Happy Trails...or not so much???

This CD is a much loved CD in this house...that is all but one song of it. Ever since we had the CD when ever it gets to the song Happy Trail To You song Taylor will break down and start crying like the end of the world has come. She will seriously go from giggling, laughing and dancing around to crumbling into sobs. At first I thought it was just a phase but here we are two years later and the same thing happens everytime with out fail.

-M-

The Birthday Girl...

Well Danielle may not be oh so Impressed with this lovely picture of her...but really what does she expect...it is from Halloween and if you are not a willing participant then the bad picture is the one you get but up. Anyways Happy Birthday Danielle!

Work Christmas Parties

So Friday is Garys work Christmas party and I am SOOOOO not looking forward to it. I don't know why...Its just hard for me to be out of my comfort zone and have to mingle with people I only meet once a year. Also there is always the pressing issue of what to wear...you don't want to be under dressed - but you don't want to be over dressed. Then there is having to come up with witty awkward conversation. I always feel highly out of place. Don't get me wrong I am excited to get to go out with my Husband on a free date night...just not looking forward to the awkwardness.

Oh the tale of one shaved leg...

There is nothing worse then one shaved leg...but lately that seems to be my fate. It never fails that as soon as I get into the shower...the shaving cream on my leg and almost done one leg that there is a "tragedy" of some sort that pulls me from hairless bliss. So I quickly finish the leg i am doing and rinse off quick and go deal with lifes ups and downs of 1 preschooler and 3 toddlers. To make the tale of one shaved leg worse...there is nothing like going to the pool with your daughter and you haven't remembered that only one leg is shaved till you are standing there slightly uncomfortable with the fact that you are going out in public in swimming suit in a post baby body, but then to look down and realise that your one leg is hairless and the other looks like some bushwomans leg that has been neglected for a while. Which then leads me to wonder...Did I really not get to shaving the same leg twice in a row. Dang mommy brain.
-m

oh poop!

Sorry guys this is a gross post involving the word poop and a lot of it. I hate poop...from past posts you will have noted that I have issues with toilets ect. Well this is way grosser then toilets.

I have a friend that has had poop issues with her kids and I was always supremely grossed out by it. I always hoped and prayed that we wouldn't have the same issues. But leave it to Sophie to push those limits. She has this awful fascination with her poop. There are times that when i go and get her from her crib she is covered in poop and poor Livie is too because that is one of the downfalls of co-bedding (that and being puked on). It is so gross and I am told not to make a huge issue of it because it will become a harder habit to break. But it is seriously gross on many different levels and there are times that I do want to yell and scream and cry cause poop is gross.

Today Sophie pushed my limits to far. I could hear Livie freaking out...and went down to the babies room and found Sophie pulling poop out of Livies diaper and Livie freaking out.

Seriously what a disgusting habit. Almost puked i am not going to lie.
Michelle

YIKES!!!!

So I have have lived in this delusional world that I would be able to keep the triplets in their cribs for at least another six months...but atlas those thoughts have quickly been dashed.

I went down to get the babies up from their nap to find only 2 of 3 in cribs...suddenly my heart started to race to see where Sophie had gotten to, and found her under the crib playing with her toys. How she got out of the crib is a mystery to me. There was no crying or anything coming from their room.

So I think it is time to maybe start thinking about toddler beds, though i am not sure I AM ready for the big move. Any ways if any of you know of any good deals on toddler beds let me know.

Handy Mandy

A few weeks ago we went got pictures done by Mandy Baker...and she did an amazing job. She took on A 4 year old, 3 17 month olds and a 5 month old. With only a few mild melt downs...2 babies tumbling out of the wagon and a bunch of cute pictures I would say the shoot was a success. Taylor kept calling her handy mandy (she watches handy manny all the time). Taylor thought she was such a big helper. And even informed Mandy that her fish might die if she didn't fix its water. Any way ... here is a link to her http://www.kmbakerphotography10.blogspot.com/ fastest way to find our pics is to click on family then scroll down till you see us.

