+ OPK!!!!!

I just got a positive OPK (ovulation predictor kit)!!! That means that I should ovulate in the next day or two! Yahoo!! I haven't ovulated for the past 2 cycles, and was starting to give up on ovulating on my own. Maybe we still have hope of conceiving a child on our own?! Please pray that I actually ovulate, and get pregnant this cycle, then I can go to the doctor on February 5th to confirm a pregnancy, instead of getting a script for Clomid!

Can you guess what Gairod and I will be doing for New Years tonight!?!?!

New Years Eve and Resolutions!

Well, here we are, December 31st, 2008!

I've never really been a big fan of New Years, it's always seemed kind of dumb to me! Anyways, tonight we are going to order pizza for dinner, rent a couple of movies, and eat some treats! (since it is my last night until I start my diet!) Not very exciting, but it is exactly what I want to do! I am beyond the days of partying until the wee hours of the morning. I don't have many friends anyway, and it's almost impossible to get a babysitter, so I would much rather say home, and go to bed early!

Tomorrow I will be starting on my Resolutions. If you don't know what I am talking about, read my post titled "Time to make some resolutions" (sorry, I don't know how to link!) I am excited to get started!

In 2009, I want to: Lose some weight, get pregnant, keep a cleaner, more organized, clutter-free home, and be a happier/nicer wife! That seems like a lot, but I think I can do it!

Happy New Years!!

Backyardigan Bedding!

Today I finally got the Backyardigan bedding in the mail! YAY! I ordered it at the end of November, it was supposed to be part of the triplets' Christmas present, but the company I ordered from put an incomplete shipping address on it, so it got lost at Canada customs, and sent back. Anyways, it is here now, better late than never!

Crayons and Paper

I am embarrassed to admit this, but today was the first time the triplets have ever colored!! They are almost 22 months old! That is sad. Jade started coloring long before they did, probably right around one year. I have done many things later with the triplets then I did with Jade, simply because it is a lot harder doing things with three babies or toddlers then it is with one! The next thing I need to start working on with them is using real cups. No, they have never actually tried a real cup, just sippy cups.

Anyways, here are some pictures of their first coloring experience, and their finished pictures!

Hayden

Kadance

Cole

Jade

My New Camera!

Today we took my new camera back, and got a different one! I really liked the one Gairod got me, (it was a cool purple color!) but from the time you took a picture to the time you could take another picture was like a 4 second delay - WAY to long!! I mostly take pictures of running toddlers, so I need my camera to be quick! lol! So we exchanged it for the same kind, (Canon Power Shot) just different model. (and sadly, not purple). I actually like this one even better! I can do that cool thing where most of the picture is black and white, except for an accent color! I can't wait to try it out on the kids!!

Christmas Pictures!

Christmas morning at our house!

Christmas morning at Gairod's parents house

Christmas afternoon at my parent's house

Christmas dinner at Gairod's parents house

He Agreed!!!!!

Gairod and I were talking today, and he agreed we can try the lowest dose of Clomid!!! I am soooo happy!! I don't know if it will work or not, when we got pregnant with the triplets we were on the next dose up, but we agreed we will try the lowest dose, and then if that doesn't work, we will just continue to try on our own. Now I can't wait for my doctor appointment in February!!!

Merry Christmas :)

Well, as my mom always says, "It's all over but the crying!" I don't really know what that means, but Christmas is over!

We had a very busy day yesterday, but the kids all handled it pretty well! We got up at 7:30am, actually Gairod and I woke up then, and decided we better wake the kids up, so that we could get on with things! So we did our stockings and presents, the triplets LOVED ripping open all the presents, even ones that weren't for them! LOL! I got spoiled!! Gairod and I weren't supposed to be getting anything for each other, because we just got a new TV, and new bedding, and we had agreed that that would be our Christmas presents. Well, Gairod got me a new camera, a spa package, and a new washer and dryer!!! The washer and dryer aren't actually here yet, they aren't in until the 11th, but he wrapped up a picture of them for me! I couldn't believe how much he spent on me! He said I deserved it for all the hard work I do with the kids and around the house. He said he really does appreciate everything I do, even if I don't always think he shows it. I was so touched when he said that, it's nice to know that he actually does care!

After we finished with presents, Gairod fed the kids, and I hopped in the shower. We got the kids dressed, and then we had to wait for Gairod's brother to come over and help Gairod load the snow blower he got for his dad, into his truck. So while we waited Gairod put together the climber/slide that the triplets got from Santa. They loved it, and played on it for an hour straight, until we were finally ready to go to Gairod's parents house!

So we went to Gairod's parents house at about 10am. We opened presents there, and the kids snacked on veggies! Then at about 12:30pm, we went into my parents house. The triplets fell asleep on the way in, but it is only a 15 minute drive, so not really enough time for a nap. At my parents we opened presents (by this time the triplets were DONE with opening presents, so we had to open them for them!) and we all snacked! We also had cake for my sister's birthday.

