We're 11 months today!!!

Carter is thrilled about it, Finn isn't sure yet, and Everett just wants to crawl off and get into something.

Never the less, they are wearing their party pants!!! Thanks Aunt Madeline!

My sister in law made these along with the pillows you see in some of the pictures. I'm so genuinely  impressed by people who can sew, paint, and do other crafty things like that because it is not a talent of mine for sure! 

Fancy pants!

Looking good Carter!

Everett

The weather was beautiful in Chicago today and so we opened the sidling glass door and felt the (kinda) warm breeze flow through the screen door. It kept blowing the curtains open and Everett kept playing peek a boo with them while laughing hysterically.

 I see you!

"I'm going to throw this pillow!"

And he did. Luckily it missed the camera.

 Even amongst the daily quips of "That guy grabbed my train track (or car, tools, snack... you name it)!" and yes, the occasional pushing and shoving, there are such tender moments shared between brothers. I need to remember these moments especially during what seem like long days of brother drama!

Like when Colin suddenly walked over to Carter and softly said, "I help you."

And he did.

 Or later when he put his arm around Carter, leaned in and said something sweet.

Or this moment.

Possibly the most exciting part of the day was when I waved to Finn across the room and to my surprise he lifted his arm and clearly, purposefully, joyfully waved back! It was so exciting and heart melting! I snapped the above picture just after his arm came down.

Oh, you little guys are growing so fast....

Busy busy busy....

That best describes our weekend!

Friday was a long day. First thing in the morning I decided to give the babies a bath because, well, they needed one desperately! And because they LOVE getting a bath. So at 7 a.m., by myself- well, expect for Colin's "help" I gave them a bath. It was fine until I realized that the bath chairs were broken. Two of the chairs won't even clip together and in turn, the babies can wiggle out of them- not safe! I swear, as rarely as we actually use these bath chairs, I can't see how they'd break so easily. I'm so annoyed that they're basically useless now and yet the time and energy it would take to try and return them also feels daunting.

So bath time consisted mostly of me trying to hold the babies in the seats while washing them and reminding my helper that it isn't a good idea to pour the water directly on their heads. Getting the babies out of the tub, dry and dressed was no picnic either. Why do I get myself into these situations?? I should've waited one more day so that Chris would be home to help!

Colin had a rough day in terms of listening and sharing, then Carter spiked a fever so I put him in the Ergo carrier on my back. Just when I was thinking, "How brilliant, I can just carry my sick baby close to me but still have free hands to care for the other kids. This will be fine!" he puked all over the back of me. Seriously, I was picking banana chunks out of my hair the rest of the day (no time to shower of course!).

My husband had plans to go out with his college friends that night which was fine- except that this happened to be one of those, "oh my God will they ever settle and go to bed?!" nights. They finally did and I quickly treated myself by ordering pizza, opening a bottle of wine and propping my feet up on the couch for mindless t.v.


Saturday flowed much smoother! We got out the choo choo wagon and headed back to the Purple Monkey Playroom. This may very well become a Saturday tradition for us! It's just so wonderful to have an easy, close to home, family activity that we can do together. Plus, this play space is set up beautifully. It's bright, very open and super clean.

Sunday we dropped the kids at my in-laws and headed up the west coast of Michigan for some exploring. It was freezing but really lovely. We also ended up bringing Everett with us. I wasn't sure if he'd somehow be thrown off by not having his brothers around for a whole day. Rest assured he was fine and seemed to love the one on one attention from mom and dad! It felt great to have time with him alone and we continue to try and make that happen for each child when time allows. We also laughed about how odd it felt caring for only one child. The days when we toted around one child seem so long ago.

So that was our long weekend. Friday was hard, Saturday was lovely and Sunday was a fun adventure. All in all, not so bad!

Here are a few pictures from last Thursday. My boys are constantly reminding me that the best toys are so often not technically toys at all. This blue storage bin was the hit of the week! Colin would take "tickets" from the babies and then give them each rides around the kitchen while they laughed and laughed. Especially Carter! He couldn't get enough! It's still rare to find an activity that all the boys can truly enjoy together but I realized that I need to think more simply about this. Blue bin = toy everyone could enjoy together for hours! Who knew??

The day you weren't born

In five short weeks you'll each turn one year old. 

Wow. 

What a celebration that will be. We'll have a party, everyone who loves you will gather around and laugh as you all dig into cake with funny party hats on. It will be a great day! 

But as your mom, this day also feels incredibly significant.... at least one year out it does. Maybe the feelings about that day will gradually feel less raw as the years go by. 