3 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 6 that feel like they barely survived the weekend

Gary has worked all weekend and long hours during the week and I have barley seen him this week. The babies have decided to start teething again and they always get sick when they get teeth and have been super cranky, Taylor has a bid of a cold but is suffering from severe cabin fever and I am so tired that I am just cranky. So here's to Monday and a better week (or it will be cause I refuse to let it be a bad week).

2am and I can't sleep

So really its 2 am and here I am blogging...slightly regretting drinking the whole can of Full Throttle on the way home from Magrath, I may still very well be up when the babies are getting up. If I was smart I would use this time wisely and clean my house...you know the parts you never get to. But sadly those parts are in 3 rooms with 5 sleeping people, so not the best time to clean. So here you are my very few loyal readers another random post.
I wouldn't say i lead a boring life, but when talking to a friend that i haven't seen in a while and she asked what has been going on and whats new...sadly I couldn't think of anything super exciting in my life. Unless you count that we only use 12 diapers here a day instead of 24-30.
But seeing as it is 2 am you lucky readers get to enjoy the random thoughts and odd things that i have noticed lately.
1. I love to read stupid meaning on Licence Plates must admit my all time favorite Ih8myex...some divorced person went one step further in declaring there detest for there ex.
2. Think its pretty funny that Jaime has a fear of hippos and jessa has the same fear of mice as i do
3. Thinks it awesome that Jaime and Jessa went so far out of there comfort zone for taylor at the zoo...girls norman loves you
4. I have decided that I am not the most patient person when it comes to people asking dumb butt questions: example- "wow are those triplets? Your stroller is really big I bet it doesn't go through doors very well. does it shrink down small enough to go through doors with out taking the kids out?" poor lady she may never get the answer to this 20 min. conversation she had to herself while staring at my little family. Seriously Lady get a clue/
5. Even better...the lady that stops right in front of my stroller and and stares at my kids...then when I ask her to move tells me she isn't done looking at them. Lady you paid to see the zoo animals not my kids...and though we may look like a zoo we are not. Thanks Taylor for finally crashing the stroller into the lady
6. Really dumb vinyl-seriously people what the crap are you thinking...a sign on the toilet bowl with a swimmer saying no swimming-whirlpool ahead. YIKES and can we say TACKY
7. the ever long pink/brown/blue/white/purple debate (those who know me well will get this)
8. I am one day going to make my millions by making a drive-thru that serves slurpees only...every mother will thank me.
9. That here i am wearing a barbie bandaid cause in this house we don't have regular band aids its either barbie, my little pony or spiderman here.
10. everyone stops in Claresholm at the 7/11 and they seriously have the GROSSEST bathrooms ever.
Well here is the end of another random rambling...sorry guys remember 2 am when writing this
M-

Halloween Sneak Peak

Taylor loved her costume. She was a Barbie Musketeer...her skirt even came off and turned into a cape!

So I may be a tad bit OCD

So I very rarely write anything about me, but the past couple of weeks with sick kids including a 4 day stay at the hospital with Livie has left me a lot of time to think. I know a dangerous past time, good thing it doesn't happen very often. Seeing as I have partaken in this dangerous past time I decided to post a few rarities about myself that a lot of people may not know.

1. I can NOT sleep if there are any of my Kitchen cupboard doors left open...to the extreme that if Gary gets up in the night to get something and I didn't hear him close the door I have to get out of bed no matter how tired I am and check.

2. Keeping things on the back of toilets gross me out...and why people have open shelves behind there toilets holding toothbrushes is something i can not even fathom. This may come from living in a Divey apartment where that was the only shelf and having to replace toothbrushes once a week cause they feel onto/into the toilet.

3. I walk around my house all day making sure that toilet seats are down...cause once again the toilet thing grosses me out.

