The Panunzio Family est. 2002

More pictures...

2009-08-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures from my aunt's camera...

Family Camping Trip

2009-08-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

This past week we went to Shaver Lake for our annual camping trip (although last year we didn't make it since the triplets were too little). So this was the first year that we had all the kids up there. I have been going since I was little so it is neat that now I am taking my own family up there. We had a lot of fun but it was a also a lot of work camping with 4 under 4! The first night was the worst, I think the babies cried for what seemed like the first hour in the tent, but each night after got better. And actually the fifth and last night they all slept through the whole night!! Here are a lot of pictures of the week!

We left super early in the morning...

Happy Campers....(until that night!)
Around the campfire the first night...

Kayla telling ghost stories...haha
My dad & Riley
Kayla loved wearing the life vest.
Lindsay...

My nephew Luke and cousin Jenna
Brian & Joey

My dad taking a nap inside the play yard...this was where you could find him most of the week. :)
Lindsay and her cousins

Me & Riley
Me & Lindsay

Joey also loved the vest...
Good morning!

Brian trying to make her a tomboy...
But I took care of that fast... :)
Me & Brian
Brian and his sister

Joey wearing daddy's hat
Karen on her phone and Riley playing with the camera...too cute!
Riley was like putting a cat in water...she did not want to go on the sand without her shoes on!
Jenna & Kayla
My dad put Joey to sleep with a ride on the Sea-Doo
By the campfire night #2

The third day we took a break from going to the lake and Lindsay and I went horseback riding...

Me water skiing...so much fun!

Karen trying to water ski for her first time...

Joey driving the Sea-Doo :)
Joey taking after his grandpa...

The kids eating their nectarines...
The kids driving back from the lake after day #4...they were wiped out!

4th of July Pictures

2009-07-14T20:06:00.001-07:00

On 4th of July we packed the kids up and went to watch our hometown 4th of July parade, which Brian and I both were in during our high school years. We then spent the day at my parents' house. We bbq'd and the kids had so much fun playing with their cousins. We lit some sparklers in the backyard before walking over to the lake to watch the city's fireworks show. We had a great family day...hope you enjoy the pictures! :)

Our 4th of July was the first day that the kids went all day without a nap, except for about 20 minutes in the car. And to my surprise they were so well behaved. There was so much to do I guess they didn't want to close their eyes and miss it. We tried a few times to put them down for a nap at my parents' house but they just didn't want to. It wasn't until 9 o'clock at night when we put them in the triple stroller to walk over to the park to watch fireworks that Joey and Riley finally passed out. Kayla still didn't want to sleep until we got in the car around 10pm to go home. Needless to say they slept in Sunday morning...yay!

Summer Days!!

2009-06-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday it was such a nice day so we spent it in the backyard. The kids played in their pool, we bbq'd hot dogs and the triplets had their first popsicle!! I figured I could put them in the pool if it got too messy but I bought these popsicles that are called Slow Melt Mighty Minis and they were perfect for them. I would highly recommend them for little kids. They were the right size for them and they really did melt rather slowly. Here are some pics from the day...

A much needed update...

2009-05-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

I know this update is way overdue. I could give you a million reasons why I haven't had the time to sit down and do this but I am sure you would just rather look at the pictures. :) So here are some pictures of what we have been up to these past two months in a nutshell. Hope you enjoy!

The weekend before Easter, we were able to take only Lindsay to the river for a few days. She had a blast having some one on one time with us and playing in the water!
Here is the whole family Easter Sunday...
Somehow these pics got out of order and I don't feel like moving them...so fast forward to Mother's Day...
Kisses for my kiddos...I truly am blessed!!

Out to breakfast Mother's Day morning...
Kayla
Joey
This is what the kids have been up to these past few months and why I can't sit down for a second. When they were infants everyone said how it would get easier...but I don't think it ever gets easier, its just a different kind of craziness. Instead of making bottles and changing diapers 24/7, I am telling them to get down 24/7! They love to climb and every barricade we have built does not stop them.

Joey after eating spaghetti...
Riley (a.k.a the biter...she has the most teeth and uses them! watch out!)
Kayla...Miss Smiles
Last weekend I chaperoned the high school prom with some friends from work...