At about 3:00pm, we left my parents house, and headed back to Gairod's parents house for Christmas dinner. We ate nice and early, around 5:00pm, and by around 7:00pm, we were all exhausted and ready to head home! The kids did great considering they really didn't nap, and had such a busy day!

Oh, I forgot to mention the fact that I woke up Christmas morning with pink eye! Nice eh? I don't know what the heck is wrong with me, I have gotten pink eye more times in the last few year then I ever have in my life! Often when I have a cold I tend to get it as a secondary infection! It's such a pain, because it is highly contagious! And with it being Christmas, I won't be able to get into the doctor until Monday!

Anyways, besides that, everything was good!

Christmas Eve!

Well, it's actually here! Christmas Eve!! I honestly can not believe how fast Christmas came this year. It seems like Halloween just ended! I am excited for Christmas to be here, but also a little sad, because almost as soon as it's here, it's over!

Anyways, we have my family - mom and dad, sister, brother and girlfriend, and Gairod's parents, coming over this evening. We are going to do an appetizer dinner, we started this tradition a few years ago. We don't have a real sit down meal, just a bunch of appetizer type things! It's fun and casual. We might play some Wii, and just relax and visit all evening! It's nice having it at our house, because that way we can get the kids all in bed at a decent time, and still enjoy the rest of our evening! Then I will go to midnight mass with my mom and probably sister. When I get home we'll put the presents under the tree and go to bed!

Tomorrow we will get up, do stockings and open presents. Then we will feed the kids, get showered and dressed, get the kids dressed, and head over to Gairod's parents house. We will open presents there, and then head into my parents house. We will probably eat lunch at my parents, open presents, visit for a bit, and then head back to Gairod's parents for Christmas dinner!

Tonight will be a late night, and tomorrow will be a long day, but I am so excited that Christmas is here!

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!!

Picture with Santa!

I usually go earlier, but this year I waited until the last minute to get the kids picture with Santa. Partly because it was harder with Jade in school, and she wasn't with us at the mall all the time, and partly because I kept thinking "Oh, we have lots of time!"
So we went today, December 22nd. Bad time to go. We had to wait for an hour and a half, in a crowded, busy, mall, with three toddlers. Not fun.
But we got the picture, and it actually turned out pretty good! A lot of toddlers are afraid of Santa, but not mine! They walked right up to him, gave him "five", and hoped up on his lap!! Anyways, here is our picture!

Busy Weekend!

We had quite a busy weekend planned, and then I had to go and get sick! But it all worked out in the end!

Friday night we had a Christmas party to go to. It was at the house of a guy Gairod used to work with. We couldn't get a babysitter, so we had to take the kids with us! It actually ended up working out good, because they have a 12-year-old daughter, and she was more than happy to keep an eye on the triplets, so we could actually sit and visit!

On the way home Friday night, I started to feel a bit nauseous, but felt fine otherwise. I woke up in the middle of the night absolutely freezing with the chills, and still feeling quite nauseous. I had a very rough and sleepless night!

Gairod had to work the next morning (Saturday) and since we were out late the night before, the kids slept in until 8:30am. When they woke up, it was all I could do to get out of bed and get them into their highchairs for breakfast. I felt so sick and cold and weak, I could barely function. I ended up calling Gairod, and he packed up and came home. He looked after the kids, and I went back to bed!

We had plans to go to my grandma and grandpa's house for dinner with all my cousins Saturday afternoon, and then we were planning on having a few people over Saturday night for a small Christmas party.

After sleeping all morning, I felt a little better Saturday afternoon, so we ended up continuing on with our plans!

Then Sunday morning, we had a brunch with my parents and siblings, for my sister's birthday, which is actually on Christmas day!

So it was a very busy weekend! I can't believe that in a few day Christmas will be over :(

1 week until Christmas :)

Yay! Only one week until Christmas!! I am so excited, I can't wait!

I have been on a major cleaning spree lately. I am so in the mood to clean and organize, I have even started a list for spring cleaning - weird, I know! I just really want to get our house under control. I want everything clean and organized. I have an idea for a new toy storage thing, After Christmas I want to get it, sort through the toys, and hopefully get the living room a little more under control! Right now it is pretty much over run by toys, but we really have NO where else to keep them! Oh how I wish we had a bigger house, 930 square feet is just NOT big enough!!

Wrist Update!

Okay, I am embarrassed to admit, the Dr said I sprained my wrist!!! Playing Wii!! How pathetic am I !?! Anyways, I have to wear a brace for at least a week to ten days, maybe longer, depending on how fast is heals. I am also supposed to ice it 3-4 times a day. Man, I am such a dork!!!