4. I sleep better if my room is slightly untidy. Don't know why but I do.

5. I like to change my hair color according to seasons

6. Garys ugly cowboy boots that he wears all the time (they use to be chore ones from his dads house) drive me crazy...don't get me wrong if he wants to wear cowboy boots well good on him....but do they have to be those ones?

7. I will be/am the wife that has bleach accidents to rid ugly clothes out of my husbands closet

8. I mock people who wear their socks pulled up all the way when they are not meant to be worn that way...and yet poor daughter wore her socks like that to church today and i couldn't say anything cause daddy had gotten 2 of the babies ready for church

9. I only wear ankle socks any other kind of socks make my feet and ankles feel claustrophobic

10. I can't sleep in both feet are covered by blankets making sleeping in a sleeping bag awful when we camp

11. I need at least 4 pillows at night to sleep well

12. I love lists...i feel accomplished with lists

So i know this is a very random post...and now i have let you into a select few oddities that make up me... stay tuned you never know what i may disclose next

Happy Birthday Taylor

Lets Just start with that Taylor totally picked the picture for this post (its kinda old...June/09) Today Taylor is 4...wow I can't believe that she is that old already. We tried doing her birthday party on the weekend but due to crappy weather and her not feeling super good it didn't really happen. Though she got to see some of her favorite people as well as decided that Jessa and Jaime are lots of fun ..."those silly girls in the van".

So to celebrate Taylors 4th birthday blog style here are 4 stories/antics about her

1. If it didn't happen today or tomorrow it happened "lasterday". Everything is "lasterday" even if it was a year ago. That being said she remembers EVERYTHING. Don't tell this girl anything you don't intend on following up on.

2. Last year when the Harris' got their trampoline and Taylor would go over there to play I would ask her what she did and she always told me they went "tramping" on the "jumpoline". Loved it. Now she is excited to have our own Jumpoline

3. All she talks about lately is how next year she gets to go to school. It makes me said that it has come that fast and she will be gone 2 days a week next year. She loves doing workbooks and loves to tell stories and play pretend. The new thing in this house is that she role plays all the time, I love watching her play she is always super creative.

4. Most of all she is a good big sister. Though a little rough from time to time. She does love the babies. She is a good friend and loves to play with them. We love her tons and she is such a character...

Happy Birthday Taylor

an eerie quiet!

I was sitting here thinking of how quiet it is in the house for 4 kids being awake and the Gilmore Girls not being on. I started to think wow I might get some stuff done, stuff that really needs to be done seeing as we have lots of company comming this weekend. But once again the silence didn't last long...not long at all. I am trying to enjoy every phase and am trying to convince myself that one day they will be in school and the house will be quiet from 8am till 3:30pm everyday and that I will be lonley when that day comes. Who am I KiDdInG when that day comes I am going to finally get my house clean and it stay that way all day, I am going to get to take an uninterupted shower and have a Nap or two to catch up on all the sleep I have lacked in. But for now I will accept the noise, embrace the noise and buy some really good EAR PLUGS.

side note: for those who don't know this I watched the Gilmore Girls a lot when I was pregnant with the triplets and ever since they came home if we put it on when things are crazy in the house it settles them all down really fast. Also that is where Taylor got Lukes name from

Seriously...those antics have got to stop

So the problem with preemies is that they are tiny so i often forget how old they really are (and really every day melts into the next...i am sure when they are 12 maybe time will seem real again), anyways back on topic. So seeing as they are little they pull these horrendous antics and i think holy crap you are way to young to be doing this then i realise they are one and so the antics x3 will happen. Today was one of those days.