Brian and I at a benefit dinner the other night...(just wanted to give you a picture of us to prove we are still surviving!) :)

Last Week's Events

2009-03-01T10:39:00.001-08:00

Event #1: Kayla was the first to sit up, crawl, walk, and now she is the first to get a haircut! Now let me explain before you look at the first picture, when Lindsay was a baby I always had her bangs cut and Brian did not like it. He said it looked like a bowl cut and he has never liked bangs, in his perfect world every girl would have long hair. So he wouldn't let me cut Kayla's bangs when they started growing out. We would usually put them in a ponytail on top of her head so she could see but she always pulled it out. So I finally convinced Brian that she needed her bangs cut so our friend came over to cut them. Here is a before picture, if she wore her hair down it was this long!! Poor thing!!
This is how she usually wore her hair...
She did really well sitting still while Jackie cut her hair...
And this is the after picture! She will probably need another trim very soon because we didn't go too short but at least she can see!! :)
Event #2: Lindsay started dance class this week. She was so excited! It is a combination of tap and ballet and they also go into the gym and do gymnastics. It was so adorable watching her, I will get pictures next time of her in the class. Here are a few of her getting ready.

Event #3: Brian turned the big 3-0 last week!!! We went to dinner with some friends at Shogun and then had people over at the house afterwards. I had his cake made to look like a cheeseburger and let me explain why. For those of you who don't know, Brian has a cheeseburger tattoo (the picture below). If you ask him why he got it he will say because he likes cheeseburgers. Almost all of his tattoos do not really have any meaning, he always says don't take life too seriously. Also let me add, that he got this tattoo while I was on bed rest in the hospital with the triplets...and he didn't tell me until after he got it!!! He walked into the hospital room and showed me...good thing I didn't go into labor right then!!! So that's the reason for the cheeseburger cake below and I was so happy with how it came out! Everyone loved it!

At dinner with some friends...
Me and one of my good friends...
Me & Brian...
Brian with some friends he has known since high school...
He wasn't too happy about turning 30 but I think he handled it much better than I probably will in 7 months!! :)

Some recent random pictures....

2009-02-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you eat too many Cheerios...they start growing on your face! :)

Joey enjoying a ride on the carousel...

Brian with his girls...(L-R: Lindsay, Kayla & Riley)

So Big! Well...2 out of 3...

2009-02-08T16:52:00.000-08:00

Joey and Riley made the switch to the forward-facing carseat since they have both reached 20 pounds! Those carseats were actually Lindsay's (we had one for my carand Brian's car) and Lindsay got to get a new booster carseat which she was so excited to pick out! Poor Kayla is just not quite there yet...she is miss petite....so she is still facing backwards. Here is a picture of what it looks like behind the driver seat...Kayla is to the right of Joey in the infant carseat and you can see Lindsay's little face behind Joey.
Here is a picture that I had posted a two years ago when Lindsay first switched to a forward facing carseat. Gosh, they grow up so fast!!

Bath time!

2009-01-27T19:19:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of the kids during their bath time. They are getting so big!! Kayla is starting to take a few steps here and there while Joey and Riley are still holding on while they stand up. At their dr. appt. this month Riley weighed 20 pounds, Joey was 18 pounds 6 ounces and little Kayla was 17 pounds 4 ounces. Kayla is the smallest but always the first at everything. She's our little mighty mouse! L-R Joey, Riley & Kayla

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-29T17:39:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!! Our holiday was busy visiting family but we definitely enjoyed visiting the relatives and spending time with our families. Here are some pictures from the days' events...hope you enjoy and here's to a Happy New Year!! Love The Panunzio Family :)
Kayla would have much rather eaten the wrapping paper then play with the toy...
Joey on the other hand was mesmerized with the wrapping paper...
Lindsay was so excited to get her Princess beauty kit!
And Riley was all smiles...
Lindsay styling my dad's hair...or forehead?!
I had this same exact toy when I was a kid so when I saw it in the store I of course had to get it for them!
Lindsay got a bike from Brian's mom (and of course it is a Princess Bike!)
The kids got a bouncy house from Santa...as if we need one more thing in our living room! :) I can't wait for it to warm up so they can play with these toys in the backyard!

Lindsay with her cousin Luke on Christmas day...
My parents, me & my brothers...

