It's Easier, but It's Harder

Hi all. Happy spring!

I'm sure you're like me and wishing it would get pleasantly warm and stay warm. We are ready to get outside more often and soak up the vitamin D. 

We have been trying to make the best of being indoors. One way I do this is making sure Aria has special time out of the house. She still gets excited for Mommy and Me dance class every week.

Sometimes she gets to go to birthday parties.

This time she went with Daddy.

Apparently jumping around on a trampoline for an hour is exhausting.

Before you know it, I won't have a toddler and three babies. It will soon be four toddlers. The baby phase ending makes some things a little easier, yet more difficult at the same time. For example:

Easier:

sitting up on their own

Sitting up opens up a world of new possibilities for us, like being able to play with Aria while we create works of art with out home-made, edible paint.

harder: the things they can reach now.

easier: eating in high chairs

^^graham crackers, veggie sticks and purees^^

Dinner is my favorite time of day now that the triplets eat with us. We have great family time with good conversation and lots of laughs. One thing we started doing during dinner time again (that we hadn't done in a while because of everyone's schedules) is sharing highs and lows of the day. (Thanks to my friend Beth for sharing this idea with me years ago.) Each family member shares the highest point of the day, then the lowest. Each person must share one of each. Some days are bad, but you still have to find something good about it. Some days are great, but there is always something to share that could have been better. 

harder: a bigger mess

easier: holding their own bottles

This really doesn't make life any easier than I thought because (1) they are pretty lazy about actually holding their bottle even though they can and (2) they think it's acceptable to quit drinking halfway through to go roam and play. This leads me to...

harder:

easier: Livi and Henry's helmets are a way of life now.

We don't see it as just "one more thing to take care of" anymore. It's just part of our everyday routine to take them off for an hour, clean them, make sure their heads are clean if it's not bath night, make sure they're all dry and have them back on in an hour.

We had a helmet check-up this week and it looks like the two of them are about halfway done with their helmet therapy. yay!

Both Livi and Henry have grown another 2 millimeters.

Levi and I are hoping they will be done and out of their helmets by their first birthday because the  harder will be dealing with these in the hot summer months. Fingers crossed.

easier: being on track with developmental milestones

The triplets were five weeks premature, but they are rocking their periodic physical therapy check-ups.

Livi is advanced for her age- which doesn't surprise me one bit. Her attitude is very much, and has been since the day she was born, "I have places to go and people to see! You can't hold me back!"

Aria even enjoys getting out to these appointments to help me. OK, truth is, there are always good toys to play with.

harder: not always having my spouse around to help me with all the appointments that come with having triplets and a toddler. Thanks to my mom for helping many times when we have to have long appointments.





 easier: Lucky for me, many of our appointments are in the KC area where Levi works and he can pop in for a few minutes sometimes while he is on break.

harder: when my spouse has to work overtime after long days being by myself. With being down to one income with a family of 7, though, I have to see the positive in the fact that my husband is a hard worker and amazing provider.

Enjoy the rest of your week and have a blessed Easter weekend! And by the way, if you don't have a church you call yours, you should join us at FBR! Levi and I go to the 9:30 service. Let me know if you would like to sit with us!