It's the day everybody thought you would be born.... but you weren't.

I've never felt so scared, so not in control, and so helpless as when labor was progressing at a speed and intensity that felt unstoppable. And yet everything in my being was willing it to stop.  I remember that I kept telling anyone who would listen, "This wasn't the plan!" HA!  It wasn't my plan, that's for sure. And what did I think? That somehow if the doctors knew this wasn't my plan, that they'd say, "Oh, okay then, let's forget this ever happened and send you home happy and pregnant."

 Everybody prepared for your arrival that night. The NICU team came in to talk with us between contractions to explain what you'd face being born this early. They told us we wouldn't be able to hold each of you. That made me cry. The little carts with tubes and lights and everything else were prepped and ready. Since then I've met other triplet moms who've had babies born that early and are now thriving. I know that outcomes can be great. But no doubt, being born at barely 29 weeks presents certain risks and challenges, and longer NICU stays. As your mommy, I wasn't ready to have you go into that environment.... not at all.  I wanted you in my belly, close to me, listening to my heartbeat and free of wires, pin pricks and all the other stuff that goes along with NICU stays. 

And then at almost 5 c.m. labor started slowing, the night passed and at some point I must have fallen asleep because I blinked my eyes open to see the sun coming up. Morning had come and you hadn't been born. 

I think about that long night sometimes and I don't know why we got so lucky. I'd had a routine doctors appointment that very day which caught labor early. I was 1.5 cm. without a clue that I was even in labor. By the time we reached labor and delivery, basically down the hall, I was 2 cm then quickly 3 cm. Still, I didn't feel contractions that felt out of the realm of what I normally felt as "stretching" day to day. It was also the first appointment in months that Chris had accompanied me to, because he'd happened to have an opening in his work schedule. Another weird coincidence because Lord knows, I needed him by my side as soon as they said, "You're in labor."

In my heart I feel certain that if I hadn't had that scheduled doctors appointment, on that very day, at that time, I wouldn't have realized that I was in labor until it was too late to stop it.

Today my heart is filled with deep gratitude.
Gratitude that for reasons I may never understand, the events one year ago today unfolded in such a mysterious and perfect way that allowed each one of you to stay snuggled up together in my belly for 5 more weeks. It wasn't easy but it will remain one of the great blessings of my life.

Get ready to party in five more weeks :)

All the laundry is neatly folded and piled in the basket....

Until I turn my head for TWO SECONDS!

Oh Everett, you get me every time! My little curious George....

Luckily Finn trapped you before you could get into any more laundry trouble!

 (Actually you were not very happy about this but it was so cute I had to take a pic before letting you free)

The first pic would've happened whether or not I have multiples... I just shouldn't have turned my head in that moment. But the second picture speaks to life with multiples. You just never know what they'll do next and how there ideas will impact each other. 

They never cease to surprise me or make me laugh!

(*** in full disclosure, I was not the one to fold the laundry. Our wonderful nanny Amelie did that. If it were me, the clean clothes would be haphazardly thrown in the laundry basket where they'd probably stay until needed! Hey, we all have our strengths. Folding laundry... not one of mine.)

This is how we roll

On Saturday, we took the boys to the Purple Monkey Playroom, a new local play area. 

For the first time, we took what Colin has dubbed "the train". 

Eeekkk, I couldn't stand the cuteness! (and therefore took a million pictures as you can see!)

I got such a kick out of watching this train navigate the Chicago city streets.

"Everett, will you push me?" 

"Sure"

We had fun playing but the real excitement seemed to be the transportation there and back!

Nobody was more thrilled that we were finally using the train than Colin. He was all smiles and kept yelling things like, "All aboard the choo choo train!" 

With every positive experience we have going out and about, it gives me hope for future excursions. I look so forward to this spring and summer, taking the train around town!

Happy Valentines Day!

Yes, I realize that technically Valentines Day was Tuesday, but the day was barely acknowledged amongst all the other "stuff" going on. The babies had an appointment early in the morning, Colin and I tried a new place space late morning (this one, it was super fun!) and the rest of the day seemed to unfold at lightning speed, me barely keeping up.

At some point I was able to sneak out to Walgreen's to get Chris a valentines day card but the car aisle was PACKED. Swarms of husbands, wives and the like were gathered around picking up cards, looking them over and putting them back. All I could think about were all the germs being exchanged in that confined space! And seriously, did everyone in Chicago wait till the last minute this year?! Truth be told, I ended up deciding to just tell Chris how I feel instead of fighting the crowd in aisle three for a card and probably catching a cold in the process. Empty handed I left. Luckily, my valentine couldn't care less about receiving an official card- one of the things I *love* about him.