every morning when the babies wake up Taylor goes into their room first to keep them happy while i make breakfast. Well this morning i hear Taylor goes "oh no babies you are all in big trouble" the babies start to giggle , then Taylor goes "you are all very naughty and mommy is going to be MAD" So I call into Taylor and ask what is going on "Mom the babies are naked". I thought no they will at least still have there diapers on. So I asked her if they still had there diapers on and she told me no...so I went into the room and sure enough 3 sets of jammies on the floor accompanied by 3 diapers...3 completely naked babies. URGGGGGG.
I take them from there room clean them up put them in their highchairs to eat breakfast and quickly take all the bedding down stairs to be washed....I hear Taylor yelling at Luke...You are being very naughty and you are going to be in trouble. I rush upstairs and her has gotten peanut butter all over him, his sisters, 3 highchairs and the wall. (never underestimate how far peanut butter can go from one sandwich).
Get that mess cleaned up get through the morning...time for nap time. Work like a mad women cleaning and painting. Go to get the babies out of their room from nap and walk in on Luke being naked and Jumping up and down in his crib...while peeing and it going everywhere.

I could have seriously sat down and cried...it has been a long week and this was the last straw.

I use to say if i could survive there first year then it would get easier after that. I was DEAD WRONG!!!! I think the 1st year was the easiest and if I survive till they graduate from high school then it will get easier

Oh Taylor!

Taylor - Mom the babies made a mess

Mom- What did they do?

Taylor- They out juice in the bimbo (bumbo)

Mom- Where did the get the juice

Taylor- Livie wanted a drink so i got her a juice box

Mom- Do babies drink from juice boxes

Taylor- No...i just thought it be funny

Mom- URGGGGGGGGG

Babies- happy as all get out and covered in juice

Just another normal day at the Mortons

Then or Now What is harder???

When the babies first came home the feelings of being very overwhelmed and tired all the time caused me to panic just a bit, then I kept thinking all I have to do is survive the 1st year then things will get easier. I lied the 1st year was easier.

What was I thinking at least during the 1st year you could put them down and know that when you came back they would still be there, the need to put everything out of reach wasn't such a pressing need. Other then crying they weren't very loud and they all cuddled together.

Now, they all babble really loud, 2 are super escape artists, one whines all the time and there is no more cuddling only restling. And its amzing that even though our livingroom isn't that big someone is always missing/hiding.

I think that if i survive until they are 2 that will be the bigger miracle

Personal Space

So this may come off a little ranty and for those of you who don't want to listen to me rant...well either stop reading or listen to the ranting. LOL

So anyone who knows me very well at all knows that I have personal space issues. I don't mind sharing my personal space...especially with people I know and love, I don't even mind sharing it with people I just sorta like. That being said I still like my personal space.

Having kids really infringes on personal space, simply because they rely on you for everything and they need all that love and cuddles they can get. I don't mind that, I enjoy it. That being said there are often times that when I sit down to play with all my kids I feel like I am getting attacked by a litter of puppies, cause it doesn't take long to have all three babies and Taylor fighting for that attention. It can be over whelming but I can simply give hugs and kisses and get off the floor.

During a college practicum we took what they call a "Circles Class", in this it teaches our clients that there are circles around us and who is allowed in each circle space (for safety sakes) and who we can allow into our circles. Well the circle closes to us is a red circle meaning meant for those we love and trust but people we don't know have no right in our red circle and should cause alarm.

Well for me my red circle is a very much full circle very much in titled for those I love...and when random strangers enter that circle it can almost send me up the wall, simply because it so intrusive and often very uncomfortable. Sorry this is getting long before I even get to the point of this post.

I am trying my best to live a "normal" life, by doing all the things a family would do if they only had one baby at a time. By doing this though I often feel that as soon as people notice we have triplets we become a main focus for people. Don't get me wrong, I knows its not common to see triplets, and some looks are to be expected. But seriously who walks up to someone and their kids doesn't say a word and starts to video or take pictures of them...one man seriously got 12 inches away from the triplets faces. Instantly my red circle flags went up. Its one thing to ask to take pictures or even just ask questions but to start taking Pictures like we are some kind of tourist attraction with out even talking to us really upsets me.