Housework Game :)

So I have only been playing the Housework Game for 3 days, but already I am LOVING it!!! I am getting sooo much more done in a day, and feel like a much more productive wife/mother! If I can keep this up, my house will be nice and clean in no time :)

Wrist :(

Remember just over a week ago, when we were playing Wii so much? Well last Sunday, my wrist started to hurt, and was getting worse all last week! So I am going to the Dr today, to see what he says about it. It sucks, because everything I do hurts, but it's not like I can just not use my wrist for a few weeks!! I am hoping it is just a strain or something, and if I wear a brace for a little while it will get better!

Christmas Shopping is Done!!

YAY! All of our Christmas shopping is DONE!!

Gairod's brother Kody, came over today to watch the kids, so Gairod and I could go into Calgary and finish our Christmas shopping! I had all the kids stuff bought already, but hadn't really gotten anything else! So now everything is done, and I just have to start wrapping it all!

How/when to tell Jade....

Another thing I have been thinking about lately, is telling Jade about her biological father.

Since before Jade was even born, I have always said that I am going to be totally truthful and honest with her about her bio father. Then when she just turned 2, Gairod and I started dating, and we got married just after she turned 3. I know she remembers being in our wedding, and she remembers that me and her used to live with Grandma and Grandpa before we moved in with Daddy, but she doesn't realize that Gairod isn't her "real" father. Now I say "real" loosely, because he IS her real father, he is the only father she has ever known, but to a 6 year old, "biological" means nothing!

I have always planned on telling her, but the subject has never really come up! Now that she is 6 1/2, I am starting to worry about telling her too late, and her freaking out, and thinking that we have lied to her.

So last night I brought this up to Gairod. To be honest, I think I was almost more scared to talk to him about it than I am to talk to her! I didn't want him to take it the wrong way, and think that I want to tell Jade that he isn't her real dad. Like I said before, he IS her real dad, but I do think it is important that she knows that someone else helped mommy to make her.

This is where it gets tricky, because she doesn't really know anything about sex, or how babies are made. She has watched "A Baby Story" dozens of times with me, so she knows the gory details of how a baby comes out, but doesn't know how they get in there in the first place!

So now I need to figure out when, and exactly HOW to tell her, and I would like to do it somewhat soon.

Why can't we just be on the same page?

The more months that pass, the more I start to wonder if I will ever have another baby. For a while my cycles seemed normal, so I tried not to worry too much, and we just kept on "trying". Now my cycles seem to be messed up again. I have been spotting every other week, with no sign of ovulation or an actual period. I am feeling very little hope right now of actually conceiving on my own.

Now I should back-track, and mention that when Gairod agreed in April to try for one last baby, HE SAID we could try, but only on our own. He did not want to use Clomid again, for fear of another set of multiples. I SAID we could try on our own, and then discuss it again if it seemed that Clomid would be needed.

Well now, 8 months later, it seems that Clomid is needed, and Gairod is still adamant that he does NOT want to use it! I feel crushed. I so desperately want another baby, and as much as I only want ONE more, I really would be fine if we ended up with a set of twins, or another set of triplets.

I am struggling, trying to find SOME way to convince him to let us use Clomid! I have even thought of just using it and not telling him. I would NEVER actually do this, but that is how desperate I feel! I have a doctor appointment on February 5th, so I have until then to try and convince him.

I can honestly say I am jealous of women who's husbands are okay with, and actually want, lots of kids! To be fair, I don't think I really realized I wanted lots of kids until after the triplets were born. It's not like I went into our marriage KNOWING I wanted 5-6 kids, and Gairod only wanted 2-3. After having the triplets I just didn't feel "done", and after finding the BBC large family board, I realized that it is OKAY to want and have more than 2-3 kids, even if most people think you're weird!!

Maybe if I take better care of the house, stop complaining so much, and am a better wife, he will be more willing to have more kids? I don't know, I am at a total loss....

Oh the weather outside is frightful....

Well, we got a HUGE dump of snow yesterday and last night, and now today and tomorrow it is supposed to be COLD, like -25 to -30!! Yikes! Just in time for the weekend of course, making it hard to get out and get things done!

I am starting to get a little worried that we are not going to get our Christmas shopping done! I was really hoping to get in this weekend, but now with this weather, I don't know....

Flashback Friday!

I almost forgot Flashback Friday! Since Christmas is almost here, we are going to go back 6 years, to Jade's first Christmas, December 2002!

This next one is Jade's 2nd Christmas, December 2003!

Remembering Scott

It was exactly 8 years ago today, that my whole world was shattered, never to be the same again.

I vividly remember waking up to the sound of my mother's blood-curdling screams. I jumped out of bed, my heart pounding, ran down the hall, and I saw my brother's life-less body in his room. I will NEVER forget that day, that day changed my life, forever.

I was 17 years old, he was 15. We were never very close, both into different things. I was interested in partying, and my friends, he was very smart, and loved sports. I didn't really know what was going on in his life, didn't really care. That is something I will forever regret....

