A Valentines to remember

(Delayed post - written on Wednesday, posted on Saturday)

Well, we finally got our first legit storm of the year! Ice storm, that is. I’m writing this on my laptop, powered by a small generator that was dropped off today by one of my angel co-workers. I can’t post this to my blog until the power/cable/internet comes back but Cole, JD and I are sitting together writing it anyway. The day came with lots of ice, lots of wind, power outages and lots of time to think…it’s been a long day today with no tv, no lights, no frig, no microwave, no shower, no heat and no running water (we’re on well water, powered by electricity). Here we are, heating up bottles the old fashioned way (thank goodness I had already made bottles for the following day before we lost power).

That said, it gave me plenty of time to reflect on how much I take ALL of those things for granted each day. About every other hour I would get frustrated and then I would try to remember that there are people everywhere who don’t have any of these things on a daily basis and they still figure out how to go on, day to day. Days like this truly make you realize how lucky we are to have such cushy lives where we don’t normally need to worry about such things as being cold, or dirty, or hungry. Then I would resent the BG&E workers for not getting OUR power on yet…and suddenly remember the BG&E workers who are out in this blustery weather trying to restore power to over 70,000 customers today; talk about frustrated! They must be cursing mother nature every time they turn around or go up one of those power poles in 40 knot winds.

Just 2 days ago I heard a terrible story about a local family with 8 children that lost their home to a fire. They were left with NOTHING but the clothes on their backs, one of their cars and a few car seats. Some of the kids that were indoors at the time didn’t even have shoes. They are in a hotel, thanks to the Red Cross and lost all of their personal belongings. A day without power and a shower is nothing compared to that! On my agenda today before all of this happened, I was going to drop a bag full of baby clothes off for the 5 week old baby of that family – and I didn’t make it over there because of the weather and the power issues. I couldn’t take the kids out b/c it was much too cold with the wind. And then I would have to load them up in the car, get them bundled up etc. As I called to tell my friend my reasons for not making it over, I realized how stupid that sounds when these people have no clothes, no house, no toys, no food and the list goes on. Further, my extended family out West has been getting hammered with snow for weeks now - stranding them in their homes, on highways and at work. They have been hit a LOT worse than we have this winter! It’s amazing how easily and quickly we get caught up in our own crap isn’t it?

Chuck had to run to the office mid day to pick up some work and get a few things done and it wasn’t until then, as I sat in the house with the boys, in the middle of the floor, in silence, with a roaring fire, that I realized how lucky I have it. We played and chatted for hours. They must think I’m crazy by now with my entertainment gigs; but that’s OK. Hopefully they are too young to remember all of the stupid things that they actually watched me do – and laughed at me while doing them.

I was then reminded again about the good of people around 4pm when another angel helper stopped by (a friend of a friend who knows a lot about generators) to help us get the generator set up and working to our best advantage. We’ve never met this guy but our friend called him to call up a favor and after a 15 hour day of plowing and shoveling, he stopped by our house with a smile on his face when he knocked on the door. He needed a few things to get it to work and we didn’t have what he needed. Would you believe he started walking to my neighbors to try to ask if they had the wire that he needed so he didn’t have to leave us without fixing us up just right? People never cease to amaze me.

So here we are, at the end of the day, still no power but everyone has been fed, everyone is still smiling and we’re nice and toasty in the basement.

The boys don't know the difference. I’m a bit frazzled trying to figure out how we’ll continue like this if the power doesn’t come back soon. And how I'll deal with work if schools continue to be out and my nanny can't come. But didn’t I learn a few months ago to take it one day/minute at a time? I think I did…how quickly I forget. We have one light and a working computer. Now we just pray that the propane tank holds out until the power comes back on so our heat source stays strong. Maybe we’ll all be sleeping in the basement tonight – won’t THAT be a Valentines Day to remember?

Hope everyone else fared OK in the storm. I know that there were lots of people who also lost power, and lots of trees down too. Thinking of all of you other “Marylanders” as we weather the storm!

Update: power came on at 9:30 pm on Wednesday night, as we were packing to go to Grammy & Grampy's. Needless to say, we were overjoyed and had to fight for who got the first shower :)

By request....