Triplets are 1 year old!

2008-12-08T22:20:00.001-08:00

I can't believe their first year has already gone by. It definitely went fast...almost too fast. I have to say I am going to miss not having little babies around...maybe I will just have to have another! Haha...just kidding!!! Well today is their actual birthday. 1:21 pm, 1:22 pm and 1:23 pm they were all born! Can we say they just pulled one out after another?! This past Sunday we had a small birthday party for them at the house with a few family and friends. Here are some pictures from the day. Hope you enjoy! :)

They all loved this present!
Brian's mom with the girls....

My parents got them this Choo Choo Wagon....they all loved it!!

I smile when I look at this...

2008-12-08T22:18:00.001-08:00

Never too late to give Thanks!

2008-12-08T22:09:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving day at our house this year with our families and it turned out really well. It was much more convenient for me than having to pack the kids up (and all their stuff) to travel somewhere else. Everyone brought something and my mom made the turkey so I really didn't have to do much preparation. Here are a few pictures from the day. My mom started a tradition when Lindsay was little of buying the grandkids Christmas pajamas and Thanksgiving night they get to wear them. We go straight from one holiday to the next! :)

Lindsay and Riley hanging out....

Lindsay turned 3!!

2008-11-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

Halloween was Lindsay's birthday and she turned 3! My mom, Brian & I took her to Disneyland for the first half of the day and she had so much fun! The weather was nice, there weren't too many people there, and I think she enjoyed having all the attention on her and not having to share us with the babies! :)

Lindsay got to chat with some of the princesses....she was in awe!

My mom & Lindsay on Dumbo....before the ride even started she had her hands in the air!

We bought her a Power Wheels Barbie Jeep for her birthday...she was so excited but needs to work on her steering skills! :)

Lindsay all ready to go trick or treating!

I love this shot of Riley because it shows her 4 little teeth! She was the first and until this past weekend the only one with teeth...Joey just got his first tooth Saturday while Kayla has some catching up to do!

The triplets with their pumpkins!

Here is a shot of Kayla clapping for the first time!!

Much overdue....

2008-10-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

So yet another month has passed since I have post a blog but what else is new?! :) I will try to update you in as few words as possible......

1) I have been back to work now full-time for the past month and so far so good. Our nanny is awesome and I don't know what I would do without her! She is great with the babies, I never worry about them while I am gone which as any parent knows is a good feeling to have. She also helps me out with laundry and cleaning, leaving a few less things for me to do when I get home which is a huge help! I've enjoyed being back in the classroom and definitely missed it. Although I now have to get up much earlier in the morning to make sure I have time to get myself ready before Lindsay wakes up and needs to get ready for daycare and before the babies wake up wanting bottles. Usually when the nanny walks in the door I walk out, but I always make sure I have enough time to stop by Starbucks on my way to work! That is a must! :)

2) Brian just recently took a big job in San Diego, about 140 miles from home since work around here has been slow for him thanks to our wonderful economy. :/ He is working long hours and 6 days a week but at least it is constant work and the pay is really good. However, that means that he stays down there Mon.-Sat. and is only able to come home Sat. night till Sunday night. So yes, that means I am home alone with all 4 kids during the week once I get home from work. It is something we are all going to have to adjust to but in the end it will be worth it. Thankfully my parents and mother-n-law have offered to help when they can. This all just started as of this past weekend so I will let you know how I am doing come Friday! :)

3) Some good news...Brian was able to finish the backyard in time for my birthday. I turned 29 on Sept. 28 and we had an 80's party at the house. It was a lot of fun! Brian was Bret Michaels and I was a Poison groupie! :) Brian even got me an 80's themed cake!

4) The babies are doing great! They will be 10 months in a few days. Kayla was the first and is still the only one that can sit up on her own. Joey and Kayla can sit by themselves for a little while if you sit them up but Kayla is the only one that can go from crawling to sitting and crawling again. Riley was the first and is still the only one with teeth! She got her bottom two about a month ago and just this week started getting her top two. Kayla and Joey are still all gums. :) And Joey still just likes to just hang out, watch t.v., jump (and fall asleep) in his jumper and babble away. They all had an assessment through CHOC a few weeks ago and are all on target for their adjusted age.