Its hard enough to try and live a normal life, but to always become the center of attention when we go and and get noticed, makes it a little hard to want to go and do things all the time. That being said it wont stop us from going out with them and i will continually try to keep that awkward smile on my face, and politely answer questions (that aren't to personal-so a post for another day), because we want our kids to have a well rounded life. Maybe when random strangers start taking pictures of my kids with out talking to me, I will pull out my camera and start taking pictures of them with out talking to them

How Far We Have Come...Surviving the First year

Sorry the post is after all the pictures....I never think to upload the pictures first.


the morton and johnson triplets....I promise all had a good time till we took pictures!

Livie and her Cake...she was a lot messier then I thought she would be

Sophie....she looks a little frightened of her candle

Luke....he was one excited boy....to get a whole cake to himself.

So even as I write this post I can't believe that one year has come and gone so quickly. But when I look back at the year I really can believe that they are one already....I have had a years worth of not sleeping well, going from 30 diapers a day (preemie diapers at that and there are only 30 in a package), 24 bottles a day, 3 hour feed schedules where from start to finish it took just over 2 hours to feed, burp, change, settle, then start again 45 minutes after finishing the last round of feeds, 3 infant car seats, 3 swings, 3 cribs, one 2 year old that sometimes just doesn't understand, and 2 parents that for a month and a half never slept at the same time.....now fast forward one year and here we are....12 diapers a day, babies feeding themselves finger foods, 12 bottles a day, babies holding own bottles, 8-11 hour sleep schedule at night, one long nap in the afternoon, no more infant carrier car seats, no more swings constantly rocking away in the living room, toys scattered from one end of the house to the other...3 little ones that are always at my feet and one who tries to suck on my toes or pant legs when ever the chance arises. 3 very different and unique personalities, and one 3 year old that loves that the babies actually play with her now, 2 parents that actually get a full night sleep (most nights).

With a year full of ups and downs, we have loved every moment of it, and even though multiples present there own set of challenges and struggles there are many things that as a mom / family of multiples that I/we have gotten the privilege to experience that others may not get the chance to. One of those things is that there is always a child who wants cuddles and loves, but when mom is not available to always fill the need we often find that they cuddle with each other. The sounds of 3 giggling babies at the same time and knowing that those giggles not many months prior where all in NICU fighting the battle of being so early, Going into a room where 3 sets of voices are babbling away with each other, then stop to see me there and wait for me to pick them up. The main one is the fact then when you have one baby at a time it is often hard to think that even at a young age that there personalities are really developed or how different they may be compared to others....well I am hear to tell you that when you have 3 the same age you see many different personality traits in them a lot earlier then we did with Taylor.

I am excited to see what the next year will bring...I have my apprehensions cause when you think of everything one toddler can get into on its own and then triple that number it makes me a little nervous, but with each day it is an adventure, an adventure I for one would not want to miss.

Random Ramblings

Seeing as I still not an avid blogger I thought I would just ramble a few thoughts around that I never get around to blogging.

1. There is nothing better then walking into a room where you have 3 sets of eyes staring at the wonderful morning hair I have been left with after a visit from Ralph The Night Hairdresser (John Bytheway reference). At least they smile at me kick there feet and giggle when I pick them up. There older sister on the other hand in a very 3 going on 13 attitude tells me my hair is scary.

2. Teething sucks!!!! Yup that pretty much sums it up...you think one child teething is bad...3 at a time is just some cruel joke that makes mommies want to lose there mind.

3. For some strange reason I have decided that I am losing all brain power and becoming dumber so I have decided to take Nursing classes part time through Bow Valley College.