A few more pics from the boys photo session - by request of my beloved blog readers! Love you guys!

Weekend Tidbits

Here comes the snow! We've had such a mild winter but it appears that maybe we're going to get some of that white stuff that seems to have hammered the West and up North...it's headed our way tonight. Of course, that means that the State of MD will virtually shut down - and God knows, don't go to the grocery store today, the shelves will surely be empty. We just might have to don our snow suits and take the boys out for their first "play" in the snow tomorrow!

Thought I would post a few pics from the weekend. After our adventure out on the town on Friday night, I was moving a bit on the slow side on Saturday so just enjoyed hanging with the boys. We had a great time but oh boy, I certainly can't hang like I used to. Suffice to say, the night is a little "foggy" but we made it home safely in a cab by 2am. Thank goodness Daddy rose to the occassion and did the early morning feed. The Boys and I took a 2 hour nap on Saturday - that's the first nap I've taken since these little characters arrived in our lives and it was awesome! Some of you might know that I love naps and have missed them terribly. Hangover's are a great excuse for a nap.

Cole and JD played their hearts out this weekend - here you can see that Cole just fell asleep right in the middle of a very boring phone conversation...




And Gus seemed very happy this weekend with all of us home and hanging around the house - he was playing his favorite "guard cat" here...




And JD couldn't get enough of his toys...

And the weekend could not have ended any better with the Maryland Terps beating Duke last night - Daddy went to the game and JD, Cole & I watched it on tv. The boys are great early Terps fans! GO TERPS!

Photo Shoot

We did a recent photo shoot with both boys and they were such little angels! Here's one of my fav's...she took over 100 pictures - I don't know how I'll ever pick!

Have a good weekend all. Tonight is my "coming out" party with the girls. Wish me luck. It's been a while since I've been out on the town - Daddy's on duty; god bless us both!

Big Gus

Poor Gus (my cat) is struggling to find his place in the family again. For the first 10 years of his life, HE was the baby. He now has dropped to the bottom of the totem pole. And believe me, I feel terrible that this has happened to both of our kitties - but I guess that's life. The pets always drop to the bottom of the list, no matter how much you try to not let that happen. He was my buddy while I was home on bedrest when I was pregnant (I actually think I did a couple of posts about him) and he never left my side. Since I have been home from the hospital, there is not a night that he hasn't slept with me in bed. He's loyal. And spoiled.

I have to give him some kudos actually. He and Maggie have been such a great big brother and sister to the kids. They hang around all of the time, "guarding" the babies. When they cry, they are right there; with concern. Maggie in particular hates to hear the babies cry. She meows until they stop crying. When the babies sleep, they guard the door. When anyone but Chuck and I hold them, Gus sits right next to that person holding the baby. It's pretty amazing. All of the worry I had about Gus's behavior was unnecessary. He's really done well and for an old CAT, he's a gem. And not once has he tried to get into a crib - thank God!

But I found it odd last night when I woke up at midnight and Gus wasn't in bed with me. It was so odd that I actually got out of bed and went on a search. Here is where I found him...

Let me first say that although he looks comfy in this photo, he's MUCH too big for the baby chair and further, he can't really fit in it too well. But he didn't care - he wants to be the baby again! I woke up with that guilty feeling that I've neglected him too much. I guess we'll have to get him a treat this weekend and give him some extra love. Regardless, he'll always be my first baby!

No more O's!

I just got the official word that we're clear to stop the oxygen at night now! Two more weeks with no O's and we finally can get rid of the tubes and compressor that are so lovely in the middle of our living room.


Cole has gained a little over a pound in two weeks so it appears that he's gaining weight well, despite not having oxygen. What a great milestone for him! To be honest, I've been cheating anyway and haven't had his oxygen on every single night. I just knew he could do it! Cole couldn't be any happier, can you tell?

