I thought that the little quiz might be fun. We got quite the kick out of thinking how similar the four kids looked. For those of you that looked at the picture it was somewhat evident that it was the baby boy in the striped pajamas that was not one of ours. It was in fact Bridger, Mecale and Jeff's newest edition. Believe it or not, Bridger was born almost two months after our three blessings. Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Jim have been blessed with five new grandchildren since October of 2007.
Some of the most frequently asked questions are:
1. Are you getting much sleep?
I am, however, Melissa and her mother are lacking. I have no idea how they do it but they have my utmost respect. They have developed their own system and it seems to work. No need of me ruining perfection.
2. What can you use the most?
This question usually gets referred to Melissa without hesitation. Refer back to answer #1 as I choose not to mess with perfection. After 12 years of marriage I would like to think that I have learned a little... Or enough. You get the hint.
3. How many diapers do you go through in a day?
The babies have somewhat shifted to a four hour feeding schedule. This has helped to limit the diaper changes to a minimum of 3 every four hours for a total of at least 18 diapers a day, usually a couple more than that.
4. How much formula do you go through?
I love the look on people's faces from this answer. Melissa is a very goal orientated person. She is currently feeding the kids herself. Carmen gets four fortified bottles in a 24 hour period. These bottles are usually saved for the night time feedings so that all three kids are fed at once. This helps to minimize "uptime" and gets everyone involved back to bed in a timely manner. Melissa was told by many different people that she would not be able to feed all three herself. This has been a challenge to her but one that she enjoys as once again, the reactions are priceless.
I cannot express my wonder and amazement as to the things that Melissa and her mother do on a continual basis. The Good Lord knew exactly what he was doing when he made a mother. The mantle of motherhood is something that Melissa has and something she takes very serious. Her constant strength and vigilance shows her dedication as a mother. What more can I say, she is quite the woman!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Friday June 13, 2008
It is Friday the 13th and only bad things happen to superstitious people. Granted, there were some things that happened today that were not within our control, but none the less, we are still surviving.
Ayden had the surgery to repair the hernia on his left side today. We were not told what to expect and thought that we would be back in Hagerman tonight to make our trip on the Burley that much shorter tomorrow. However, as Ayden was about to be taken into surgery we were informed that he did not meet the proper criteria to be considered out patient. This small piece of information would have been very useful to Melissa and I for planning purposes. Things are working out as I am trying to keep Ayden happy as the two of us hang out in the Casa De St. Luke's once again. If he makes it through the night without an Apnec spell then we will be free to leave tomorrow and head for home. Melissa and her mom are currently with the others kids at Mecale's for the night. Thank heavens for understanding family to allow us to bombard them once again for another night.
Ayden faired well with his surgery. We were happy and surprised to see that he now weighs in at 10 lbs 7 oz. Just an estimate for Breagan and Carmen but Breagan must be about 9.5 lbs with Carmen around 6.5 lbs. The kids are doing awesome but we continue to be vigilant at keeping the kids in doors as much as possible.
For those of you that think that you know the kids I have a bit of a quiz for you. In this next picture are you able to tell which one does not belong:
Please feel free to post your answer in the comments section.
Once again, another picture of Ayden's Suite in Casa De St. Luke's.
Ayden had the surgery to repair the hernia on his left side today. We were not told what to expect and thought that we would be back in Hagerman tonight to make our trip on the Burley that much shorter tomorrow. However, as Ayden was about to be taken into surgery we were informed that he did not meet the proper criteria to be considered out patient. This small piece of information would have been very useful to Melissa and I for planning purposes. Things are working out as I am trying to keep Ayden happy as the two of us hang out in the Casa De St. Luke's once again. If he makes it through the night without an Apnec spell then we will be free to leave tomorrow and head for home. Melissa and her mom are currently with the others kids at Mecale's for the night. Thank heavens for understanding family to allow us to bombard them once again for another night.
Ayden faired well with his surgery. We were happy and surprised to see that he now weighs in at 10 lbs 7 oz. Just an estimate for Breagan and Carmen but Breagan must be about 9.5 lbs with Carmen around 6.5 lbs. The kids are doing awesome but we continue to be vigilant at keeping the kids in doors as much as possible.
