I’m a little obsessed with Steven in the backwards baseball hat.
We also had some fun with rain boots and snow boots that were hand-me-downs from Chase and Charlie. They can barely walk in the boots but, of course, didn’t want to take them off.
On Tuesday, music class was on a mid-winter break so we took Steven, Sammy and Amaya back to Funtastic for some playtime. It’s amazing to see how they’ve grown in the space since the boys first went back in the fall. They climb with much more confidence though I definitely don’t have daredevils.
The big fun of a week was a visit from Grandma Sunshine! Because of the snowstorm that hit us, Grandma was able to stay with us from Tuesday afternoon until Friday morning. Fun, fun, fun!
Everyone was so sad on Friday morning when it was time to say goodbye. The kids stood at the window to watch Grandma Sunshine’s car drive away.
We had time for lots of activity time between coloring and play doh. Right now the biggest trick is getting SSA to keep their crayons and play doh at the table. We’re working on it.
The play doh aftermath. There was a brief moment in time when I thought I’d be able to keep the individual colors separate and pristine. Hahahaha. Joke’s on me! Good thing I’ve learned to let go of the little things, even if they trigger latent ocd tendencies.
Steven, Sammy and Amaya LOVE helping Daddy with construction projects around the house. They have a screwdriver, wrench and hammer and are ready to jump in at a moment’s notice. The big project for the weekend was to replace a ton of doorknobs in the house so we could add some baby proofing devices that don’t work on the original knobs. Construction-Man Daddy and his crew to the rescue!
The kids loved helping with the work but I don’t think they were very excited about the end results. Foiled!
Amaya is such a caregiver. She will bring her brothers their stuffed animals when they’re sad and, as I’ve shared in past blog entries, she’s quick to rub their backs when they need comforting. Here, Amaya and Steven were sitting in their chairs in front of the fireplace. She said to Steven, “Careful Bobo, Fireplace hot.” It was so sweet.
Just a few more group photos from the week.
I tried to get out for a walk today but it wasn’t meant to be. Amaya hated the snow & wind and Sammy hated the puddles on the ground. Within 5 minutes they were both clamoring to go home.
We had berries with us for our walk which, instead, we ate on the floor. A definite treat for these kiddos.
Mesmerized by “Wheels on the Bus.” Bus! Bus! Blue bus. Red bus. Lello bus. Bus! See how Sammy’s sitting? So, so Sammy.
Here’s Steven this week!
Cleaning everything. Steven took a wipe and cleaned the water bottles, the magna tiles… anything he could get his hands on.
Watching Daddy brew a fresh cold sodie-pop.
Sammy this week!
Yesterday, Jason was at the grocery store when Sammy picked up the headphones. He asked me to take a picture of him to send to Daddy. It blows my mind that 2 year old understands that’s possible.
Lounging like Daddy.
Can I remember why he was sad here? It could be so many things. He wants more vitamins. (“More vitaminutes!”) He wants a toy someone else has. He wants my phone. I know this one wasn’t about wanting his belly button off. It’s hard to be 2.
Amaya!
Proudly wearing my sweater.
Amaya loves to dress herself. She’s getting quite adept at walking around in pants pulled up to her knees.
Last week started off with a bit of sibling love. There’s so much fighting over toys and position that it’s amazing to see the counterpoint to the rivalry. Apparently this was all unprompted, too.
Tuesday morning, both Amaya and Sammy wanted ponies. And both wanted their May May.
As part of our plan to Bulk Up the Bobes, we added cottage cheese as a snack option. Amaya does so well with her spoon and, of course, it’s my biggest child who most enjoys the cottage cheese.
Lately, Steven, Sammy and Amaya have been very interested in our cars. In particular, they really want to see daddy’s car. One night this week I was able to coordinate with Jason ahead of time to be sure the kids would see his car drive up to the house. You can see them waiting, almost patiently. When Jason arrived he pulled up in front of the house to flash his lights a few times. It’s amazing what can thrill two-year-olds, though it also reminds me of watching my dad’s car (white VW Rabbit) pull up to and away from our house when I was little.
Thursday morning, Megan’s friend came by with 6 month old Aria. (Photos shared with permission.) Everyone was interested, Amaya in particular. I think she wants a baby sister. Which is not a hint. Just a desire that she’s going to have to live with, unfulfilled. Sorry Amaya!
My baby feeding a baby!
Everyone was oddly excited to watch Aria’s diaper change. You can sort of see Sammy standing behind the changing table. “Change baby diaper.”
On Friday, Anna came for a play date with Ben and Sam. (Again, photos shared with permission.) The kids all play so well together! There’s almost less fighting than when it’s just Steven, Sammy and Amaya. This week, Megan and Anna decided to have the kids make their own pizzas for lunch. So cute!!