My brother hung himself, December 12th, 2000, in his room, right down the hall from mine, while the rest of us slept. I never knew true pain and despair, until that day. It is forever etched into my memory, and has forever tainted the Christmas season.

That Christmas was the worst Christmas of my life. I didn't feel like celebrating, I was tired from the nightmares that plagued me every night.

Now it is 8 years later. I am 25 years old, with a loving husband and 4 beautiful children. I like Christmas, in fact, I LOVE Christmas. I refuse to let my brother's death ruin Christmas forever. This time of year is a very bitter-sweet time of year. The joy and magic of the Christmas season, but also the underlying sorrow of a brother no longer here.

So on this day, I will try and remember all the good memories of my brother, and not that one horrible day, that ended his life.

Extended Family

You know, one thing I really love about blogging, is that the longer I do it, the more I learn about myself :)

I am starting to realize that I am a bit of a control-freak. If people don't do things EXACTLY the way I want them done, it bugs me!

For example: In the 4 years that Gairod and I have been together (1 dating, 3 married) We have always switched each year, who's family we spend Christmas dinner with. Our families are very different. Mine has ALWAYS gotten together with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins for a big Christmas dinner! Gairod's family just does a small dinner, his mom, dad, and brothers, if that! Some years his parents go away for Christmas, and they do nothing!

We always spend part of Christmas day with both families, since they both live close, it is easy to do this. We usually get up Christmas morning, do stockings and presents, and get ready to go, at our own house, then go to whoevers house we are NOT having dinner at, do presents there, then go to the dinner house and do presents, then dinner.

As me and my cousins started getting married and having kids, we have arranged it so that we are always all there for the same year, that way we all get to see each other.

So this is our year with Gairod's family. At first, his parents were planning on going away for Christmas, and weren't even going to be here! I said that is fine, but then you won't have us until Christmas 2010, because next year we are doing my family. They ended up deciding to go away before, and be here for Christmas. I should also mention that we are the only ones in Gairod's family with kids. His one brother just got married this past summer, and his other brother has a girlfriend. Well yesterday, Gairod informed me that his one brother (the married one) is having Christmas at his house, with his wife's family, and his other brother is going to his girlfriend's family. WTF??? Do they not know that we alternate every year, and this is our year with them? Now they want us to go to Gairod's parent's house in the morning (after our own morning) and do presents, because his brothers have to leave in the afternoon. We are the ones with kids, they should be rearranging their schedules for us, not the other way around! Plus, we are supposed to go to my parents in the morning to do presents, then to Gairod's parents in the afternoon. SO now we are supposed to do our own morning, then go to Gairod's parents, then to my parents, then BACK to Gairod's parents for dinner. Plus we NEED to fit a nap for the triplets somewhere in there! Ugh!

I love our families, but sometimes it pi$$es me off that they expect us to rearrange everything to accommodate them, when it would be much easier if they rearranged!

How come as soon as I decide I want to start dieting, I start to crave everything I shouldn't eat???

Time to make some resolutions...

The closer it gets to Christmas, the more I have been thinking about New Years Resolutions. I don't usually make any, but this year I am going to. I feel like my life is passing me by, because I am always waiting, wanting or wishing (see other post). I have decided that it is time to put a stop to this, and start living my life, and excepting it for all that it is, or isn't.

I have some big goals for my resolutions, so I want to ease myself into them, by kind of starting now, but waiting to go full out until after Christmas.

So here they are:

Resolution #1 - Eat healthier/Lose weight.

I am tired of waiting to get pregnant. Maybe if I start losing some weight now, it will actually be easier to get pregnant, maybe not. I don't know. All I know is that I hate my body right now, and it is time to do something about it!

Resolution #2 - Keep the house cleaner/Be a better homemaker.

Maybe if I spend more time cleaning, I will have less time to eat. No, seriously! The triplets are finally getting old enough that I don't have to sit and play with them, or hold them, every second of every day! I have been reading the "Housework" thread on the BBC Large Family board, and it just amazes me how much those ladies get done in a day! And most of them have a few young kids, so I really can't keep using that as my excuse! I have decided to join them. I am going to try and follow their lists, and hopefully get a lot more done around the house each day!

Resolution #3 - Be a better wife.

When I really think about it, I have it pretty good. I have a loving husband, who was willing to date and then marry me, fully knowing I already had a daughter. When we found out we were expecting triplets, he knew I wouldn't be working again for a long time, so he stepped up and did what he needed to do to be the sole provider for our family. He works long hours, and then comes home and listens to me complain about my day with the kids. I need to stop complaining so much, and be thankful for all that Gairod does, instead of only focusing on what he doesn't do. I love my husband, and intend for us to be together forever. It's time I start showing my love, and work on building a better relationship.

