I can't put it off any longer....

      I am so far behind, I can't begin to remembser all the things I wanted to share. I should begin with the fact that we've been diaper free for quite some time now. It was going great for a while until recently, we've taken a big step back. I've been reverted back to cleaning poop and pee for a million pairs of underwear a day. It's tiring, to say the least. Another thing is that the girls went to their first dentist appointment. Both did awesome. I am a proud mama. Brushing their teeth is a big favorite in this house! We haven't been up to very much. Just trying to enjoy the last nice days of the year. It's predicted to be a long, cold, fierce winter this year and none of us are ready for it. We took some walks to soak in the fall colors. Our babies really love mother nature! They all listen to the birds and squeal when they see something cross our path. We've had a fire in our firepit every few nights and they love to play outside in the dark. We sit in our front yard and gather up the fallen leaves. The girls love to race back and forth from the sidewalk to mommy. We decorated the yard with spooky Halloween stuff. I've never seen 3 kids so excited for Halloween at such a young age. They are histerical. Hailey and Zoey will be purple butterfly princess cause everything is about princesses right now. Aaliyah will be Ariel from the Little Mermaid; another princess obsession. They all walk around knocking on the interior doors of our house saying "Trick or Treat" waiting for candy. They should be good by time Monday is here! I am sitting here trying to go back and remember the things I had said to myself "blog about this" but I can't. There is just so much. I think I might just strap a camera to my forehead so I can just record the daily life. There is never a dull moment!

      I try to seperate Hailey and Zoey out to make this more about the twins but I can't help leave it as just that. Aaliyah is so much apart of their life...more than most others. She's might as well be the slightly older triplet. It's funny though because it looks like that to others too; that instead of twins and an older sibling, people ask if they are triplets often. All I can say is they or the girls. Aaliyah is a phenominal big sister. Better than anyone could ask for. She takes good care of her sisters and considers them her own babies sometimes...silly girl. Aaliyah is too special to leave out. I also wanted to try and seperate the twins in the blog too so you get an idea of both of them but they do everything together. Except when Nanny comes and takes one to give them some independence. Last time, Zoey went and Nanny took her to the party store to check out costumes. She was amazed by the place. She saw a monster and said "NANNY!!! MONSTER!!!". She charmed many a fellow shoppers with her cuteness. Hailey is anxious to go to Nanny's next!

      I have a new strategy. For now on, I'll carry a notebook with me so that I can jot down what I want to remember to share with you all. I can't begin to tell you how many times I think about just sitting right down and typing it out. It's time for bed...the trio is waiting.

I apologize...

   I'm not sure how many actually read this but I am sorry for being such a lousy blogger. Funny thing is that I LOVE to write and tell my story. The problem must be my lack of energy or time lately. My idea for doing this blog involved me posting daily on the girls, our lives and the things we go through. Well, that's not how this blog has turned out so far. It's not that I don't have time. I might have a few minutes to type out something but God knows I'll be beckoned by someone before I even get into it. This is a busy house. I am constantly needed. I know, that's motherhood but I have to believe that it will get easier at some point.

   I think that at the moment, potty training is at a point where I have to be there all the time. Hailey and Zoey no longer want to use the kiddie potty, they must use the BIG potty. It's going fine but I tried leaving them alone in there a few times only to walk into a toilet full of toilet paper and them brushing their teeth butt naked on the sink. Yea, not a good idea. It is cute though that sometimes when one is on the potty, the other will sit on the side of our tub and just be there for her sister. When they are done going potty the one will say "Your turn!" and they switch spots. It's what I wanted but I didn't remember how much of MY time this would take..but in the end, I will get my time back when they can go all by themselves.