5) Lindsay is doing awesome too! She will be 3 on Halloween which I can't believe! She is like a little sponge, absorbing everything she sees and hears (and my little parrot, repeating everything she hears) which I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing. :)

It has been way too long....

2008-08-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Our first attempted professional family picture!! :)

I can't believe it has been almost 2 months since I have last posted on here!! Actually, thinking back to how busy we have been I guess I can believe it. I was going to try to re-cap but I think I will just move forward before the babies wake from their nap and it takes me another 2 months to get on here!
First and foremost the triplets are doing awesome! They are getting so big, they are 8 1/2 months old. They have started holding their own bottles which has been so nice!! Well actually Kayla can hold hers no problem, Riley tries really hard and cries really hard when she drops it, and Joey actually doesn't try too much...he still makes me do all the work! This morning Riley was laying down drinking her bottle and Kayla scooted over to her and took it out of her mouth and started drinking it! It was too funny!
Lindsay is going to be 3 in 2 months!! Time really does fly! She is doing great but I keep putting off potty training! She shows some interest here and there but for the most part she could care less. But what's one more diaper to change?! Sooner or later it will happen I guess!
And for the big news...I will be going back to work next week after being off for almost a year!! I am actually looking forward to it, I have missed being out of the classroom and it will be nice to have conversations with adults during the day! We hired a nanny to come to our house to watch the triplets. She used to work for a friend of a friend's family so I thankfully feel comfortable having her. She came two days last week and this week while I am still home to get used to their schedule and she has done great! Thankfully the babies have been great for her too! She even does some of my laundry and house cleaning so it has been nice. I wish I could have had her a lot sooner to help me at home!!!
So these next few months are going to be filled with change...with me going back to work (and turning 29 next month...ew! ), Lindsay tunring 3, and the triplets turning 1 in December! (wow that sounds weird to say!), plus all the holidays in there! I will try my best to keep you all posted!! Here are a few recent pictures of our family! Hope everyone is well and thank you for still checking my blog!! :)

Lindsay got into the baby powder while I was on the phone. She dumped the whole bottle out!!! My house smelled like baby powder for days!

Brian tore apart our backyard and is in the process of building an island BBQ/Bar with a firepit and then re-doing our concrete and grass. More pictures to come! :)

Lindsay and Brian going down the slide at our friend's pool.

Me with the triplets...

Kayla & RileyJoey & Riley

My Little Man...

2008-06-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like Joey gets "lost in the mix" being that he has 3 sisters, so this post is just all about him!! Here's a little bit about my little man....

Weighed 3 pounds 6 ounces at birth, the largest of the three. He still is the biggest although Riley is right behind him!
In the NICU he just cruised right through, never having any issues. The nurses always said that typically "preemie white boys" don't do so well and are not that strong but he proved them wrong!
He is my Mr. Mellow. He is so laid-back and has a "go with the flow" attitude. When he cries it is because he is either hungry or needs his diaper changed. Otherwise he is content watching his Baby Einstein DVD's, playing with his toys or relaxing in his swing.
SUPER patient and because of that he is usually the last one to be fed, or the last one to have a bath!
He loves to study his hands. He will stare at them, opening and closing to make a fist.
He likes to scratch his head, like a little monkey.
He loves to smile and laugh, hold his sisters' hands when laying next to them and is just all around a good baby.
Joey is my breath of fresh air. If I am ever feeling stressed or overwhelmed I just have to spend a few minutes with him and his calm smile makes me relax! Here are a few pictures of Joey from birth to now. Hope you enjoy!

Yes, that is Lindsay's Bumbo seat when she was little and she still likes to sit in it when any of the others sit in theirs. I even caught her giving Joey a lick of her lollipop that day!

He is ready to go golfing with dad!!!

You're never too big!

2008-06-21T09:36:00.001-07:00

I had forgotten that we had this swing in the attic from when Lindsay was a baby and since we can always use another swing around here I brought it out yesterday. Of course, just like every "new" thing I bring out for the babies, Lindsay has to sit in it and claim it as hers. Well at least it still does its job!!

Here is Lindsay when she was 10 months old in the swing...
And here she is at 2 1/2 years old in the same swing! She sat in it to watch t.v. and fell asleep!
Priceless!