4. I am leaving all 4 kids with Gary over night while I go to Time Out for Women in Edmonton. A little nerve racking for me cause I have never left the babies over night with him...and I think I have left Taylor a total of 5 nights with him ( 2 of which where when they went camping with Scott and Julia)

5. I am not so sure that I am going to be ready for the Vulcan Triathlon and might very well just die trying...good thing I have a month to train after Gary is done school

6. I love Spring...hate mud covered children traipsing through the house

7. Funny Fact the triplets can generate 1 load of laundry from bedtime to morning.

8. I hate doing laundry

9. As crazy as it sounds i am very much looking forward to camping this summer with my whole little crew

10. Its nice to say that in 2 weeks time Gary being in University will be one bad dream we will never have to live again.

Oh the things I wish I had pictures of...

Why is it that when kids are being super cute, silly funny ect. the camera is never handy? Today was one of those days that I wish I had my camera handy.

Taylor had her friends over playing and they where watching Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses, Taylor and Julia put on the dresses from the dress up box, the fancy plastic high heeled shoes and then started dancing with the movie, one of them would shout out "they are spinning" then they both would spin together. I was watching this for a while before I realized that while they were dancing they where holding play cell phones to their ear. I love little girls, they are so funny.

This ones for Laura

The other day I was reading my friend Lauras post on "Firsts". In it she said that Beauty and The Beast was the 1st movie she remembered seeing in the theater. I remember going to this movie with her at least twice and the once was in Calgary and that was quite and exciting thing for me. Any ways some how I think we both got a little obsessed with it cause we also had the collectors cards for it (and the Little Mermaid).

Any ways, after reading her blog it made me have a nostalgic moment, so today I dusted of the good ol' VHS machine and pulled out my VHS copy of the movie and watched it with Taylor and her friends....and after all these years, it is still a great movie.

Little Miss Livie

Little Miss Livie....are you always going to be the one that gives mom the most grief when it comes to your health???

So of all the members of our not so little family, you Lou have spent time in all 4 of Calgarys hospitals...Not such a good thing to be known for.

The first weeks of your little life you spent at the Foothills hospital, where you gave us all a scare when you got s Staph Infection, then after a few weeks there they moved you and your womb mates in one isolet over to the Rocky Veiw Hospital (we loved when you little ones got moved there...it was the first time mom and seen you all in one spot together). Not to long after being at the Rocky they told us that Sophie and Luke were ready to go home...but not you quite yet, what a sad day it was when we brought 2 of our 3 home and had to leave you there all by your self. Then due to a bed shortage you were moved to the PLC where you were there for 4 days (lets not get started on the bad experience we had there). We finally get you home. Live was busy but good, full of many tears, moments of laughter and a lot of joy.

Lets skip ahead some months later......sickness reaches the Morton home.

I sure was feeling lucky when you were the only one that didn't get sick, mom still worries about you lots cause your kinda on the tiny side still. But in true Livie form you had a different plan for mom, just as the other 2 were getting better and after what felt like a million trips to the E.R. to get all of your oxygen levels checkes you decide to get sick in a big way. Colds are not good when you are so little especially when it becomes bronchitis and RSV. So for the 3rd time in your life you took an ambulance again, this time from Strathmore Hospital to The Childrens Hospital. Where we spent a full night in the E.R. rooms waiting for a bed for you. By this point mom was very tired. Lucky for us that after being admitted Sunday Morning, you were able to come home Monday afternoon.

Livie you are such a trooper, and we are sure glad that you are home and feeling better.

Love mom

Skating

So today was a 1st for Taylor. We went skating at her friends place today...well sorta...there was a lot of sitting on the ice happening. Its a lot of work getting kids ready for skating...i admire all of you moms who have kids in hockey or any other skating sports. It took almost an 1 hour to get Taylor, Ethan and Julia ready for skating then they skated for about 20minutes. It was worth it though because they all had a lot of fun. Ethan does pretty good and impressed me by his ability to fall down, laugh so hard he had tears in his eyes then get back up, Taylor and Julia on the other hand had a harder time...it was a 1st for both of them to be on the ice with skates...they did master standing on their own for 3.6 seconds then falling to the ice and deciding it was more fun just to sit there and laugh at Ethan.