   They are all so independent now. The twins are growing so fast. I miss my little new twins I held almost 3 years ago. Now, they do it all all by themselves and they tell me that. I get told a lot how well they talk. Sometimes you almost forget you are talking to 2 two year olds. They are just so vocal. I know all 3 are smarter than average but I wont brag on that too much. Their favorite thing to play together lately is that they are all little chef's. Aaliyah got a cute chef hat and apron and they'll put it on one of them. That's the chef. The other's sit around the floor pretending to be patrons to the restaurant. The other day, Daddy put their cool disco, spinning light ball on the floor in the hall and they hung out at the end of the hallway having a disco dance party. That is another thing I love. They all LOVE to dance. I can't wait to put them into dance classes. They'll all get dressed up in tutu's and ballet slippers and twirl around the living room. They even watch Dancing with the Stars with us each week. They are something else!

   They are all starting to get excited about the upcomming holidays. I'm already hearing about Santa and Christmas. I am not even ready for Halloween! I have no idea what the girls will be. I guess I should just ask them! Well, it sounds like my time is up. They gave me a good run here but it's a bit too quiet right now.....until next time!!!

Month-long UPDATE!

It's been awhile! We made it past all the chaos during the end of summer. We all came home to cold weather and sickness. We had a great time in Maryland though! It was just amazing see all of my family and seeing the girls meet and get to know them all a little. I was tickled to see both the twins LOVED MD blue crabs. Nana got some and they tore down with mommy on some yummy crabs! They took to family as if they knew them for years. I love to see that. I miss my family and that warmed my heart to see my girls blend in with everyone. We got to party, dance, swim and eat good food. Well, I had planned to throw the potty training out until we got home but these big girls had other plans, especially Zoey. She told me everytime and even went on the BIG potty! Now that we've been home, I think we may be super close to no more pull-ups! They prefer their undies or being naked. They LOVE to go on the potty all the time now. It's still a lot of work though because it still gets messy. I think we'll be there in no time. Another big milestone....NO MORE PACIFIERS!!! ONE full week without those pacis! I won't lie at all and say that it excites me. It makes me happy but very sad too. It was my last bit of baby-ness they had and you bet I was trying to hold on to that. It was time though. They were ready and did so well! I'll get past the fact that my 3 girls are not babies at all anymore. At least I know they still need me. They call my name "MOOOOMMMMYYY" all day long still. They are a real handful! I hardly get a moment to myself. I've just got to force it sometimes. I love some of the perks of them getting older too. They are better at communicating their needs to me. They get downright demanding sometimes! I often get yelled at by the "Princesses". They forget who runs this show....and well, I forget too when they overcrowd me with "MOMMMMMMMY!" from all 3...my only thoughts are to please them and then sit down. I feel like I am running a circus around here. Another plus to them getting older is that they understand ME more. I can get more help out of them now. For the most part, they all 3 behave and listen well. It's an everyday challenge, that is all. I really do enjoy being able to witness these three beautiful, busy, energetic little beings grow and change. Its just so bittersweet being their mom. Until next time, and it won't be so long, I hope everyone is enjoying life!

A quick UPDATE!

Wow! Life is just too fast. We're almost through our crazy end-of-summer schedule and let me say this, I AM TIRED! I'm going to just recap our past few weeks since I haven't posted at all since it began. Last time I did, it was Aaliyah's birthday. Well, on August 24th, Aaliyah and I went to our FIRST CUBBIES game!!! We sat in the bleachers too like real, hardcore fans! We took the train to the city and boy, does she love train rides! Her eyes get really big and she just stares out the window. She doesn't stop talking either. Her mind must be running twice as fast cause she had something to say or ask every 5 seconds. Once we got to Chicago, we hopped onto the Red Line and rode to Wrigley Field. We walked out of the train station right into a sea of Cub's fans and it was a sight to see. There was also a cab accident with ambulances and cops' right out in front of the stadium....no surprise from the cab drivers out here, they are NUTS! We circled the stadium to waste some time and just see it all. We found our entrance and went in to get some food and find a seat. We grabbed some yummy $1 ballpark hotdogs and pop from a friendly lady who adored Aaliyah and proceeded to the bleachers. It was packed and people were getting their drink on. We scoped at a nice seat right under the score board and made our way in. The hot dogs and pop were in our belly in no time since we all were so hungry from our train rides in. It was so cool to see her interest in everything. The game began and the Cub's were looking good right away! Next thing we know, Soriano is at bat and hits the ball straight at us! HOMERUN!!! It came right at us but went to the lower level of the bleachers. Still so exciting! The crowd would cheer and Aaliyah would join in just as loud as she could. If they boo'ed, she did too. Girl is a natural fan. We walked around and checked out the goodies and just really enjoyed ourselves. Back in the bleachers by time 7th ining stretch began and we all stood for the song. "Take me out to the ballgame......" Aaliyah tried to sing along as if she knew the song! We left and headed for the train once they finished cause we had a long day. Our Red Line train ride home was interesting. We had to stand and Billy held Aaliyah. The train would pick up speed real quick then stop suddenly. I was certain we 3 would end up on the floor at some point. She thought it was like a carnival ride, laughing the entire ride. She charmed the conductor into giving her a dollar for no reason too. What a great memory for us. It was perfect. We had such a good time with our baby girl. I know we needed it.