Better than a bumbo seat

It’s amazing in this day and age, sometimes you actually come across things that the local government does RIGHT! We have been lucky enough to qualify for a program in our county called Infant & Toddlers which is a part of the AA Co. school system. Since the boys were preemies, they automatically qualify for this FREE service. The program was established for infants & children 3 & under who are born with any kind of compromised condition (preemies, downs syndrome, CP etc.). I heard about the program while we were still in NICU and was a bit skeptical about what it really was. At that time, I didn’t inquire much about it since we were concentrating on the issues at hand and I could hardly think ahead enough to ask any questions about it. A week after we got home, I received a call from a nurse that is with the program. They tracked us down. I could not get over how knowledgeable and kind this nurse was. We set up an appointment and within a week, she came for a home visit. I then learned about the program and how incredibly valuable this resource would be for us. They follow the kids until they are 3 years old, providing any therapy resources needed, if any. They have physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and many other resources to aid in developmental issues. It’s beyond me how this is a FREE service, and they come to your HOME. Nonetheless, I’m prepared to take full advantage of it, as long as it’s available. Everyone I’ve dealt with so far is so professional and knowledgeable.

Preemies generally are behind developmentally, for obvious reasons. However, some preemies catch up VERY quickly and you never notice they were behind, and others can take a bit more time. The fact that my kids are preemies, boys and triplets makes it even more likely that they will be a bit behind for a short while in their early months. After my initial consultation with the nurse, she set up a full evaluation for both boys in the following week. At that appointment, a developmental specialist and a physical therapist came to the house and spent over 3 hours with us. In they walked with bags of toys and various learning tools, kicked off their shoes, shed their coats and got on the floor with the boys. They had the boys doing all kinds of things – testing them in every way that they could. They then make an analysis on each of them and give a baseline rating so that we have a starting point. Both kids did well and were right in their correct range for regular baby development. First hurdle.

It was amazing how they had different strengths and weaknesses. It’s been so interesting to see them develop. In just 6 weeks, they have come such a long way. Following the evaluation by the two therapists, they assigned us a physical therapist who comes to the house weekly to work with both boys. She spends about 30 minutes with each of them, working on lots of little things to make them stronger. They are both gaining on their neck and head control each day. We’re working on rolling over with them both – and they both are so proud of themselves when we cheer them on.

I love our therapist. She’s such a neat person – and she’s an amazing therapist and teacher. You know when you just connect with someone? Well, I feel like we’ve made a connection already and the boys seem to have adjusted well to her after just 3 weeks of sessions. This week, she showed up at my door with two large brown empty boxes, two huge pieces of thick foam, an electric carving knife and a big fat ruler and magic marker. Needless to say, I had no idea what our session would involve for the day. BUT, much to my surprise, she was making JD & Cole their own personal “sitters”. They aren’t the prettiest things around but they are so cool! And the boys really dig hanging out in them!

Here are a few pictures from our sit time yesterday. The foam pieces inside the box have been cut out around their legs and bodies so that the foam actually encircles them inside, giving them support so that they can sit up well. It teaches them what it feels like to sit up, along with helping with their neck control and balance. This therapy tool is used a lot with children who need wheelchairs and walkers to function. It’s proven to be great for kids to get their bearings when learning to sit up. She gets the boxes from leftovers at the grocery store and the foam comes from scraps at a sewing shop. She spends no money making them, just her free time and some TLC for her clients.

The best part is that there is a little table like platform right out in front of them that they can use to rest their hands and play with toys. What a cool thing! I feel so fortunate to have been paired up with such a dedicated, knowledgeable therapist. She’s awesome! The sitters are even better than the bumbo seats – much more supportive and they have a table top for them to use. Although they aren’t nearly as sporty looking as the bumbo’s! Maybe we should decorate their boxes to make them a bit more attractive?

Day with Daddy

Daddy had the boys for a few hours today - it was great to be out and about a bit. I visited with my friend J. who is on bedrest and now at 31 weeks and holding...yay! After a few errands and some quick shopping, I returned home to find everyone soundly sleeping with full bellies. Ah, the sweet sound of silence!

But I couldn't resist taking this photo after I finished rolling on the floor with laughter. Can you tell what is "wrong" with this picture?

