Well the troublettes are still sick. Daddy and "Aunt" MB had to take them to the doctor's office (again) on Friday while I was at work. Austy Bear got a nebulizer treatment, Michaela got put on antibiotics for a sinus infection, and Caden was put on antibiotics for a bilateral ear infection. They are all coughing up a lung so to speak and sleeping like . . . well, lets just say they are not sleeping. Which means . . . we aren't either.
So to cheer myself up, I shall share some fun and silly things that are going on in the Shay home, compliments of the multitude of children so to speak-
Austin- This tiny tank of a boy has been walking around the house with a side to side step saying "dance dance". He has the most infectious little grin that accompanies this little booty shake that you can't help but to laugh and join in. He has also learned to say "Peeas" as in 'please', which is usually said in request for- food! Hey, you can't blame the dear boy, he certainly has a figure to maintain. There is now a lock on the food cabinet (though not all entirely his fault- his sister was using large cans of beans to climb to higher shelves housing cereal and cookies . . .). Austin has also learned to scream and can throw a mean temper tantrum. We'll blame the Shay fam for that trait!
Michaela- HATES DRESSES! For this girl, I have prayed and God sent me a TOM BOY! And, I love her! She is so funny, extremely opinionated, fearless, and pretty much rules the roost. God help anybody that picks on one of her brothers, including Riley, because Mick will take them down! She climbs- EVERYTHING! She tells you "no-no" and "don't-don't" (probably because she hears it often in reference to her own behavior). She loves to "woof", "hiss", "roar", "quack", etc. Austin constantly seeks her attention, Caden can't get away fast enough, and Riley is often doubled over by her antics. "Where did we get her from Riley?" "From, God. I always wanted a baby like this!"- Riley
Caden- Determined. Determined. Determined. He now is the proud owner of ankle braces that will help keep his feet in alignment. They will enable him to build up the muscles he will need to walk. He is getting more and more daring everyday as he tries to pull to a stand in the middle of the room. His favorite game is to stand up and have me count out loud until he falls down. Over and over again. He loves music and is constantly asking for "mu". We rock out to Alvin and the Chipmunks and Ralph's World. He can also throw a stellar tantrum.
Riley- I had to save the bestest one liners for last. He is so funny . . .
We have been watching re-runs of "chunky brewster", aka Punky Brewster.
Leaving the petting zoo, a woman said to me, in reference to all the children, "God Bless You, Ma'am!" Riley- "Mom, did you sneeze?"
"I am having the worstest day in my whole life!" . . . "and I don't know why!"
"This is the bestest dinner ever!"- in reference to re-heated chicken mcnuggets.
Upon opening his Valentine's mailbox complete with Valentine's for his friends and stickers- "I am exceptional disappointed, there are no hearts in here!"- candy hearts of course!
On my new hoop earrings- "Mom, what are those cute little things called?" "Earrings. You think that I look cute?" "No. They look silly. You look weird Mom. Can you take them out? Take them out Mom."
"I am tired and I am hungry. And I don't know which one I am first!"
Overall, Riley is a wonderful big brother. He tries hard to share, which doesn't come easy to most 4 year old little boys. He tells people who ask to take a baby home with them that the babies are all "his" and "he wants all of them". They "crack me up"- Riley.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Truckin along
We are recovering from croup, growing teeth, and suffering from severe lack of sleep. Special thanks to Grammie for our full night sleep last night- the first in a week. Despite all that we are thriving. Take a look at Caden- pulling to stand in the middle of the room without holding on to anything! He is DETERMINED! We are so blessed!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Rough Day For Riley
Just when you thought things couldn't get anymore hectic, Jesus jumps on your kid's hand. Okay, so technically Riley was at fault because he didn't get out of the way after his turn at jump rope, but instead laid down on the blacktop in protest- but still. I really didn't need a swollen hand late Tuesday afternoon. Just when I was trying to decide whether or not to go to the Urgent Care to get an x-ray, Dr. Wilkinson called to check on Austin. "Funny you should call now actually . . ." Needless to say we were instructed to bring Riley in this fine day should the swelling in his hand not go down. So . . . at 10 minutes to 10 for an appointment at 10 in Laguna Hills we rushed out the door. We would have left sooner, but Caden decided to throw up his entire breakfast and bottle on Trisha, our nanny. God love him. It just kept coming. I couldn't stop laughing and ended up peeing in my pants- Trisha's face was classic as we both struggled not to puke. I took Caden, gave Trisha a towel to shower off, and quickly cleaned up the mess. And off we went.