All Smiles...

2008-06-20T13:28:00.001-07:00

Pictures...pictures...pictures

2008-06-02T18:36:00.001-07:00

I finally have a few moments to put up some recent pictures of the kids. The triplets will be 6 months next week!! Everyone is doing well, just busy, busy, busy!!!
In this picture from left to right: Riley, Joey, Lindsay, Kayla
Joey, Kayla, Riley
Joey
Joey
Riley
Crazy Kayla!
I love her eyes!

Riley
Smiley Riley as we call her! :)
And we can't forget about Lindsay! She is doing great with the babies. She can recognize who is crying from the other room, sometimes better than Brian or I. She loves to read them stories, sing them songs, and just make them laugh! Oh, and she also likes to sit in their seats...which most of them used to be hers when she was little!
I hope everyone is doing well....I will try to get on later and write more but for now I hope you enjoy the pictures!!!

Wow...its been awhile

2008-05-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Well I know I don't need to tell you that I have been busy but this past month has gone by so fast! Brian and I were able to get away to Lake Havasu by ourselves the second weekend of April, then I went to Las Vegas for a quick 24 hour trip with one of my friends the following weekend, then Brian went back to Lake Havasu with some of his friends for a boat race, and then this past weekend we went on a camping trip on the river and were able to take Lindsay with us! Thank goodness for my parents and Brian's mom who took turns watching the babies! I am definitely very thankful for them! I also recently got a triple jogger stroller so that when Lindsay is at daycare I can get out of the house with all 3 babies by myself for a walk. The stroller is huge and takes up the whole sidewalk but it does the job and the kids love it! I can't believe they are almost 5 months old! They are all doing really well!
Here are a few pictures of this past weekend. Lindsay had a blast and I am glad we got to spend a weekend with her where she didn't have to share our attention with anyone else! She has been to the river before when she was a baby but this was her first trip where she understood everything and was able to walk around by herself and just have fun!
I love this picture of them walking...too cute!
She loves bubbles and was so excited to have them on the boat!
Brian and Lindsay on our friend's Sea-Doo
Well if I don't get back on here this weekend, I hope all of you have a wonderful Mother's Day!!!

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

I know my posts have been far and few between but at least this is the second one in the same month! :) Everyone is doing well...the babies are around 9 - 10 pounds. They are sleeping about 5 -6 hours through the night and about 4 hours during the day between feedings. Although I feel like all I do is make bottles and feed babies! My mom returns to work Wednesday!!! She has been such a huge help I am not sure how I am going to manage but I'm sure I will. Lindsay is still attending her daycare/preschool during the week so that helps my days to be a little less chaotic.
Here are some pictures from Easter at my mom's house yesterday. Hope you enjoy!
Riley & Kayla
His outfit says "Little Man" :)

Lindsay
Looking for eggs

The triplets with their Great- Grandma
My Saving Grace :)

3 Months Old!

2008-03-09T22:22:00.001-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T13:07:00.001-08:00

Our first outing!

2008-02-12T08:18:00.001-08:00

On Sunday we took the kids to the LA Boat Show for our first outing! They actually did pretty well. We had to feed them one time while we were there which was kind of a pain, especially with a 2 year old running around wanting french fries! But once that was done the babies just slept the whole time in the strollers. Here is a view of the inside of my car. Poor Lindsay got bumped to the back but she likes to look at the babies and tell me whenever anyone is fussing. I just have to make sure she has everything she needs (juice, blanket, etc.) before we leave the house since I can't reach her while I am driving. We did have to pull over once on the way there because she dropped her juice and couldn't reach it!
People see us coming and get out of our way. It's pretty nice! :)

A few pictures of the babies...

2008-02-06T13:01:00.001-08:00

I can't believe in a few days they will be 2 months old!!!

Finally reunited!!!

2008-02-01T11:52:00.001-08:00

Riley came home yesterday!!!
Haven't had much time to take pictures of all of them together but I was able to sneak one in. From left to right...Riley, Joey, & Kayla. I don't think Lindsay even realized another one came home. She just loves being surrounded by babies and they are all Joey according to her. She came home from daycare yesterday sick with a cold so the most difficult part has been just trying to keep her away from them. Last night went pretty well for the most part. Riley fell into their same schedule which made it a little easier. There were moments though when it felt like Grand Central at our house with the phone ringing, babies crying, and Lindsay coughing & sneezing. Welcome to my world..... :)
They thankfully love their pacifiers and being swaddled!