They all got dough to pat, pat, pat.
Next came tomato sauce.
Time to add some cheese!
And we have 5 personal pizzas!
They were a huge hit.
Here’s just a bit of the mess 5 toddlers can make. Honestly, it’s not much worse than the mess that 3 toddlers make.
On Saturday morning, Steven needed to wear his shoes but they were up on a counter. I asked Amaya to take a step stool over to get the for us. Which she did. This turned on a light bulb for Sammy. He realized he can take the step stools to turn the lights on and off. Smart guy! He’s having so much fun with it. Of course it didn’t take long for Steven and Amaya to join the bandwagon. It’s a good thing we have childproofed the switches they shouldn’t access.
We were hoping to go visit Grandma Sunshine but the wind knocked out her power (boooooo) so, instead, we went to the mall for pizza. We love pizza! Sammy even took an opportunity to ride in the coin machine cars. I was so proud of him. Sammy is usually the most reticent with stuff like that but he was the only one who was even willing to go near them. Amaya didn’t want to leave the wagon and Steven didn’t even want to watch Sammy in the cars. Way to go, Bubba!
Besides hand holding, there’s been a lot of care of one another this week.
Sammy was lying on the floor and Amaya covered him with a blanket.
Steven had a difficult time waking up from his nap so both Amaya and Sammy came over to make nice and rub his back.
The kids love “Abby Dabby” so I looked for some Sesame Street videos on YouTube. They’re not quite ready to follow a story line but they did love seeing their Dabby! Totally mesmerized.
There are moments like this were Sammy is all Jason.
Here’s Steven this week!
Trying to change channels with his “mote”.
Mommy and Bobo
One year ago, on our way for a weekend in NY together. I remember when I thought he’d be using Honey Bear forever.
Sammy this week!
Look at how this kid lounges.
Amaya this week!
On Wednesday I received my special 2014 Triplet Mama t-shirt. These were made special for my triplet mom group and have our birth year on the sleeve. I didn’t get to wear it, though, because it was immediately appropriated by Amaya.
Amaya in her first time out. 🙁
The ever-present water bottle dangling from her mouth.
And, finally, Steven, Sammy and Amaya watching their daddy prep the deck for spring.
This weekend, Steven and I had a special Mommy/Bobo trip to New York. It was joyous from start to finish. Steven was a champ when I woke him early to head to the airport. We arrived at 6:30am for our 8:30am flight which gave us enough time to check in and stop for breakfast in the terminal.
Steven is so aware of everything around him. I swapped seat with him because he noticed the tram over his shoulder and kept watching for it. “Train. Train. Train back. Train.”
I forgot to bring a bib and a bib is a must with Steven so we improvised. I wore one, too, in solidarity.
Meanwhile, back at home Sammy and Amaya were ready for a quiet(er) day at home. These kids don’t skip a beat!
Steven was nearly apoplectic when we arrived at the gate and he could get a good look at the airplanes. Everyone around was enjoying his narrative. “Plane. Big plane. Big Plane. Little plane. Truck. Man. Bus. Man in truck. Big plane. Truck. Little plane.”
This age is so much easier for plane travel. Steven was able to sit in a seat, occupied by the seat belt, while I installed his car seat. It helps that he’s independent enough to stay put and let me do my thing. The flight itself was a breeze. We ate the rest of our breakfast, played with our toys and drew on my iPad. Easy peasy!
We arrived at Nana and Papa’s houses in time for lunch and naps, followed by visits from Auntie, Team Goldberg and Savta. (Fa Faf!)
Back at home, Megan started to introduce these cool 10- 15 minute phonics videos to the Sammy and Amaya. Thank you, YouTube!
Sammy was excited to wear Megan’s hat!
At bedtime, I was the lucky one. Chase and Charlie slept over and we had some time to snuggle before everyone went to bed. I wasn’t far behind them and had the travel treat of sleeping in the same room as Steven. I love early morning when he’s awake talking to himself. “Fireman. Policeman. Policeman car. Dust pan.” lol It’s delightfully random and a great way to (sort of) get into his head.
Saturday morning was playtime in NY and MI. Savta, Auntie and the Goldbergs all came by to visit with us. In MI, Anna was there to give Daddy a break.
Steven is strong.
All weekend, Steven was obsessed with these kitchen gloves. Obsessed. He was so darn cute wearing them.
Hugs with Nana
Playtime with Nana
Hanging with Uncle Dave, Aunt Sara and Charlie
Gloves! Steven would run to this side of the house and show us his gloves. Then he’d say “Other side!” and run to the other side of the living room, through the dining room, and show us his gloves again.
“Other side!”
Fun with Papa!
Fun with Savta!
This is about as cute as it gets. Anna sent me these photos of Amaya and Sammy walking around the house holding hands. HOLDING HANDS. Be still my heart.