Caden, Riley and I made it to the office in one piece. The nurses, noticing our frequent visitation schedule this week just laughed. Dr. Wilkinson took one look at the hand and said, "Yep. That's pretty swollen and probably broken." "Bummer. I was kind of hoping for swollen and badly bruised . . ." And down for the
x-rays we went then back to the office to await the verdict. "Not broken. We'll splint it until the swelling goes down . . ." Super.
Back home. Drop off Caden (though not before he pukes the entire pedialyte bottle in Michaela's car seat at the McDonald's drive through). And off to Riley's dentist. For the 1st time under Nitrous (and hopefully the last). Little chips filled. Off to Toys-R-Us. Yes I bribed him.
Home for the evening routine. Crabby- overtired kids, dinner, bath, bottles, bed, a load of laundry. Riley- game, books, prayers, bed. Casey shaking me awake, a little computer time, now off to clean the bathrooms. I think I'm ready for work . . .
Caden, Riley and I made it to the office in one piece. The nurses, noticing our frequent visitation schedule this week just laughed. Dr. Wilkinson took one look at the hand and said, "Yep. That's pretty swollen and probably broken." "Bummer. I was kind of hoping for swollen and badly bruised . . ." And down for the
x-rays we went then back to the office to await the verdict. "Not broken. We'll splint it until the swelling goes down . . ." Super.
Back home. Drop off Caden (though not before he pukes the entire pedialyte bottle in Michaela's car seat at the McDonald's drive through). And off to Riley's dentist. For the 1st time under Nitrous (and hopefully the last). Little chips filled. Off to Toys-R-Us. Yes I bribed him.
Home for the evening routine. Crabby- overtired kids, dinner, bath, bottles, bed, a load of laundry. Riley- game, books, prayers, bed. Casey shaking me awake, a little computer time, now off to clean the bathrooms. I think I'm ready for work . . .
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Crabby and Croupy
And I want us to remember this why? Because I am convinced that one day we will find the humor in all of this. . . From the first infectious round of gastro that sent the entire family and babysitters running to the bathroom (and mommy and daddy back sick from their first weekend away); to now- 3 for 3 little ones sick with croup. It started with Caden late Friday night into early Saturday morning, when we made Caden's 1st ever ER visit. He was diagnosed with croup and bilateral ear infections. The doctor gave him oral steroids and a dose of antibiotics. We logged in 3 hours in the ER between the ungodly hours of 3-6 am. Just a few short hours later, at 8:45 PM, Michaela awoke with a barky, croup-like cough and difficulty breathing. With only 15 minutes until KidsDoc closed, I called in hoping for a break- no such luck. Prior to heading out to the ER for a second round, I called the hospital and spoke with the on-call doc. It was my lucky day! Jacquline prescibed oral steroids for Michaela and Casey was able to fill them at the 24 hour pharmacy. Yea! We followed up with the kids' PMD, Dr. Wilkinson this morning (after leaving her yet another message asking her to squeeze us in- we just saw her last week). Anyways, Caden and Mick ended up with IM injections of decadron, the PO doses were too small and the doctor was concerned about the effectiveness (PO vs IM). Austin checked out fine, no cough, no ear infections, just a drippy nose- though happy as a clam. Then came tonight. Thank God Dr. Wilkinson wrote for an emergency supply of decadron tablets- a stronger strength than the liquid Caden and Mick received. Daddy left to fill the prescription at 15 till 11pm and returned shortly thereafter. Grammie quickly dosed up Austy Bear and here we are. We spent part of the evening outside in the cold air and in the bathroom doing steam showers. Caden and Mick are now sound asleep in their cribs, Riley and Casey in the master, Grammie and Austy in Riley's bed . . . and me off to bed- a good night sleep can only be found in books I'm afraid.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
A Busy Weekend . . .
Took a trip out to Corona to celebrate Grandma Shay's 80th birthday. Somehow we managed to keep it a surprise and the majority of the family was able to make it to the party. It was the triplets first visit to Grandma Shay's house. They recognized her and demanded her attention. Caden wanted to be held and Michaela would wrap her arms around her legs. Austin preferred hanging out with mom. Both Austin and Michaela loved watching the dogs out on the patio and would stop playing long enough to go "woof" at them (Michaela). Riley had an awesome time playing with his cousins. The kids were troopers. We made it there and back safely albeit a bit tired.