Got diapers?

2008-01-28T13:31:00.001-08:00

It has been two weeks since I was last on here but I guess I have a good enough excuse. right?! So here is the latest...Riley is still not home! As of today the doctor is saying possible Thursday she will be discharged from the hospital. However, I have been hearing this for the past week. One day one doctor will tell me she is coming home and then the next day a different doctor will be working and will say otherwise. Needless to say it has been very frustrating. She is doing great, her only issue if just for her to be a bit more coordinated when she eats. Rarely she has "episodes" where her breathing dips while she is eating because she eats too fast and forgets to breath. Its not really a big deal and it is totally normal for preemies, however, the doctor will not let her go home until she stops doing this, even though when Lindsay came home she was doing the same thing and eventually grew out of it. Hopefully my next post will be about her coming home!

Last weekend my family threw Brian and I a co-ed baby shower. There were about 75 people there and the invitation asked everyone to bring a package of diapers to help us out. As you can see from the picture below, we received so many diapers and are so thankful. We also got different sizes which is great. Everyone was betting how long they will last us...the consensus was about 3-4 months. I will let you know...
Here is their cake a family friend made...
Brian & I
Now onto the little ones that are home. It has been 2 weeks since Joey & Kayla came home and so far so good. My mom stays the night about 4 days out of the week and the other nights I do it by myself (with the occasional help of Brian when he doesn't have to work the next morning.) I have been keeping them on the same schedule which is making everything a lot easier. Here is a picture of Kayla....
Joey...
The two of them...
And here is a picture of Riley taken the other day. Well the babies are calling so that's all for now. I will try to post more soon if they let me! :)

Our First Homecoming!!!

2008-01-16T10:20:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Joey & Kayla got to come home! Joey weighs around 5 pounds 7 ounces and Kayla weighs 4 pounds 9 ounces. Riley should be coming home with a week. She is just a little behind with her eating since she had those setbacks in the beginning. My mom came out to my house last night and stayed the night, thank goodness!! The night actually went really well. They just slept and ate and I kind of slept. :) My mom has two more days of work and then she is taking 2 months off to stay with me and help me while Brian is working.

Riley saying goodbye to her brother & sister :( but she will see them soon!

Joey might be the first....

2008-01-08T15:23:00.001-08:00

to come home!!! Joey could be coming home as early as this Saturday!! His feeding tube was removed on Sunday and he has been doing very well eating all his feedings from a bottle. As of yesterday he weighed 4 pounds 9 ounces.
The girls are not that far behind!! Kayla will probably be the next to come home, maybe sometime next week and Riley soon after that. Kayla is on the left and Riley is on the right.
This was taken of Riley on New Years Eve. She is doing much better with her feeding issues. They actually started today to ween her from her medicine and start her on formula. Hopefully all continues to go well. She started on bottles as well and drinks about half of it before getting tired, that is why she still has the feeding tube but she gets better each day!

This was taken Sunday of Kayla. However yesterday she decided to take her feeding tube out all on her own. So they are leaving it out and seeing if she can take all her feedings by bottle. So far so good!

Joey taken yesterday. His outfit was given to him by his Uncle Matt for Christmas. :)
Mickey Mouse came to visit all the children in the hospital today so the nurses propped all 3 babies on my lap for a picture. This was the first time I held all 3 at the same time!
Close up...from left to right - Joey, Kayla & Riley.

3 weeks old!

2007-12-30T20:22:00.000-08:00

Today the triplets are three weeks old and doing well! They are all close to 4 pounds now. Riley is doing much better since her feeding issue. She has been eating for a week now and having no problems. They gave her medicine to help her body process the food faster and it is working. This week they will probably start trying to bottle feed Kayla & Joey. Riley will probably be a week later. Here are some random pictures taken over the past few weeks. Lindsay got to see the babies briefly and didn't really know what to think.Brian holding Kayla

Me and the girls
Joey

Riley

My weekly update...