So those are my New Year's resolutions! Like I said, I plan on easing into them now, and starting full force on January 1st!!

Toddler bed - Day 3!

Well, we are on our 3rd day of Kadance in a toddler bed. Things are going alright, but not as good as I would like them to! It is taking her (ALL of them actually) a LONG time to finally fall asleep at nap and bed time. She runs around, plays with the boys (Cole mostly), plays with the blinds, and then FINALLY after 1-2 HOURS, falls asleep.
Then once she is finally asleep, she has been falling out of bed numerous times a night!! I NEVER had that problem with Jade (she used the same bed) so didn't think it would be a problem with Kadance. I am going into the city tomorrow, so I will look for a toddler bed rail for her. I wish she would just lay down and go right to sleep, like they all used to do in their playpens! Ahhh, the first year was SOOO much easier!!

What is my purpose in life?

Sometimes I feel like I don't really know WHY I am here, and WHAT I am supposed to be doing.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have aspired to be a mother. I have never really had big dreams to have a career, I have just wanted to have babies, and be able to stay at home with them. Well, now I have that, but I don't feel content. Why? I have everything I have always wanted. A house, a husband, and 4 beautiful children. I am even so blessed to be able to stay at home with them. So why am I not happy? Why does it not seem like 'enough'? Why am I always searching for more? I have a wonderful picture in my mind of how I want to be completely fulfilled in my role as a stay-at-home-mom, but for some reason I don't feel that way. Why? Am I supposed to be doing something more? Will I feel fulfilled with one more baby? Or will I still feel like something is missing?

Hayden's Haircut!!!

Poor Hayden has horrible hair, has right from birth! It all stands straight up, so we usually try to keep it shaved, since that seems to be the only cut that will work on him! We have joked a few times about giving him a Mohawk, but we have never actually done it............until today!! We were gonna shave both the boys heads, but decided to give Hayden a Mohawk instead! We figured it's only hair, and if it looked terrible, we could just shave it off. So we did it, and we like it! Here are a few pics of our little Mohawk man!!

21 month stats!

The triplets turned 21 months old on Friday, so I took them in and weighed and measured them!

Kadance jumped up to 22lbs, 14ozs (Yay she can FINALLY turn forward facing in her carseat!!) which bumps her up to inbetween the 10th and 25th percentile. She is 32 inches long, putting her in the 25th percentile.

Cole is 26lbs, 5ozs. Even though he seems so big to us, he is still only inbetween the 25th and 50th percentiles. He is 33 1/4 inches long, putting him in the 50th percentile.

Hayden is 25lbs, 7ozs. He is 32 1/2 inches long. Hayden is in the 25th percentile for both weight and height.

Here we go.......

Well, I finally moved one toddler bed into the triplets room! I had put it off for a little while, because they had stopped climbing out of their playpens. Now, for the last week or so, Kadance has been climbing out at nap time, and will not stay in, so I decided to just go for it and put her in a toddler bed! Since she knows how to climb out of her playpen, but not back in, she can't play for a bit and then decide to go to bed. I figure at least with a toddler bed, she can get back in, so maybe she will play around for a bit, and then get back into bed and go to sleep!
Nap time today will be our first attempt with the toddler bed, I am very anxious to see how it goes!!

Here is the triplets' room with all playpens

Here is the triplets' room with a toddler bed!

Stop WANTING, start DOING!!

I may have blogged about this before, but I don't remember!

I feel like I spend all my time 'wanting', 'wishing', or 'waiting", instead of living in the moment and 'doing'!

I want to lose weight and feel good about my body, but instead of doing something about it now, I keep telling myself that there isn't much point, since we are trying to get pregnant, so I will try harder after we are done having kids.

I want to be a better wife and mother, cleaning and cooking more. But somehow I always seem to find excuses to not do these things. "If we had a bigger, newer house, everything would have a spot, and it would be easier to keep clean." "If I didn't have toddlers, I would have more time to cook/bake."

In the winter I dream of summer, so I can take the kids for walks and to the park, and we can spend time outside. But once summer comes, I don't do these things.
In the summer I think that once it is winter I will cook and bake more, and organize the house. But when winter comes, these things don't happen.

Am I just a really lazy, unmotivated person? Why can't I just DO all the things I WANT to do in my head. I need to stop thinking about all the things I want to do, and just do them!

Flashback Friday!!

Okay, seriously, I came on here to post about something else, and realized that it is Friday, AGAIN!! Is it just me, or do the weeks seem to be going by faster and faster lately!?!
Here is my Flashback Friday picture for today! This is just under 2 years ago, when I was 24 weeks pregnant with the triplets. Yes people, that is a 24 week belly, so I am sure you can imagine how much bigger I got in almost 11 more weeks!!

12-Passenger Van??