 On Saturday, we headed off early for our camping trip. We were joined by many families at the campground for our first camping trip as a family. Aunt Mary's first annual camping adventure was a HUGE hit! It was amazing to see everyone so relaxed and carefree. My heart was warmed by the many faces of the autistic children that went as well. You could see the joy right in their eyes. Their parents let down their guards and gave their special little one's a much needed chance to run free and enjoy a place with NO JUDGEMENT. It was something each of us needed to do and I cannot wait for next years trip! My photography was also a huge hit. I was photographer of the event and boy was it awesome to be a part of everything and with everyone. I brought some prints of my favorite pictures I've taken and the entire time, people continuously came to me and praised my work. That felt so good. I was overwhelmingly flattered. Many families want me to do some sessions and tell me I should go PRO! I guess it's time to really work on a business name and make myself serious about it! We had a blast around the fire and running the fields under the stars. We were visited by llamas and seeing-eye dogs. Really was a good time. Now, it's Tuesday and I'm half packed for our next trip....NANA'S PARTY IN MARYLAND! We leave Thursday evening and I am sooooo excited. So are the girls. They keep asking me if we're leaving yet. I just hope they do well with the car ride! I also hope this trip doesn't squash my hard work of PTing. Did I mention how well they are doing? Zoey is awesome with it! She pulls her panties down and goes on the potty almost every time and Hailey does it here and there. We are making progress. Besides the potty, the twins are full blown in the terrible 2's. It's a bit crazy anymore. I'm hoping that family who haven't met or miss them a whole lot will be keeping them off my hands for a good while on this trip =] I will be back and I will update then! Off I go to finish my motherly duties and prepare for the adventure!

A moment to look back 4 years...

Yesterday was a big day. Our oldest baby girl is now transformed into our BIG girl. Aaliyah turned 4 years old! We were telling her how we can all remember that day she was born. How Mommy and Daddy got up really early and met Nanny to go have our baby girl. We told her how we remembered her first cry that she made once she was born. She listened to us with a tiny little smile on her face. Nanny came over to sing Happy Birthday with us and watch her do her gifts and cake. I told her that Nanny was there and would remember the day she was born. She got a lot of really neat gifts. She's just that special. Later in the day, Aunt Stephanie came by to say Happy Birthday to Aaliyah too. She brought gifts as well which was completely to Aaliyah's delight. The girl loves presents! I told her again that Aunt Stephanie was there after she was born and that she remembers that day too. It was just so neat seeing the thoughts going in her head. I could almost read her mind and she seemed to be trying to remember that day too. We told her a lot of cute little things that we remembered from her day of birth. The sound of the jets roaring over the hospital as I was wheeled to the OR. It was the weekend of the Chicago Air show and they fly over our area while waiting for their turn and what not. I recall the nerves really kicking in on that cold ride. I was so calm once Daddy was by my side. I remember the radio playing in the background as my doctor went to work on my belly and me focusing on her cry, waiting for it. Then, there it was. I remember even with the anesthesia, I felt chills run over me and a wave of tears swell up in my eyes. I remember Daddy's face when they put her in his arms to show me. His pride was shining brightly in his eyes. I remember touching her chunky little face and just being captivated. In all the comotion once the nurses took her and Daddy to go clean up, I listened a little more carefully to the music that was playing. When I heard, I couldn't believe what song it was. Aaliyah's "One in a Million" played softly as I was sewed back up and I just smiled. The rest of the day was complete blur due to morphine dose in my epidural. I can't remember much of my stay either. I do remember her pooping all over me one night while it was just her and I. It was funny even then. How much could come out of such a infant? Ha, the nurses had to clean us both up after that one. She was my beautiful, stubborn, new, 8lb 14oz. baby girl. These 4 years have been quite the journey for all of us. She became a big sister to twins before she was 2 and took the task on like a champ. She is the perfect big sister, from day one. She is smart, sweet and friendly. Loves to make people smile and always loves the attention. We couldn't ask for a better daughter than her. We are all so proud of how amazing she is in every sense of the word. As bittersweet as it is to see her grow another year older, we have so much to look forward to and it excites us to see where she's going to take us in her life. Mommy and Daddy are ready for whatever you heart wants to do baby girl. We love you to the moon and back <3