Helping Daddy with the groceries
Someone is ready for a nap!
Saturday afternoon we had a special treat and were able to meet up with my cousin Mike and his duo – Jake & Naomi. We went to ride the carousel at The Source and then out for dinner. Steven loved the carousel. He had to ride it twice!
In Michigan, Daddy had his own adventure! He took Sammy and Amaya to visit Grandma Sunshine who was recuperating for surgery at Aunt Annette’s house, with a bonus visit from Aunt Ouize.
On Sunday morning we had a few hours to play before I had to head to the airport with Steven.
At home, Amaya and Sammy were ready for us to return. Every time I go away, Anna finds these amazing outfits I didn’t even realize I had. This one, courtesy of cousin Charlie, was a perfect fit for Valentine’s Day.
Again, in the “awwwwww” category, Sammy had to poop and was struggling so Amaya comforted him. If my heart hadn’t already exploded, it would now.
Steven and I arrived at the airport at 10:30am and, once again, he was a champ. We had Shake Shack for lunch and Steven very carefully wiped down his table before he ate.
See that sticker? Steven was deputized by the TSA. Deputy Steven!
On the plane, Steven narrated the entire trip. He had his vehicles from Aunt Sara to keep him occupied and I’m pretty sure he talked non-stop. I dozed a bit and, every time I woke up, he was still at it.
Next thing we knew, we were HOME! It was a perfect visit to NY. I’m so grateful for the one on one time I’m able to spend with my kids.
Here are a few more pictures of Steven from the week.
Megan was off on her honeymoon this week so we had a whole host of people taking turns caring for Steven, Sammy and Amaya. The plan was for a nice, calm week but those plans decided to laugh in our faces.
Monday started off well enough. Stephanie came on Monday morning and spent the first half of the day with the kids. We’re so lucky to have Stephanie in our baby sitting mix! The kids love her and it’s obvious that the gift of caring for kids is strong in Megan & Stephanie’s family.
If you look closely, you might be able to see the flush rising in Amaya’s cheeks just before lunch. By the time they woke from naps I was home and Amaya had a 103.5 fever. I could feel it the minute I took her out of her crib.
Before Tylenol, she was sad little girl. For a little while the Tylenol did it’s work and Amaya was back to her usual self, playing with Grandpa Homey & her brothers.
The love of helping in the kitchen has evolved to a deep interest in watching the kitchen faucet run. They jostle for position and can stand there for a startlingly long time just watching the water. Now that they move their stools around we have to be extra careful about cooking on back burners when they’re awake and continually reinforcing not to touch the stove, ever.
Unfortunately, at bedtime we took Amaya’s temperature and it was up to 106, tested on 2 different thermometers. I called the after hours line and the nurse recommended I take Amaya in that night to be sure there was nothing serious going on. You can see how bad she felt. Poor little thing.
Off to Mott Children’s ER we went. When we put her in the car in the dark with Casey and Bunny, she thought she was going to the airport, lol. The girl knows her routine!
In a rookie move, I showed up with Amaya and a diaper bag but no stroller. I’m so lucky she’s big enough to sit in one of their wheelchairs or I’d have been holding Amaya for a loooooong time. We checked in at 8:45pm and were told it would be a while. Kids were puking everywhere (“pook”, as Amaya says) so we found a back corner to sit for the duration.
After about an hour and a half, the newest dose of Tylenol was really working and Amaya’s fever was down to 102. With that, she was ravenous. I had snacks in the diaper bag and she at them all. A bag of dried apples, a bag of yogurt bites and half a can of peaches. It was incredible. She was also wiiiiiiiiiide awake. Time ticked on and Amaya didn’t fade a bit. In fact, for about an hour and a half, I walked in circles around the the waiting room because she wanted to go, go, go. Around and around and around and around. In the process I managed to see Frozen for the first time. Around and around and around and around.
Dried apples.
Yogurt bites.
Not so excited about the olives.
“Go, go, go, Mommy!” You’d hardly know she’d felt so terrible just a short while prior. Or that a 102 fever could make such a positive change in a girl from where she’d been earlier.
We were finally called back at 12:20am. They did a nasal swab for flu and a cursory exam. The doctors had some concerns about dehydration but we got Amaya to drink and pee and, at 3am, we were finally discharged. The feeling was that it was just a virus that was presenting itself with a high fever. It was a long, long night for both of us. When it was finally time to leave, I’m sure my face looked the same as Amaya’s.
When we got to the ER I thought ahead and did two things:
I called Stephanie to see if she could come early the next morning. The plan had been for her to come at her usual time for music but I worried we’d get home late and I’d need to get some extra sleep. The good news was that I already had a vacation day planned to stay home with the kids while Megan was away.