So since I mentioned it jokingly yesterday, I have really started thinking that a 12-passenger van might actually be a good option for us! We have already been talking about how squishy our minivan will be if we have another kid, and have kind of been talking about eventually getting a suburban or something along those lines. But lets face it, newer suburbans are expensive! 12-passenger vans are a lot cheaper, we would have a lot more room for people and stuff, and I am pretty sure depending on what kind you get, you can tow with them (a major bonus in Gairod's books!)

I decided to throw the idea at Gairod last night, thinking he would immediately say NO! But he actually started to think about it!!

It would be hard to get used to driving, and especially parking, at first, but I am sure after a while I would get the hang of it! It would be so much nicer to have more room for the kids, and be able to have a couple people come with us if we wanted (instead of always having to make someone take their own vehicle). And it would be so much easier going on vacations or trips, something that is going to get harder and harder (space wise) the older the kids get.

It's just an idea right now, but I am going to start looking into prices and models, and keep talking to Gairod about it!

I HATE Dodge!!

Here is the back story: Ever since the triplets were little, we have had all three of their carseats in the third row of our Dodge Grand Caravan. Jade is in one of the middle captain seats, and the other captain seat is stowed down (we have stow-and-go). I have really liked this set up. It gives me lots of room to get the little ones in and out of the van, as well as room for grocery's or shopping bags, since my triple stroller takes up most of the back! I have tried other arrangements, but nothing has worked as well as this one. With the infant bucket seats, it was a tight squeeze, but worked okay thanks to the bases that we could leave in all the time. When we needed to upgrade to rear/forward facing seats, I looked all over and found the ONE brand that you can actually fit three carseats across the back row, since most are made so wide now.

I have always complained about the fact that the Grand Caravan only comes with ONE carseat anchor in the back row. Seriously, it is a minivan, and quite often people with minivans have more than one child in a carseat. Yes there are anchors on the two middle seats, but you would think they would have them on ALL seats! Anyways, I didn't really think it was that big of a deal, we could just go get two more installed when we needed them.

Finally the time came when we needed to switch the boys forward facing (with our carseats they need to be 22lbs to be forward facing). So in June, we made an appointment with Airdrie Dodge to take the van in. This in itself was a HUGE pain in the a$$! They are not open on weekends, so we had to book it for during the week, when I would have to take it in myself, with all the kids. So I took all the kids over to my cousins house, dropped them off with her, took the van to Dodge, and got them to shuttle me back to my cousins house. We spent two hours there, and then Dodge called and said that they couldn't do it, because the ordered the wrong parts, and "didn't know how to do it anyways, so would have to find out how". Are you kidding me?! Dodge doesn't know how to install carseat anchors in their own vehicle?! I was very mad, because it was a big waste of time, and I still didn't have anchors in! When I got home I discovered that they DID install one of the wrong ones, it didn't look nice, but it worked, so that is what we have been using.

Now Kadance is almost ready to be forward facing, so we need the third anchor. So I called last week, made an appointment, and my father-in-law took the van in this morning. He dropped it off, and about an hour later, they called him and said that they can't do it. They can't put 3 anchors in the third row, only 2. Are you kidding me?! Why not? Why didn't they tell us this last time we took it in? Why didn't they tell us this BEFORE we bought our van, when we were pregnant with the triplets?! I am SOOO mad right now. Apparently it has something to do with the fact that the seats are stow-and-go, but I call bull sh*t, because why would they be able to put them on every seat but one?? If we knew this before, we would have gotten a different vehicle! I told Gairod I want to sell our minivan, and buy a 12-passenger van, so I can have lots of room, and put as many carseats as I want, wherever I want!

Busy Weekend!

Wow, what a busy weekend we had!!

Gairod's cousin is still in town, so Friday night they came over and we played some Wii! Then Saturday morning, Gairod went hunting. When he came home we packed up the kids and headed into Calgary to do some shopping! I desperately needed some new bras, and we needed bedding for our new king size bed! Sometimes I wonder HOW Gairod and I ever got married, cause it seems like we have NOTHING in common!! We could not agree on bedding. Everything I liked, he didn't, and everything he liked, I didn't! So after a long afternoon in the city, we came home, ordered some Chinese food, invited Travis and Amanda over (Gairod's cousin and his wife), and ate dinner. After we ate, we were going to play Wii again, but we turned on the TV, and it was totally messed up! We tried everything to fix it, but couldn't.

So Sunday morning, we got up, got ready, and headed back into Calgary.........to go TV shopping!!! Travis and Amanda came with us. Travis said there is nothing better than shopping for electronics with someone else's money! Ha! After WAY too many hours in the city, we finally got a new TV, AND Gairod gave in and let me get the bedding I wanted!!

We got home, got the TV set up, got the kids all fed and into bed, ordered some pizza (it was a BAD weekend for eating) and played Wii. At around 10:30pm, Travis and Amanda left, and Gairod and I went to bed!