For the rest of the day, the babies were fussy, Colin was testing boundaries, everyone had a hard time going to bed and it became one of those days you just. get. through.

While Chris was upstairs settling the babies to bed, I was getting something out of the hutch for Colin  and found our somewhat cheesy valentine's day table runner. Oops, I'd forgotten all about it. Later, after all the kids were finally asleep, I found a bag filled with valentine's day napkins and other things that I'd bought weeks ago and then forgotten about.

For a moment I felt really sad. I know we didn't have to use the heart napkins, or eat around the Valentine's Day runner, or make special projects, but I'd wanted to. I was excited to share that with my kids. And now the day was over and it was too late.

Or was it?

There is no rule book saying you can only make Valentines on the 14th, or only use heart napkins on that one day, right?? My boys don't even read a calendar yet or go to school (lucky for me in these situations!).

So we got up on Wednesday and we celebrated Valentine's Day. We ate off the special heart napkins, threw around the word "love" a little more than usual, sat around the table with the cheesy runner and made our own valentines.

Yup, our Valentines Day Wednesday was lovely. There was a little extra spark of love in the air and macaroni covered hearts decorating the walls.

The rest of our week has been a whirlwind, which is why I didn't get a chance to to post this until now. Lots of stuff in the works for the Miller family, exciting and scary all at the same time. On a fun note, lots of birthdays are coming up too! All of my guys have birthdays in March!

Silence could mean your child is napping...

OR- they could be busy "painting" their face, arms and legs with waterproof jet black mascara. 

Do you know how hard it is to clean mascara off?! 

Colin has always been a super napper. Since the babies arrived, I've been able to count on him taking a good, solid three hour nap. 

But lately, he suddenly doesn't seem as tired and says he can't fall asleep. Instead, he seems to get himself into trouble, like the other day when I found an empty water jug part way filled with diaper cream. I have a pretty good idea who did that. 

Could he be ready to give up his nap?

Noooooo! I'M not ready!

Something to celebrate

I'm leaving the dishes in the sink, the laundry in the basket and the toys scattered around me while I prop up my feet and write down my joy for however long the boys let me. They're all napping right now. I could have 10 more minutes, or, dare I hope for longer!

The boys attended their first music class together today. I was both nervous and excited! Mostly excited though because we were getting out of the house to do something that hopefully the boys would enjoy. This might not sound like any ole' big deal but it's a big step for us. No matter how it went, it was sure to be more exciting then another morning spent in our basement.

I personally find that one of the hardest aspects of parenting four kids under three, especially in the winter, is that it's hard to find a place that can accommodate all of us, is age appropriate for 10 month olds and an almost three year old and can safely contain them. 

Bucktown Music is a wonderful place in our neighborhood that offers Kindermusic classes (amongst other things). Colin first started taking class there when he was only 6 months old. Through everything that's happened since then, Kindermusic has remained the one consistent class for him. It's his turf and I wasn't sure how he'd feel about the babies encroaching on this space. Thankfully, he was excited. He was ON FIRE the whole class! Dancing and singing louder than ever and showing the babies how to do everything. In fact, he sang the whole stroller ride there too. He said he was "practicing". Ahhh, I love this age.

Colin, Carter, Finley, Everett when we first arrived. The bubble above their heads would probably read, "Wait a minute, this isn't our basement?! Where are we?"

I loved and I mean LOVED, seeing the boys do something together. 

Each of the babies acted EXACTLY how I thought they would. 

Everett was instantly trying to break into the cabinet and other mom's purses. 

Carter sat attentively. Listening, watching, and you could just tell, trying to learn it all.

Finn could be seen cuddling up to a random mother who was wearing a cozy sweater.(As a side note Finn, it sort of breaks my heart to think you will cuddle with almost anyone... I thought WE had at thing going?!?!)

 Afterward, not even the impressive tantrum from a certain someone riding on the back of the stroller, because Mommy forgot his drink, could diminish my joy.  

We all got out of the house and nobody screamed, pooped, tantrumed or got injured during class. 

THAT feels like something to celebrate today.

Have a great weekend!

Your own DJ booth

Carter, you are cracking me up lately.

You just can't get enough of this second hand, pieces missing, u- shaped activity center.

You love it! Each morning it's the first thing you look for and crawl over too. Carefully you pull yourself up and start jammin' 

You bounce and dance, make wild noises and press all the buttons. 

Amelie and I call it your DJ booth.

This morning you were acting all fussy and making eyes at me as if you say, "I am NOT happy!"