I called Jason and asked him to set up a travel crib in a guest bedroom. If we got home late and Amaya needed to sleep in, I didn’t want her in the nursery with the boys.
Thank goodness for planning ahead! I never imagined we’d be getting to bed at 3:45am! Amaya slept for about 3 hours and then came into bed with me for a little while longer. She was a mess all day, though. She still had a fever and the interrupted sleep did not work in her favor. I was very lucky to have Stephanie and Ron around so I could just sit and cuddle Amaya while she slept.
By early afternoon, the boys’ fevers were creeping up, too. We were not in good enough shape to have our snacks at the table so we employed the “special circumstances” rule and sat on the sofa watching fishies during snack time.
You can see we’re not doing so well.
At dinner, a sad Sammy really wanted me to call Daddy. More special circumstances and a call with daddy during the work day. Who can resist this face?
Finally, bedtime. By bedtime, Amaya’s fever was mostly down and it was Steven and Sammy who needed a little extra tlc.
On Wednesday, Jason held down the fort. It was a mixed bag of moods but definitely a trend in the right diretion.
During naps, Nana arrived to take over for Thursday and Friday. She knocked at the door and Steven alerted Jason, “Lady. Front door.” That’s not a lady, that’s Nana!
Grandpa Homey left that morning so, with Nana’s arrival, it meant that we could maintain a 1:1 ratio once I was home from work.
By Thursday morning, the tide had really turned. Thank goodness! What probably helped was an incredible night’s sleep. My 7am wakers slept until almost 9am!
Amaya was ready to start the day… in her brother’s pants.
Nana was a huge help on Thursday. SSA had their 2 year well-check scheduled for Friday and there were still a few items left to cross off on their ages & stages questionnaire. A big one was determining whether or not the kids could string objects. A new game!
We also had to see if the kids could mimic drawing a line on paper. Check. Check. Check.
Friday, we all headed over for the big appointment.
We had a good two year appointment and NO shots!
Here are the stats!
Steven:
24lbs (6th percentile), up from 21lbs 13oz (17th percentile) at 18 months
32.5″ (10th percentile), up from 32″ (33rd percentile)
Steven was a tough one to measure. We do measurements standing now and he wasn’t having it. I had to hold him to get a weight. When we later tried it on the baby scale he was just 23lbs. His height was equally difficult to get but I think it’s in a good range. I was told that standing heights are often shorter than lying down heights so it’s not surprising that the change isn’t much. He’s fallen off his growth curve a bit, though, so we’re going to add more healthy fats to his diet and go for a weight check in 3 months.
Sammy:
26lbs 8oz (33rd percentile), up from 23lbs 5oz (36th percentile)
34.5″ (58th percentile), up from 33.25″ (76th percentile)
Amaya:
25lbs 6oz (33rd percentile), up from 23lbs 14oz (66th percentile)
34.5″ (72nd percentile), 33.5″ (92nd percentile)
Amaya has really thinned out as she’s grown and gotten more active. My fluffy little infant isn’t such a fluffy toddler. Amaya and Sammy measured the same height and Amaya is a little taller than Sammy when they’re standing next to each other so, while I’m not sure which one is off, take those heights with a grain of salt.
Just a few more fun photos from the week.
The kids enjoyed some deconstructed tacos. Steven is a master of the MESS.
Amaya loves her “dippy”. (Sour cream.)
Sammy loves his chips!
Cowboy Sam-Man!
Saying “cheese” for the camera.
Amaya loves playing dress-up with her fun hats.
Her baby doll is walking. 🙂
Before Nana left on Saturday, she had a chance to get in a bit more quality time with Steven, Sammy and Amaya. We played a game where the kids knocked on the french doors to the playroom and we invited them in to play. It went on for a long, long time. “Who’s there? Oh, Sammy!! Come on in!” It’s amazing what can entertain 2 year olds.
Nana’s phone has an app where they can push the buttons for animal and vehicle sounds. It’s endless entertainment.
Watching Daddy watch basketball. Sally is getting more and more comfortable with the kids. She used to keep her distance but, more and more, is navigating in the same space. It’s nice to see.
We were blessed with a lot of great birthday presents for SSA. To help them enjoy the gifts, we decided to give them to the kids a few at a time. Yesterday we opened gifts from the Karsch family. So much fun! Some books from Usborn, one of our favorites, and a really cool Melissa & Doug color matching game.
Amaya got in some great snuggle time with Daddy.
To wrap up a long week. the whole family went out for brunch today. Sweetener and creamer to keep us busy while we wait for our food.
Jason and I had the “great” idea of trying to let SSA stay up later to watch the Super Bowl with us, or at least a little bit more than bedtime would normally allow. It was nice for a hot second but I think the takeaway is that regular bedtimes are a good thing for two year olds.