For those of you that think that you know the kids I have a bit of a quiz for you. In this next picture are you able to tell which one does not belong:
Please feel free to post your answer in the comments section.
Once again, another picture of Ayden's Suite in Casa De St. Luke's.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Sunday June 1, 2008
Melissa is once again on the road. Taylor and I are spending some quality time walking on the canal bank, dancing to music in the living room, and watching T.V.
Melissa took the kids and headed to Hagerman to be with her family for tonight. Tomorrow Melissa and her mom will continue on to Boise for Ayden's surgical consult. Ayden is clearly agitated by the hernia but for the most part has done fairly well. When he gets upset it tends to put pressure on his lower abdominal walls and pushes the hernia downward. If he gets too upset the hernia usually gets fairly solid. Once he calms down the hernia retracts while Melissa and I breathe a sigh of relief. The last thing we would like to do is cause an emergency situation if the hernia does not retract.
Breagan and Carmen continue to grow. The boys are both just under nine pounds while Carmen is just under six pounds. The kids' personalities continue to sharpen as they try to mimic us and often return a smile. It is amazing how their personalities are so separate and independent.
Melissa has been and continues to be amazing. The energy, the ability to continue with little to no sleep, and the patience. It truly shows the mantle of Motherhood and the selfless endurance that she has been taught from childhood as she admired and watched her own mother. The greatest of all lessons learned was that of example.
We continue to reap the blessings of family and friends. As we continue each day we thank the Good Lord above for the people in our lives. We are eternally grateful for the love and support that we are continually shown and hope that we may be able to keep the cycle going by showing the same to someone else in due time. Thank you and we love you! Please feel free to join us for the blessing of the kids on Sunday July 6th. We look forward to sharing this special time with family and friends.
We have seen a common trend lately while holding babies. Here are a couple of moments caught in time regarding this...
Melissa took the kids and headed to Hagerman to be with her family for tonight. Tomorrow Melissa and her mom will continue on to Boise for Ayden's surgical consult. Ayden is clearly agitated by the hernia but for the most part has done fairly well. When he gets upset it tends to put pressure on his lower abdominal walls and pushes the hernia downward. If he gets too upset the hernia usually gets fairly solid. Once he calms down the hernia retracts while Melissa and I breathe a sigh of relief. The last thing we would like to do is cause an emergency situation if the hernia does not retract.
Breagan and Carmen continue to grow. The boys are both just under nine pounds while Carmen is just under six pounds. The kids' personalities continue to sharpen as they try to mimic us and often return a smile. It is amazing how their personalities are so separate and independent.
Melissa has been and continues to be amazing. The energy, the ability to continue with little to no sleep, and the patience. It truly shows the mantle of Motherhood and the selfless endurance that she has been taught from childhood as she admired and watched her own mother. The greatest of all lessons learned was that of example.
We continue to reap the blessings of family and friends. As we continue each day we thank the Good Lord above for the people in our lives. We are eternally grateful for the love and support that we are continually shown and hope that we may be able to keep the cycle going by showing the same to someone else in due time. Thank you and we love you! Please feel free to join us for the blessing of the kids on Sunday July 6th. We look forward to sharing this special time with family and friends.
We have seen a common trend lately while holding babies. Here are a couple of moments caught in time regarding this...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Saturday May 24, 2008
No excuses... I would like to report that we are on a schedule and not deviating from it but that would be a lie. We are still improvising and our new norm is something completely different than Melissa and I ever thought.
Melissa and her mom have been doing great! It's amazing to see them in action. They work great as a team and the babies are showing the signs of some good lovin'.
As of this past Thursday Ayden is 8 lbs. 14 oz. Breagan weighs in at 8 lbs. 4 oz. and Carmen weighs in at a whopping 5 lbs. 7 oz. Carmen also boasts growing to 18 in. long. If these stats do not show the good lovin' I am not sure how else you could tell.