Although probably not obvious at first glance, if you look closely, Cole is sleeping on his belly and his overalls are on backwards. Not only is it obvious since the pockets are on his back in this photo, I have no idea how C. got them on this way after the diaper change because the snaps are now on the back?!?!? I haven't had the heart to wake Cole up yet and see how funny it looks from the front...It just struck me so funny for some reason. Hey, I'm not complaining. At least the diapers got changed, the kids were fed and seemlingly happy as little clams. All in all, Daddy had a succesful day so who cares if their overalls are on backwards, right?

SMILES!

Career & Motherhood = CHALLENGE

And I've never been one to walk away from a challenge! It's been a busy week and this challenge has officially kicked my butt this week. It's Friday - I have NO idea where the week went. Before I knew it, it was Friday and my alarm was beeping at 4:30 am. The week just flew by. And weekends are my favorite anyway - now I appreciate them even more - 2 FULL days with my babies! I made it - my first week back to work is almost behind me. The anticipation of it was much harder than doing it. I work with some great people. Most everyone was so kind when I came back and made me feel welcome again. One of the great benefits of working for a family based small company. I even got some cupcakes upon return!

Actually, my return to work has gone very smoothly - from both the emotional and logistical standpoint. Having such good home daycare makes all of the difference. My nanny has been with us since October. She knows us inside and out now. She's absolutely wonderful and the boys adore her. Leaving home in the morning is never easy but before I know it, I'm back home. Once I return home at 2:30, the chaos ensues and until 9pm, I'm running my arse off. I usually return home with my briefcase full of "homework", that I MUST get done before morning. I put the kids down, and off to work I go. But as you can imagine, I get my work done in 1/3 of the time I would if I tried to do it while the kids were up and/or while I'm at the office and getting interrupted by the daily business going on. That said, it seems to be working fairly efficiently for now - except for my sleep factor.

I've never been one to need oodles of sleep to function. I come by that honestly. My family is lucky like that. And thankfully, I can sleep anywhere, anytime - no insomnia tendencies here. So, once my head hits the pillow I'm out. Thank goodness. The hours I spend in bed, although short, are usually good quality sleep time. I just wonder how long 5-5.5 hours is going to work? Time will tell.

Back to the challenge of it all. This summer marks my 15 year anniversary with the company. It's my Dad's company and I came to work there the summer I graduated from college to make some extra money until I got accepted into the FBI. Believe that? I wanted to be an undercover FBI agent - they were in a hiring freeze at the time I got out of school. Anyway, we would have never thought that I would have made a career out of working for our family business since it was never even on my radar until I landed there by chance. I was given an amazing opportunity and worked my way slowly to where I am today. It's not often that people are given that chance to work for a family business and really make a career out of it. I have always been so thankful for that chance ~ and frankly, can't imagine doing anything else. I missed it like crazy while I was gone over the last few months. We have a very close family and thankfully, work has been a strong force in our lives but has not interfered with our family relationships.

For years before kids were on the forefront of our lives, my friends and I always discussed whether we would want to be stay at home Mom's or continue working. Not that everyone has a choice, but we always discussed it. And none of us knew what our future held anyway, but it was fun to chat about. It was always my contention that I would like to have a mix of both if I could. I didn't want to stop working. I love my career but would also want to be able to be with my kids a bit on a daily basis. I often wondered how it would all work out. And here I am. Trying to find that balance. It's hard. But it's working so far. I have enjoyed being back to work - I like the sense of responsibility, accomplishment and the challenge. It's definitely the right choice for me, for now. Part of the balancing act is getting used to not working at the office for a full day - it's certainly an adjustment. Most people would think "that's a great thing" and it is, but it's not as easy as one would think.

After all that we went through to have our children and get them here at home safely and healthy, this should be a piece of cake, right? My only hope is that I can slow it down enough to enjoy every moment. It's only going to get busier as the kids grow up and have their own activities going on. But I'm hopeful that once this routine gets perfected a bit, it won't be quite so stressful and the days won't fly by so fast; at least the time spent with the kids will be savored. Or maybe it will still fly by. But I will certainly do everything I can to enjoy each day and stop and smell the roses. For if you don't do that, what good is living life? There's so much to be enjoyed.

As one of my dear friends reminded me on the eve of my return to work "Most people never wish that they worked more hours at work, but they do wish that they had spent more time with their friends and family". What a keen reminder that is.