets seemed so surreal, so hard to comprehend. Driving off the lot in the mini van certainly helped make it much more real. We were so happy that day, happy with our purchase, and excited at the thought that in a few short months we would be filling it up with three sweet babies.

Driving it while I was pregnant I would look in the rear view mirror and try and picture the babies that would someday be strapped in back there. One would have to go way in the back in the third row, and everyone would always say "Don't stick Jack back there!! Don't make him sit in the back because he's the boy!" And I would say I won't, I promise. They can all take turns. And then I thought, maybe he'll like it in the back... a little time alone, away from his sisters. A little peace and quiet.

Of course Mr. Poop never did get to carry three car seats, and that third row was never even really used. But it's still been a good car. It took my girls home from the hospital when they were so so tiny, being swallowed up by their car seats. It's gotten us safely around for almost two years. And it's been the very last 'triplet' thing we still had.

I can't tell you how many times I've looked in that rear view mirror since Jack died and tried to picture him there, sitting in his car seat, yes way in the back. Behind his sisters, another little blue eyed, fair haired baby. When the van goes, that vision, even if only in my mind, goes with it.

Goodbye Mr. Poop, thank you for two good years. Thank you for keeping my babies safe inside. All three of my babies.

And goodbye again Jack. I hate that over and over, we keep having to say goodbye.

Nonsensical

And just like that.... it stopped. Sunday night Charlotte was still throwing such a fit at bedtime that she (again) threw up all over her crib within five minutes of being put in.

Monday she went down for her nap without a peep, and has basically done the same thing ever since. We have had some different issues due to her having a cold but no more of the crazy screaming freak outs at nap/bedtime.

Huh?

I don't know, I don't get it. I wish I had some magical answer that I could share with everyone else going through it but I honestly have no idea. It just confirms my belief though that we, the mom's of babies and toddlers, spend all our time trying to make sense of the basically nonsensical. We look at everything through an adult's eyes, we want a reason, an answer, an explanation for every whimper, every sleepless night, every cranky day.

Is it colic? teething? four month wakeful period? gas? separation anxiety? room too hot? crib too hard? they're hungry? cold? pajamas too tight? molars coming in?

Sometimes, it just... is. Sometimes I can't sleep. Sometimes I wake up crabby. Sometimes I don't want to eat my dinner. And it's not my molars or gas. It just is.

In more good news, we had an appointment with Katie's pediatric cardiologist this week. He said her heart looked beautiful!! The Amplatzer device looks perfect and has closed the PDA. More importantly, the valve they ballooned looked good - still narrow but better. The heart just looks great, she looks great - he said her results from the surgery they did in October are the absolute best they could have hoped for. Such a huge huge relief - thank God. We don't have to go back for a year now, and she will probably always have to go yearly to be monitored but hopefully that's it.

She definitely looks healthy! And is the world's sweetest baby. She all of a sudden loves everyone so much - she kisses me constantly, pats me on the arm, rubs my back, runs over and lays her head on my knee. Charlotte has been very sweet and affectionate for awhile, and now Katie is right there with her. They are such cuddly, loving, good girls....




and of course, crazy monkeys too. But that's what makes it all so fun.

Night time

My sweet little Charlotte has continued to give me such a hard time with going to sleep. Just out of nowhere, she went from going to bed like a little angel to screaming and carrying on like a deranged maniac, making herself hysterical (and a few times making herself throw up) within minutes of getting in her crib.

Just the mention of 'bed' sends her to tears. Every night before bed I say okay girls, night-night time!! Katie starts singing "Nap time, nap time...." from Yo Gabba Gabba and Charlotte starts to sob and say "No!! No!!"

I decided there MUST be something physically wrong with her. There must be! An ear infection maybe, ah a nice simple ear infection. We'll give her some antibiotics and soon my calm, happy girl will be back.

So off we traipsed to the doctor who obligingly checked LaLa over from head to toe and every spot in between. And declared her to be 100% perfectly healthy.

Damn.

The doctor's diagnosis - separation anxiety. Damn again.

He told me the same thing my mother said - that i need to go out more often and she will learn that it's okay, Mommy goes away but she comes back. He told me this is very typical, especially with stay at home moms. She is so used to me always being there... my not being there one night just triggered this anxiety in her.

So yesterday I took Katie out to lunch with my friends and left Charlotte with my aunt, where she had a great time and apparently was happy as a clam (meanwhile Katie spent the entire car ride pointing at Charlotte's car seat and going "Huh? Huh?" and shrugging her shoulders then had a total meltdown when she saw LaLa's picture on my cellphone, pointing at it and sobbing hysterically).

But, Charlotte is definitely not cured yet. After I picked her up from my aunt's I took her to the supermarket where she proceeded to cling to me, refused to allow me to even put her in the shopping cart, screamed like a lunatic and at the checkout hung on to me so tightly while i tried to bend over she caused me to lose my balance, i fell down hard on one knee, wrenched my back and she pulled down my shirt while trying to hold on for dear life. I think the young male cashier saw my nipple. He looked horrified. And will probably remain a childless bachelor forever thanks to the two of us. Sorry kid.

We did have a great Memorial Day, and it was the one day Charlotte went to sleep without a problem. I think we just wore her out.