I got absolutely NOTHING accomplished around the house this weekend, but it was nice to spend so much time with Gairod, and get some new stuff! Now we just need to get our bed set up, so we can put on our new bedding!

Flashback Friday!

Wow, another week has come and gone, and it's Friday again already!
These first two pictures take us back to November 2003, when Jade was 18-months old. Wasn't she such a cutie?!

This one is from last November. Jade lined all the little ones up in front of her, and read them a book! Ahhh, the days when they would stay where you put them......

Market Mall play area!

Well, I haven't posted anything in the last few days, because nothing really exciting has been happening!! Yesterday, my cousin's wife, Lindsay, came over for coffee. She brought her 6 week old baby boy, Lucas! Of course, that further fueled my need for a new baby!!

Today, I took the kids to Market Mall. I go there quite often for shopping, but they also have a play area with a bunch of stuff for climbing on, that is for toddlers/preschoolers, and it's free (always a bonus!). I have been meaning to try it out, but since I usually have such limited time to get into the city, shop, and get home to feed the kids and put them down for a nap, I have yet to try it out! Well, then I realized that the play area opens 1/2 hour before the rest of the mall does, so it works out perfectly for me to drop Jade off at school, head into the city, get there just as it's opening, let the kids play for 1/2 hour and then I can still get some shopping in too! So that's what we did today, and they LOVED it!! At first they weren't really sure what to do, cause we have never been to a play area before! But it didn't take long for them to get the hang of crawling through the tunnels and sliding down the slides! I am definitely going to make a point of taking them there more often! I feel bad because it seems like all we ever do is sit at home, and if we do go out anywhere, they are always strapped into their stroller or a cart!

I don't understand....

I don't understand why it is so easy for some people to get pregnant, yet so hard for others. Or even why it is so easy for a person to get pregnant one time, but not another. I just want to be pregnant. I want another baby so badly, it hurts. I can feel it more and more as the triplets get older and older. They are not babies anymore, and I hate that! At my last Dr appointment, they said the ultrasound was clear, and everything looked fine. Well then why am I bleeding on cycle day 15???? I should be ovulating soon, and instead I am bleeding. I don't understand my body. Why can't it just work normally, the way it is supposed to. I try not to think about it, I try not to worry, I try to remind myself that it will happen when it is supposed to happen. But what if it isn't supposed to happen? What if it never happens? I can't even think about that. I hate not knowing, I hate not being in control.

I HATE WORK!!

I don't even work, (well, I do, but not "technically") and I hate it!! It seems like we NEVER get to see Gairod, because he is always working!! I had great plans for this weekend; I wanted to get closet doors for the triplets room, get their toddler beds moved in, get the Christmas tree up, and go get bedding for our new king size bed! Well, last night Gairod had to work late. He got home around 9:30pm, had a bite to eat, and was in bed by 10pm, because he was tired. Today he is working too! He was out of the house by 6am this morning, and figures he will *hopefully* be done by 1 or 2pm, so most of the day!

I don't blame Gairod, it's not his fault, it's the stupid people he is working for! They always wait until 4pm on Friday, and then tell him that something has to be done for Monday! So he either has to stay late on Friday to finish, or go in on Saturday, or BOTH!! They don't seem to realize that he has a wife and kids who would like to see him and spend time with him too!! Grrrrrr!

Toddler beds it is!!

So this morning, a few minutes before I was going to go into the triplets' room and get them out of bed, I could hear the sound of little feet running around in their bedroom. I assumed that Kadance had taken it upon herself to get out of bed, so I figured I better go in there and get her, since their room is not toddler proofed yet! When I opened the door, Kadance was still in her crib, and HAYDEN was running around!!! OMG!! That didn't take long! Apparently he has been watching his sister and picked up a few tips on "how to climb out of a playpen"!! As I was standing there in awe, Cole proceeded to lift his leg up, and ALMOST climb out of his playpen!!

So I called up Gairod, and told him he better pick up some closet doors on his way home from work today, because we are toddler proofing the room and moving everyone into toddler beds!! It has to happen sometime, so we might as well take the plunge!!

Some pics!

Here is a picture from the TTMAC Christmas Party! The kids got to see Santa, and they each got a book! I wasn't supposed to be in the picture, but oh well, at least I'm smiling!!This is what Kadance did to the triplets' room, the day she wouldn't stay in her crib!!

Here is poor Hayden just after he woke up, with a crib full of stuff, thanks to his sister!

Flashback Friday!

Here is a picture from the first time we took the triplets to the swimming pool, about a year ago! My brother (in the picture), sister, and mom, all came to help us out!

Here is the picture we used for our Christmas cards last year! I loved when they would all stay still and pose for the camera!

What to do??

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted a blog! I have been very busy lately, but I will try to update on everything that has been going on!