Ayden has developed another hernia. The hernia on his right side was repaired before he was discharged from the hospital. We found the second one while he was getting his two month shots. It was about the size of a dime and could be reduced quite easily. Thursday night while changing his diaper we found that the hernia had grown to about the size of my thumb and was quite hard. This caused quite the concern so Melissa and I took him to see his doctor on Friday afternoon. By this time the hernia had softened up and retracted on it's own. So far the hernia is behaving itself which is good for the three day weekend. We were hoping to wait until around six to nine months to have this done but it appears that this will be happening sooner. We will call his surgeon this next week and see when they would like to see Ayden.
Carmen and Breagan still continue on with growing, sleeping, and filling their diapers. For perspective... Carmen has gone through a package of 34 diapers in just a little under a week. Now we multiply it by three... We were blessed with several packages of diapers from Melissa's family, Melissa's prior place of employment, and gracious friends. WoW! It's amazing how fast we can fill a 13 gallon garbage bag of diapers.
We have been truly blessed and see these blessings grow each and every day. We have chosen July 6th to bless the babies. We hope to have many family and friends that holiday weekend. Please join us for this special day. If you need directions to the church please feel free to contact me for the time and directions.
We love you and appreciate you joining us for this incredible journey. You make it possible for us to continue each and every day with these little angels from heaven.
Grandma Alice holding Great Grandson Ayden.
Melissa and her mom have been doing great! It's amazing to see them in action. They work great as a team and the babies are showing the signs of some good lovin'.
As of this past Thursday Ayden is 8 lbs. 14 oz. Breagan weighs in at 8 lbs. 4 oz. and Carmen weighs in at a whopping 5 lbs. 7 oz. Carmen also boasts growing to 18 in. long. If these stats do not show the good lovin' I am not sure how else you could tell.
Ayden has developed another hernia. The hernia on his right side was repaired before he was discharged from the hospital. We found the second one while he was getting his two month shots. It was about the size of a dime and could be reduced quite easily. Thursday night while changing his diaper we found that the hernia had grown to about the size of my thumb and was quite hard. This caused quite the concern so Melissa and I took him to see his doctor on Friday afternoon. By this time the hernia had softened up and retracted on it's own. So far the hernia is behaving itself which is good for the three day weekend. We were hoping to wait until around six to nine months to have this done but it appears that this will be happening sooner. We will call his surgeon this next week and see when they would like to see Ayden.
Carmen and Breagan still continue on with growing, sleeping, and filling their diapers. For perspective... Carmen has gone through a package of 34 diapers in just a little under a week. Now we multiply it by three... We were blessed with several packages of diapers from Melissa's family, Melissa's prior place of employment, and gracious friends. WoW! It's amazing how fast we can fill a 13 gallon garbage bag of diapers.
We have been truly blessed and see these blessings grow each and every day. We have chosen July 6th to bless the babies. We hope to have many family and friends that holiday weekend. Please join us for this special day. If you need directions to the church please feel free to contact me for the time and directions.
We love you and appreciate you joining us for this incredible journey. You make it possible for us to continue each and every day with these little angels from heaven.
Grandma Alice holding Great Grandson Ayden.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Monday May 12, 2004
Once again time has gotten away from me and it has been over a week since the last post. Things have been quite eventful but uneventful in the same way.
Melissa has been staying busy with the kids. She has been an awesome mother and works at it like she knows no other. People are constantly amazed at how she looks and cannot believe that she gave birth to triplets just a little over two months ago. Unfortunately, I have not faired as well and still maintain my sympathy weight... Just teasing, it really just an excuse for not shedding my original pounds.
Tonights picture is particularly for my PMT Family. They were gracious enough to bless Melissa and I with a stroller appropriate for the situation. If you look close enough the blankets the kids are sitting in are from a special friend that put each of the kid's names on them.
Talk about our Angels watching out for our special angels. There are Angels around us continually and everything that we have been blessed with are from them. Thank you, our special Angels, and may God bless you for your endeavors. They definitely have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.