I was not meant to be a blogger...

I really do intend on posting each day. I swear the thought crosses my mind actually more than once a day. The one little thing keeping me from fulfilling that thought is the fact that these 3 cute little monsters run my life. Constantly, non-stop, I am needed. It's really a pleasurable thing. I know that without me, mommy, these girls would be lost. They'd survive but I know they need me. So, I am sorry that I cannot make a post on a daily basis as I wish I could but please do check in because I will post eventually!

We have a lot of things coming up to keep us even more busy than now. Tomorrow, we are going with our aunt to check out the campsite she's set up for the huge camping event! First things first, this camp trip shall be interesting to say the least. I'm happy I get to go get an idea of things with the girls before the whole group of autistic students and their/our family members go in 2 weeks. Then, we'll be stopping by Nanny's to see her and Paw Paw on the way home! The girls and I went for a night out with Nanny on Tuesday and she spoiled us so nicely! It was a blast spending time with her. During the week, we'll be doing lots of preparing. Mommy wants to have a garage sale! There is so much stuff that has gathered through the years. Looking at it all, it's bittersweet. It really proves that my 3 babies are growing up so big. It's just mindblowing sometimes when you're able to slow down and think about it all. How fast they grow and change and learn. The twins spotted their old exersaucer and acted as if they remembered it from their infancy. I wonder if they do? Needless to say, I can't wait to see it get out of my hair though. I hope to make some money to save up for our trip out east to Maryland next month! So, Thursday, Friday & next Saturday will be the sale. Aaliyah's BIG 4th BIRTHDAY is Wednesday!!! Can we say WOW! Where does time go? She acts more like she 12 already. I might cry. Then our big camping trip on the 27th. The BIGGEST event of this summer is September 3rd! We'll be leaving for Maryland on the 1st and Nana's big birthday bash is that Saturday! I am beyond anxious! I'll be seeing family I haven't seen in at least 6 years. The girls will be meeting new family and I know my mom and nana cannot wait to show them off! It's going to be pretty huge for us. Once we get home from all of that excitement, we'll be having Aaliyah's birthday party the following weekend. There was just no room for it this month. I'm happy she's okay with the late party. She thinks it's better late than never too! She's asked for a Princess party. I am intimidated by party planning but, it must be done. This next month will be lots of fun but lots of work too. I hope to at least come in and do a post throughout the chaos because by now you know, I probably wont do one each day. Well, it's time for me to go take care of my monsters! Thanks for reading!

Forgive me...