Today, Riley and Papa went to Knott's Berry Farm for the first time. Riley had a blast on all the trains. He loves hanging out with Papa, who is and always has been a kid at heart! Tonight when we decorated sugar cookies (made by Grammie the night before), Riley said he was "discouraged" because the cookies had already been rolled out and baked. He still was up for the decorating though, when he saw the bowls of frosting come out of the "refidgagator". "Mommy, you know the rule with decorating these right? You have to eat whatever cookies break . . ." He then proceeded to "decorate" a mountain of frosting complete with sprinkles from at least 8 different bottles- aptly named the "scrambled cookie", by Riley himself.
A few more Riley-isms from this past weekend:
Michaela- We had to take a magic wand away from you because you were beating the boys with it like they were pinatas. You had everybody laughing this weekend with your antics, at the party and at Costco this afternoon. You ham it up with an audience. You are a thrill seeker.
Caden- You have become a little bit more daring with your standing and letting go routine. You are able to hold your balance a bit longer each time. You are also getting really good at temper tantrums.
THE TRIPLETS ARE TEETHING!!!
Today, Riley and Papa went to Knott's Berry Farm for the first time. Riley had a blast on all the trains. He loves hanging out with Papa, who is and always has been a kid at heart! Tonight when we decorated sugar cookies (made by Grammie the night before), Riley said he was "discouraged" because the cookies had already been rolled out and baked. He still was up for the decorating though, when he saw the bowls of frosting come out of the "refidgagator". "Mommy, you know the rule with decorating these right? You have to eat whatever cookies break . . ." He then proceeded to "decorate" a mountain of frosting complete with sprinkles from at least 8 different bottles- aptly named the "scrambled cookie", by Riley himself.
A few more Riley-isms from this past weekend:
- When asked by Aunt Alison which baby he liked the best, Riley answered "Michaela. She just cracks me up!"
- Papa and Neil Michael were busy putting the train set up on Riley's ceiling and they only had an hour to work. Riley kept interrupting and Papa had to tell him he didn't have time to play right at the moment. Riley- "Humph. That's not fair!" and left the room. He returned a few moments later and said, "Papa I am sorry. I don't have time for you right now either. I have to pee."
- I was wearing new little hoop earrings, a big change from my little posts. Riley touches the earrings and says "Aww, look at these cute little things!" Sweet, right? "Those are called earrings. You think they look cute?" "No mom, you look silly." Thanks much son.
Michaela- We had to take a magic wand away from you because you were beating the boys with it like they were pinatas. You had everybody laughing this weekend with your antics, at the party and at Costco this afternoon. You ham it up with an audience. You are a thrill seeker.
Caden- You have become a little bit more daring with your standing and letting go routine. You are able to hold your balance a bit longer each time. You are also getting really good at temper tantrums.
THE TRIPLETS ARE TEETHING!!!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Teething in the New Year . . .
Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011
The New Year already finds us quite busy in the lack of sleep department. We seem to be teething- well, at least 3 of the 6 of us are and yet all of us are suffering from growing pains. On the 29th of December we celebrated our 1 year home from the NICU anniversary. Riley and Mommy made cupcakes to mark the milestone and everyone enjoyed a taste. Eighty days in NICU seems like a lifetime ago, as does the 7 weeks of hospitalized bed rest. Every once in awhile I have a flashback that brings me to my knees. I thank God everyday for the many blessings that He has bestowed upon this family. We are so BLESSED!
Riley- almost 4 1/2 years old going on 50! You are growing up before our eyes. You go to school 5 days a week with Miss. Jenny at Crown Valley Elementary School (mommy went to school there too). Most days, you tell us you "cannot go to school" for whatever reason (today, it was because it was rainy and you can "only go to school when it is sunny"). Once you get to school you love it, you love Miss. Jenny, you love playing with your friends, and riding the bus. You come home most days with a sticker that you have earned for good behavior and you love to add it to your "sticker patch". We are so proud of you! You are a smartypants and you know it! Your best friend is Papa- you play trains together. Austin, Michaela, and Caden love watching you play and love playing with you too! You are a fabulous big brother. You currently enjoy "cabinet food" which consists mostly of croutons. You enjoy Thomas the Train, Chuggington, and the Chipmunks. You want to drive a red bullet train when you grow up. When asked what you learned in school for the day, you have answered in the past that you learned about "metrolink schedules". I sure do love you my son.