A short but very distinguished list to say Thank You :
Our Ward Family, our Search and Rescue Family, our Burley Jr. High Family, our PMT Family, our Henslee Family, our Draper Family, our Jones Family, our Burley Family, our Rupert Family, our Paul Family, our Hagerman Family, our Boise Family, and so many more Family members... Thank you for everything!!!
Melissa has been staying busy with the kids. She has been an awesome mother and works at it like she knows no other. People are constantly amazed at how she looks and cannot believe that she gave birth to triplets just a little over two months ago. Unfortunately, I have not faired as well and still maintain my sympathy weight... Just teasing, it really just an excuse for not shedding my original pounds.
Tonights picture is particularly for my PMT Family. They were gracious enough to bless Melissa and I with a stroller appropriate for the situation. If you look close enough the blankets the kids are sitting in are from a special friend that put each of the kid's names on them.
Talk about our Angels watching out for our special angels. There are Angels around us continually and everything that we have been blessed with are from them. Thank you, our special Angels, and may God bless you for your endeavors. They definitely have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.A short but very distinguished list to say Thank You :
Our Ward Family, our Search and Rescue Family, our Burley Jr. High Family, our PMT Family, our Henslee Family, our Draper Family, our Jones Family, our Burley Family, our Rupert Family, our Paul Family, our Hagerman Family, our Boise Family, and so many more Family members... Thank you for everything!!!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Sunday May 4, 2008
Melissa thought it would be fitting to post where we have been and where we are today. Yesterday, May 3, 2008 was the original due date for the babies, judging by 40 week gestational time.
We are more than grateful for the opportunity that we have had thus far. Melissa's mom has been here this week helping out. This has proven to be a great help and we love her dearly for it.
Enjoy the pictures and by all means, thank you Lord and all those that read this. Your prayers have been more than answered. I had the great blessing of talking with a friend today that is going through a particularly tough time in his life. It was my greatest joy to let him know how much I believe in prayer and the blessings it brings. I was more than happy to offer him my promise of praying for his well being and that of his family. I KNOW that through prayer he WILL be blessed. Thank you everyone for allowing me to learn this valuable lesson because of your fervent prayers.
Ayden, the morning after he was born.
Ayden as of this afternoon. "High Five" anyone!!
Breagan the morning after his birth.
Breagan this afternoon. I am not sure where he came up with this pose as I am not aware of "Austin Powers" being shown in the house. Hopefully this is not an indication as to his favorite bad guy.
Carmen the following morning after her introduction to the world.
I am not sure who she is trying to introduce here but nonetheless, you can definitely see an improvement.
Without being able to hold the babies you really have no idea as to the difference of the size between Carmen and the boys. This picture will help you to put things into perspective as Ayden is almost twice the weight of Carmen. (Left to Right - Ayden, Carmen, & Breagan)
Once again, a proud older sister! Taylor is enjoying being a "big" four year old sister.
We are more than grateful for the opportunity that we have had thus far. Melissa's mom has been here this week helping out. This has proven to be a great help and we love her dearly for it.
Enjoy the pictures and by all means, thank you Lord and all those that read this. Your prayers have been more than answered. I had the great blessing of talking with a friend today that is going through a particularly tough time in his life. It was my greatest joy to let him know how much I believe in prayer and the blessings it brings. I was more than happy to offer him my promise of praying for his well being and that of his family. I KNOW that through prayer he WILL be blessed. Thank you everyone for allowing me to learn this valuable lesson because of your fervent prayers.
Ayden, the morning after he was born.
Ayden as of this afternoon. "High Five" anyone!!
Breagan the morning after his birth.
Breagan this afternoon. I am not sure where he came up with this pose as I am not aware of "Austin Powers" being shown in the house. Hopefully this is not an indication as to his favorite bad guy.
Carmen the following morning after her introduction to the world.
I am not sure who she is trying to introduce here but nonetheless, you can definitely see an improvement.
Without being able to hold the babies you really have no idea as to the difference of the size between Carmen and the boys. This picture will help you to put things into perspective as Ayden is almost twice the weight of Carmen. (Left to Right - Ayden, Carmen, & Breagan)
Once again, a proud older sister! Taylor is enjoying being a "big" four year old sister.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday April 29, 2008
Sleep? What is that???