I am so very sorry for the lack of posts this past week. It was a busy weekend. Zoey and I pay for it by getting sick. We're still sniffling and coughing. I honestly think this heat has played with all of us lately. Thankfully, it's not as hot. We took the girls on the first train ride to Chicago on Sunday! Last time we attempted to ride it, there was no room for our big family. We were all so bummed but, at last, the train had a few rows left when it arrived at our station. The girls waited with such patience and when it finally rolled in, they each squealed! The twins yelled "Choo-choo" and Aaliyah was jumping up and down. It was so cute. We boarded and picked out a seat. It wasn't near any windows but, we did have the doors. When Aaliyah felt it move she said to me "It's moving! We're going fast!" She was very excited. Hailey made daddy stand by the doors and mommy wasn't crazy about it but she loved pretending she was the conductor pulling on the string to blow the horn. When the real horn on the train sounded, both of the twins looked at me with excitement. It was such an adventure. Zoey sat with Aaliyah for most of the ride and the two of them had a blast saying their ABC's and counting. They were goofing around with another little girl in an adjacent row. We got to the city and got off the train. Walking through the station, these girls thought they were big stuff! They walked all by themselves, even up the stairs (holding someone's hand of course. Mommy's still scared from the accident they had!) and walking through the city. We walked until we spotted a popcorn shop called Sticky Fingers. It was a cute, small, delicious smelling shop. We were the only patrons when we walked in. The girls took full advantage of that fact and oogled the popcorn behind the glass and moo-ed at the cow-themed decorations. We ordered freshly made caramel cashew popcorn, grabbed some pop from the neighboring 7-11 and walked to Millenium Park. We found a bench and sat down to munch on the popcorn. So YUMMY! It will be a must-stop place for our family visits. The girls had no concern for the other people walking through the city. They must have thought they ran it. That kind of makes mama worry but Daddy reassured he had them. He likes to give them independence as I squirm in my seat....but he's ready to pounce at moments notice. Once we took a break, we headed to the big face wall waterfall thing in the park. The girls were in shock to see it. If I could of bottled that moment up, I would have. Their eyes were so big and gazed over with delight. The twins were in water heaven. Aaliyah waited with her hands to her mouth for the face to spit out the spout of water. When it finally happened, her face was priceless. She was a mix of freaked out and tickled to death. After a while of playing in the faces, we walked the wet gang over to the bean. Another cool thing for them to discover. Hailey's natural reaction to the bean was to lay down and look at her self in the reflection (for those who do not know, this is a sculpture in Millenium Park that is odd shaped, like a bean and made from mirror-like materials. A big hit in the city! Zoey was exploring fearlessly through the crowd looking for just the right spot to lay down and where does she pick? Right in the middle of a highly trafficked spot. She got lucky and no one ran her over. Aaliyah was busy trying to hold the massive bean up on her shoulders and making silly faces while laying next to Hailey. It was such a blast watching the girls discover and explore these new places with such confidence. It lets us know that we're doing pretty good...if nothing else, too good. We left the sculpture and walked over to the open area of grass where orchestra's play. The girls needed some space to just run it out and boy did they take off. Mommy sat there laughing as Daddy chased after 2 toddlers at once. I wonder if he'll ever just split in half one day =] It was about time for us to catch our train so we started walking while eating Mike & Ike's (bribary!). We are so proud of our big girls. Each one of them. They amaze us at how well behaved and fun they are when we just let them take the reins. On the train ride home, Zoey dosed off on Daddy while Aaliyah watched out the window. Hailey and I sat together and passed the time. She is so funny. At one point, she was standing up on me and looking back at a grey-haired man. He must have reminded her of her grandpa cause she crossed her arms across her chest and gave him the "look" that most of us know of her. She stared him down through her eyebrows practically. She's something else. Once we arrived at our stop, we headed to our car and went home. It was a long but fun evening in the city with our girls. Now, we've been sick all week. Zoey is on medication to clear her up and I'm still getting better. We've been sick, lazy bums all week and the other 2 are dying of boredom. It's friday, beautiful and cool outside. I plan on playing around out in the backyard while I clean then going to meet our aunts for dinner at McDonald's playplace! I say they deserve a night out and a treat to some mickey d's after our week. Hope you've had a good, healthy week everyone! Enjoy this weekend!