I couldn't figure out why, it was so unlike you. Then I saw that your DJ booth was stuck behind bumbo seats and toys. 

You couldn't get at it.  

As soon as I moved it you scurried over, pulled yourself up and started doing your thing. And you were back to my happy go lucky guy.

Spinning elmo tunes and dancing to the music. 

Mr. blue eyes, we sometimes call you
You got your eyes from your Daddy...  the only one of our children to inherit his blue eyes.



I love you to pieces, little man

9 months, what's working?

***Once again, I'm late publishing this as the boys are actually 10 months now :) I wrote it a while back, just forgot to put it on the blog. How does this happen every month?!

Finn

Everett. I wish I'd gotten his whole head in this picture as I think it's so sweet of him. He's riding on a giraffe rocker that the boys just LOVE.

Carter

I won't make this post as long as the '8 months, How are things going?' post ended up being! Some of how it's going is the same. The babies still go to bed at 6 p.m., take a bottle at 10 p.m. and wake up around 6-6:30. We still keep a swing outside their bedroom door and whoever is having a hard time ends up there. Lately they seem to be looking much bigger in the swing.... I hope they don't outgrow it soon though, it's gold to us for those middle of the night- I need him to settle and not wake up everybody else- moments!

They eat baby food twice a day and also LOVE, and I mean LOVE puffs and cheerios. This is my go to activity if they are having a hard time, or if I need to do something for myself like maybe eat my lunch. I lay out a baby blanket, sprinkle a bunch of puffs on there and they come crawling over happy as can be. The OT in me loves that it's working on their fine motor skills too :)

They are playing with each other more and more with each passing month. They're not yet engaged in high level play of course, but peek a boo, looking at each other and laughing, and just sharing attention with each other is a daily occurrence. I especially love watching this aspect of their development unfold.

Lastly, this tunnel has provided hours upon hours of fun for them. I think its a great thing to get for any kiddos around this age. They crawl through it, play peek a boo, and just have such a ball. I like it because when your child is crawling through and you peek in, it provides such an opportunity for rich engagement/ eye contact. Again, we don't get out all that much, especially now in the winter, so we need  simple activities to keep things novel and exciting!

Hey there Finn!
This tunnel by the way is from IKEA, same as this one just different color

I also started keeping the toys in a laundry basket. Does anyone else do this?? It's not very aesthetic but we are beyond worrying about what matches our home decor these days! It's just easy- for them to see and choose what they want, and for us to clean up toys at the end of the day.

"Hmm, what can we get into??"

Everett sees something he likes. He's going' for it!

Home

We are back home in Chicago. Chris drove back to Michigan Friday night to pick us up.

My Dad is also home. He was finally discharged late Friday night and is so happy to be home resting and getting uninterrupted sleep in his bed. He's got a road of healing ahead of him but he's well on his way. We are so grateful for the care he received while in the hospital. Our prayers were answered in that respect. 

We had a lovely week in Michigan. My parent's friends and neighbors would come over whenever they had some free time to play with the boys and I was so grateful for this. Often they'd bring coffee and food in tow too! There is such kindness in that neighborhood and they really take care of each other. One night while my mom was up at the hospital all the kids were crying and or/ fussy and/or getting into things they shouldn't be and basically making me batty. Just when I thought I was going to loose my mind, a neighbor texted to say they had a free hour and could I use some help? My response?

"Yes please!!! and RUN!"

Throughout the week, Colin loved going up to the hospital to visit his Pop-Pop. He saw it as a great adventure.

I was also glad we were still in Michigan when he came home so Colin could see that. 

See, there he is on the right side of the picture! My mom is on the left.

This past weekend was also my birthday. My mom completely surprised me with a pudding cake (my favorite!) on Friday night. I don't know how she found the time to make it with everything going on.

Although apparently she did have help :)`

Make a wish!

Gavin, Lauren, Colin, Chris, Me, Finn- who was supposed to have been in bed like his brothers :), Kyle, Madeline and Macy.

Mid pictures, Colin decided to show Macy how he can lift weights. 

Back in Chicago, we went out Saturday night with my brother Kyle, his wife Madeline, brother Gavin and his girlfriend Lauren and my best friend Laurie and her husband Brian (not in the above pictures because they met us at the bar :(. 

We had appetizers at our favorite neighborhood bar, dinner at Owen and Engine and there was lots of wine flowing. 

It was really truly the most perfect night out. Now that Kyle and Madeline live downstate, not to mention we have kids, we don't all get to go out like this very often. I loved every minute of being out with this crew.

This year, in addition to feeling a little bit old, I feel unbelievably blessed.