Austin- almost 15 months old. Approx. 25 lbs. You are rock solid! Like Riley, you are a mama's boy. You love to be held and snuggle. You have the sweetest little smile that can light up a room. Right now you aren't feeling so hot as you have FOUR molars coming in at once! That in addition to the 4 top teeth and 4 bottom teeth you already have accounted for. You attend Beach Kids Therapy for PT 1x week and OT 2x week. Mommy has to leave the room so you will "work" and not get too distracted. With Miss Lori and Miss Stephanie's help, you are are walking, running, and eating like a pro. You still hate the trampoline, hanging upside down, and for the life of you- you cannot figure out how to drink from a sippy cup! Food however, does not seem to be much of a problem as you manage to find crumbs on the carpet, food off of Riley's table, food off the trays on the kitchen floor, etc. When you get caught, you smile really big and offer a bite to whomever found you foraging in the first place. You like to walk around the house saying, "No" and "Don't". Your other words- Mama, Dada, Mimi (Grammie Girl), Thomas (the train), "I did it" (learned that one from Caden), hi, bye . . .
Your favorite song- "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
I love you so much Austy Bear! You are my snuggle puppy!
Michaela- almost 15 months old. Tomboy. You loath dresses- they appear to get in your way. Nobody gets in Mick's way! You are our boss lady. The boys do not stand a chance when you are nearby. You mastered walking early (12 months) and have moved on to running, climbing, and mischief making- and you are soooo good at it. You scream and cry when a door, any door, is closed and throw the biggest hissy fit that grows exponentially when Austin chimes in. Caden is afraid of you as you often "pat" his head or steal his toys. Riley is your biggest fan ("Mom! Just look at what your daughter is doing!"), followed closely by Austin who loves to shadow you. Just the other day you climbed in the dishwasher while Grammie was trying to load it, we had to stop you when you started after the silverware. You are a funny and feisty little girl. Papa is also your best bud. You and Ry try to monopolize his time. Right now you are also growing 4 MOLARS, which will be an interesting addition to your 2 top teeth and 2 bottom teeth- the boys have "outgrown" you in the teething department. Your words that we currently abide by- No, Don't, Mama, Dada, Mimi, Papa, RyRy, Mary, puffs, duck, quack, dog, woof, moo, oink (snorting), hi, bye, baby . . .
Your favorite song- "Michaela is here today"
I love you so much my beautiful girl! You make me smile!
Caden- almost 15 months old. Lover of life and a good belly laugh. You are a soul searcher. With your long eyelashes and adoring grin, you mesmerize everyone that meets you and they instantly become your friend. DETERMINED is the one word that I would use to describe you right now. While the others seem to have learned to roll, sit, crawl, walk, etc almost seamlessly, you have had to work for everything. Despite your lack of muscle tone, or "floppiness" as I like to call it, you are bound and determined to catch up. You have just mastered crawling and are pulling to stand. You also attend Beach Kids Therapy, 2x week for PT/OT with Miss Lori and Miss Stephanie. In addition, you get another hour of PT at home with Miss Mindy and Miss Mona. We could not be happier of how far you have come. The days of NICU are behind us and while I will never forget the days we were given the results of your brain scans, I celebrate each of your achievements knowing just how far you have really come. You are our miracle. I am so glad you stayed with us and didn't leave your mommy. I love you so much! Right now you are also teething- a bottom tooth to go with the 3 that you already have on the bottom and the 4 on the top. Your gums are starting to feel a little swollen where the molars will be growing in! This household is operating on Tylenol and Motrin!
You are our talker- "I did it!", Mama, Dada, Mimi, Papa, Hiya, Bye Bye, ball, bubble . .
Your favorite song- "Old MacDonald"
The New Year already finds us quite busy in the lack of sleep department. We seem to be teething- well, at least 3 of the 6 of us are and yet all of us are suffering from growing pains. On the 29th of December we celebrated our 1 year home from the NICU anniversary. Riley and Mommy made cupcakes to mark the milestone and everyone enjoyed a taste. Eighty days in NICU seems like a lifetime ago, as does the 7 weeks of hospitalized bed rest. Every once in awhile I have a flashback that brings me to my knees. I thank God everyday for the many blessings that He has bestowed upon this family. We are so BLESSED!