Gairod's auntie Gail, cousin Travis, his wife Amanda, and their 10-month-old son Ethan, came out from Vancouver Island on Friday. They are in Alberta for 2-3 weeks, visiting family and friends. We had a nice visit with them on Friday night. Saturday morning, Gairod and Travis went hunting, and then in the afternoon we all went up to his Grandparents place in Red Deer for dinner. They haven't seen our little ones since they were 4 months old, sad, especially considering how close they live (1 hour away).

On Sunday we went to the TTMAC Christmas Party (I will post pics later!). It was alright, but our kids are at a hard age, where they are too old to just sit in their stroller happily, but too young to really do any activities!

On Monday I took Kadance to her doctor appointment, to talk about the possible allergy to the cold. Well, my Dr had never even heard of being allergic to the cold, so he said that I had taught him something new, and he would have to go look it up in his books!! He is going to refer us to an allergist though, so I guess we just have to wait and see. In the mean time, I keep second guessing myself, and thinking that maybe she is just fine! I want her to have a reaction again, like the first one. I know that sounds weird, but I am not convinced!!

On Tuesday, Gairod, Travis, Amanda and I went to the Flames game! It was fun, I have only been to a handful of Flames games before, so it was a nice treat, and a fun night out with my husband!

Now to my big dilemma. Yesterday, Kadance learned how to climb out of her playpen!!! I was really hoping to keep them in their playpens until they are a bit older, but I don't think that is going to work with Kadance. At the end of their nap yesterday, I could hear that they were all awake, so I ran downstairs to get the laundry up before I went in to get them out of bed. When I came back upstairs, their bedroom door was open (I usually close it but don't latch it) and Kadance was standing at their gate!! Gairod's mom and dad babysat last night when we went to the hockey game, and she went to bed fine. Then today at nap time, she would not stay in her playpen!! She kept on climbing out! Finally I just left her. Well, neither her or Cole napped, because she took his soother and kept bugging him. Hayden managed to fall asleep, but when I went in there to get Kadance and Cole out, their room was totally trashed, and poor Hayden's playpen was full of stuffed animals, blankets, shoes, and plastic bags (I use them for diapers)!! So I told Gairod that this weekend, we need to get closet doors (we don't have any!), we need to put drawer locks on the rest of the dresser drawers (the bottom one has one already) and we need to clear everything else out of their room!
Now I am trying to decide if we should borrow an actual crib for Kadance and see if she will stay in that, or if we should switch her to a toddler bed? I am worried that if she is in a toddler bed, she will keep the boys up, and I will have 3 cranky kids! But I am also worried that she will figure out how to climb out of a crib too, and we will be back to square one! If anyone has any suggestions, PLEASE let me know!!

Not looking good :(

In most of the articles I have found on Cold Urticaria, they say that there is a simple ice cube test you can do to see if they have this allergy. You place an ice cube on their skin for 4 minutes, then you take it off, and watch their skin for 10 minutes to see it they have any kind of a reaction. So, I decided to try this on Kadance, and unfortunately, she did have a reaction. The spot where the ice cube was, became covered in hives :( Here are some pictures of it.

5 min after ice cube removal

10 min after ice cube removal

It's kind of hard to see in the pictures, but at 5 minutes, there were hives around mostly just the edge of where the ice cube had been, and at 10 minutes they covered most of the area the ice cube had been touching. I have an appointment with our family doctor on Monday, so we will see what he says.

I have a bad feeling......

I have a bad feeling that Kadance IS allergic to the cold!

It is quite chilly here this morning, so when I took Jade to school, I let Kadance walk to the van (I usually carry her) to allow her a little more time out in the cold. I also purposely didn't put gloves on her. When we got back, I let her walk to the house, and she had to put her hands on the cold cement steps to get into the house. Within minutes, she had a hive on one hand (about the size of a pencil eraser) and two more trying to form on her other hand! I didn't give her any Benedryl, just watched her, and an hour later, they were gone.

I did have one little freak-out moment! Just after we came in the house she tripped and fell face-first into the corner of the wall. She was crying, and I picked her up and cuddled her, then put her down and a minute later I looked at her and her top lip was HUGELY swollen!! I freaked for a moment that it might be part of an allergic reaction, but then logic took over, and I realized that she did just smash her face into the corner of the wall, so it would make sense for her to get a fat lip!

I think I am going to get her into see our family doctor next week, and see if he can refer her to an allergist. I am really hoping that this isn't it, but I have a bad feeling that it is. If it is, I hope we can figure out a way to manage it, because living in Alberta, we really can't avoid the cold weather!

Here are a few pics of poor Kadance with her fat lip!

Flashback Friday!

I really can't believe it is Friday again already, this week went by super fast! Here are some pictures from 6 years ago, when Jade was 6 months old! It's so hard to believe that my little girl is 6 1/2 YEARS old now!!