Melissa is doing so much better than I. She is usually the one that "tries" to get me out of bed. Our biggest trial right now is trying to get enough sleep to continue to function.
The kids continue to grow steadily. At last Thursday's appointment, I just realized that I did not update their weights, Ayden came in at a stunning 6 lbs. 15 oz. Breagan weighed in at 6 lbs. 5 oz. Carmen, at that time, weighed in at 3 lbs. 14 oz.
Because of Carmen's low birth weight she qualifies for having Home Health to come by regularly to check her progression. With the Home Health Nurse coming by yesterday afternoon, Carmen weighed in at 4 lbs. even. Carmen is able to maintain her body temperature and has even been requesting more to eat. She has increased from eating around 40 mil. every three hours to just a little over 50 mil. It is nice to have her making these decisions for herself instead of us forcing her.
There are truly good people in this world that are so willing to give of themselves and understand the true meaning of "the love of Christ." While in the Ronald MacDonald house we met so many people that would bring in food for the house residents. We witnessed brand new granite counter tops that were donated to the house by an individual. Numerous Boy and Girl Scout programs provided a service of one type or another to the house. Local businesses donated items, services, and food. I never fully understood the service or charity that the Ronald MacDonald house provides to families such as mine. All the house asks of it's residents is to help keep the house clean, be respectful of other residents, and small donation for the time that you stayed in the house. I would like to publicly thank my parents and my older sister for the donation that they gave to the Ronald MacDonald house in Melissa and I's behalf. We were not even asked for a donation as we left the house nor were we pressured. It was an honor to learn of this organization first hand and the love that they have for their fellow man.
Melissa and I think of everyone regularly and our thank you list grows by leaps and bounds. Most of the time we do not have the words of appreciation. Please know that love and gratitude we have for you and what you have done to help our family.
I will be returning to work within the next couple of days prompting a return visit from Melissa's mother. We are continually blessed with meals, assistance, and presents for the kids. We greatly appreciate everything that has come our way. We have been truly blessed with great friends and family.
Melissa is doing so much better than I. She is usually the one that "tries" to get me out of bed. Our biggest trial right now is trying to get enough sleep to continue to function.
The kids continue to grow steadily. At last Thursday's appointment, I just realized that I did not update their weights, Ayden came in at a stunning 6 lbs. 15 oz. Breagan weighed in at 6 lbs. 5 oz. Carmen, at that time, weighed in at 3 lbs. 14 oz.
Because of Carmen's low birth weight she qualifies for having Home Health to come by regularly to check her progression. With the Home Health Nurse coming by yesterday afternoon, Carmen weighed in at 4 lbs. even. Carmen is able to maintain her body temperature and has even been requesting more to eat. She has increased from eating around 40 mil. every three hours to just a little over 50 mil. It is nice to have her making these decisions for herself instead of us forcing her.
There are truly good people in this world that are so willing to give of themselves and understand the true meaning of "the love of Christ." While in the Ronald MacDonald house we met so many people that would bring in food for the house residents. We witnessed brand new granite counter tops that were donated to the house by an individual. Numerous Boy and Girl Scout programs provided a service of one type or another to the house. Local businesses donated items, services, and food. I never fully understood the service or charity that the Ronald MacDonald house provides to families such as mine. All the house asks of it's residents is to help keep the house clean, be respectful of other residents, and small donation for the time that you stayed in the house. I would like to publicly thank my parents and my older sister for the donation that they gave to the Ronald MacDonald house in Melissa and I's behalf. We were not even asked for a donation as we left the house nor were we pressured. It was an honor to learn of this organization first hand and the love that they have for their fellow man.
Melissa and I think of everyone regularly and our thank you list grows by leaps and bounds. Most of the time we do not have the words of appreciation. Please know that love and gratitude we have for you and what you have done to help our family.
I will be returning to work within the next couple of days prompting a return visit from Melissa's mother. We are continually blessed with meals, assistance, and presents for the kids. We greatly appreciate everything that has come our way. We have been truly blessed with great friends and family.
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