Riley- almost 4 1/2 years old going on 50! You are growing up before our eyes. You go to school 5 days a week with Miss. Jenny at Crown Valley Elementary School (mommy went to school there too). Most days, you tell us you "cannot go to school" for whatever reason (today, it was because it was rainy and you can "only go to school when it is sunny"). Once you get to school you love it, you love Miss. Jenny, you love playing with your friends, and riding the bus. You come home most days with a sticker that you have earned for good behavior and you love to add it to your "sticker patch". We are so proud of you! You are a smartypants and you know it! Your best friend is Papa- you play trains together. Austin, Michaela, and Caden love watching you play and love playing with you too! You are a fabulous big brother. You currently enjoy "cabinet food" which consists mostly of croutons. You enjoy Thomas the Train, Chuggington, and the Chipmunks. You want to drive a red bullet train when you grow up. When asked what you learned in school for the day, you have answered in the past that you learned about "metrolink schedules". I sure do love you my son.
Austin- almost 15 months old. Approx. 25 lbs. You are rock solid! Like Riley, you are a mama's boy. You love to be held and snuggle. You have the sweetest little smile that can light up a room. Right now you aren't feeling so hot as you have FOUR molars coming in at once! That in addition to the 4 top teeth and 4 bottom teeth you already have accounted for. You attend Beach Kids Therapy for PT 1x week and OT 2x week. Mommy has to leave the room so you will "work" and not get too distracted. With Miss Lori and Miss Stephanie's help, you are are walking, running, and eating like a pro. You still hate the trampoline, hanging upside down, and for the life of you- you cannot figure out how to drink from a sippy cup! Food however, does not seem to be much of a problem as you manage to find crumbs on the carpet, food off of Riley's table, food off the trays on the kitchen floor, etc. When you get caught, you smile really big and offer a bite to whomever found you foraging in the first place. You like to walk around the house saying, "No" and "Don't". Your other words- Mama, Dada, Mimi (Grammie Girl), Thomas (the train), "I did it" (learned that one from Caden), hi, bye . . .
Your favorite song- "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
I love you so much Austy Bear! You are my snuggle puppy!
Michaela- almost 15 months old. Tomboy. You loath dresses- they appear to get in your way. Nobody gets in Mick's way! You are our boss lady. The boys do not stand a chance when you are nearby. You mastered walking early (12 months) and have moved on to running, climbing, and mischief making- and you are soooo good at it. You scream and cry when a door, any door, is closed and throw the biggest hissy fit that grows exponentially when Austin chimes in. Caden is afraid of you as you often "pat" his head or steal his toys. Riley is your biggest fan ("Mom! Just look at what your daughter is doing!"), followed closely by Austin who loves to shadow you. Just the other day you climbed in the dishwasher while Grammie was trying to load it, we had to stop you when you started after the silverware. You are a funny and feisty little girl. Papa is also your best bud. You and Ry try to monopolize his time. Right now you are also growing 4 MOLARS, which will be an interesting addition to your 2 top teeth and 2 bottom teeth- the boys have "outgrown" you in the teething department. Your words that we currently abide by- No, Don't, Mama, Dada, Mimi, Papa, RyRy, Mary, puffs, duck, quack, dog, woof, moo, oink (snorting), hi, bye, baby . . .
Your favorite song- "Michaela is here today"
I love you so much my beautiful girl! You make me smile!
Caden- almost 15 months old. Lover of life and a good belly laugh. You are a soul searcher. With your long eyelashes and adoring grin, you mesmerize everyone that meets you and they instantly become your friend. DETERMINED is the one word that I would use to describe you right now. While the others seem to have learned to roll, sit, crawl, walk, etc almost seamlessly, you have had to work for everything. Despite your lack of muscle tone, or "floppiness" as I like to call it, you are bound and determined to catch up. You have just mastered crawling and are pulling to stand. You also attend Beach Kids Therapy, 2x week for PT/OT with Miss Lori and Miss Stephanie. In addition, you get another hour of PT at home with Miss Mindy and Miss Mona. We could not be happier of how far you have come. The days of NICU are behind us and while I will never forget the days we were given the results of your brain scans, I celebrate each of your achievements knowing just how far you have really come. You are our miracle. I am so glad you stayed with us and didn't leave your mommy. I love you so much! Right now you are also teething- a bottom tooth to go with the 3 that you already have on the bottom and the 4 on the top. Your gums are starting to feel a little swollen where the molars will be growing in! This household is operating on Tylenol and Motrin!
You are our talker- "I did it!", Mama, Dada, Mimi, Papa, Hiya, Bye Bye, ball, bubble . .
Your favorite song- "Old MacDonald"
Mommy, Daddy, Grammie, & Papa love you all so much. Thank you for making each day worth waking up for, not that we really ever got to go to bed in the first place . . . well except for Papa- he goes home after we get you down to sleep for the FIRST time every night!
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