2007-12-15T22:18:00.001-08:00

I can't believe the triplets will be a week old tomorrow! Here are some pictures taken a few days ago of them. They are all doing well, breathing on their own and gaining weight after the usual loss of weight in the beginning. Riley is having a little setback. She is not tolerating her feedings so they have stopped them the past two days and will hopefully restart them tomorrow. They get fed through feeding tubes because they are too little for bottles. That will happen around 34 weeks gestation. But for some reason Riley's tummy is not wanting to digest the food. They have run tests and everything looks fine. It is common to take a few days for the stomach to get used to feedings, especially being that she is small. However Joey and Riley are doing very well with their feedings and theirs keeps getting increased daily. So hopefully Riley will catch up soon! Here is Joey....
Little Riley...

Miss Kayla...

My two boys...

Wednesday I got to go home and I hadn't been there since Oct. 1st! The calendar in the kitchen was still on September, obviously Brian doesn't look at the calendar. :) And my watch that I left in my jewelery box needed to be turned back an hour. It was so good to be home and out of the hospital. Thursday I went and got my hair done which was way overdue! I decided to change it up and get bangs which I haven't had in ages! I am still getting used to them! :) Friday I got a manicure & pedicure so I am slowly getting back to my usual self! Here's a picture of Lindsay and I taken tonight.

The Triplets Are Here!!!

2007-12-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

As many of you know I spent the past 2 1/2 weeks at my mom's house on bed rest after spending 7 weeks in the hospital on bed rest. Well Saturday night I was lying on the couch at my mom's house and my water broke. I went to the hospital right away and they monitored me through the night. Sunday morning I really started contracting so since I made it to 30 1/2 weeks in my pregnancy the doctor said it was time to have the babies. I delivered them via c-section yesterday at 1:15 pm. They are doing really good. All 3 of them are breathing on their own which is not common for triplets born that early so that is good. Joey weighed 3 pounds 6 ounces and was 16 inches long. Kayla weighed 3 pounds 4 ounces and was 15 3/4 inches long. Riley weighed 3 pounds 2 ounces and was 15 inches long. They will most likely spend 4-6 weeks in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit to grow and be monitored.
My first time seeing Riley Anne.

Joseph "Joey" James

Riley Anne
Here is Brian holding Kayla Mary.

I'll post more pictures as we get them and any updates as they happen. Thank you to everyone who followed my pregnancy and the thoughts and prayers for my family.

So far, So good...

2007-11-27T12:46:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor's yesterday and he gave me permission to stay at my mom's house for at least another week. I couldn't be happier!! Everything looked good and the babies are doing so well! They are all the size they should be for 28 weeks & 5 days. Their weights are 2 pounds 11 ounces, 2 pounds 14 ounces, and 2 pounds 12 ounces. My doctor was very happy and impressed with their sizes. If you do the math, okay I will do it for you...I have about 8 and 1/2 pounds of baby in me. My doctor also measured my stomach and it is the size of a person pregnant with one baby at 40 weeks!!! And he wants me to go another 4-6 weeks?! I go back to the doctor next Tuesday so I will keep you posted....

It keeps growing....and growing....

2007-11-23T17:07:00.001-08:00

Here's my belly at 24 weeks....
26 weeks.....
And 28 weeks!

So many things to be thankful for....

2007-11-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

First off, I am sure I could write a million blogs about the many things I am thankful for so I thought I would stick to one blog and list the things I am thankful for at the moment. To begin, I am 28 weeks pregnant!!! I never thought I would get this far, it seemed so far away back when I first went into the hospital. My next goal would be to get to 30 weeks and then 32 but I am already 3 weeks further than I got last time when I was pregnant so that is exciting. So since I did reach 28 and I am doing really good, I was released from the hospital Wednesday!! I am staying at my mom's house since mine is too far from the hospital and so I was able to enjoy Thanksgiving at my mom's with all my family. I go to the doctor on Monday and as long as everything still looks good I will continue to stay at my mom's. It is so nice to be out of the hospital and I have been feeling good since I have been out.
As most of you know my younger brother Matt moved to New York in August. He was going to come home for Thanksgiving but the ticket was going to be too expensive and since he is already coming out for Christmas he thought he would just stay in New York for Thanksgiving. I guess some of his roommates were staying in NY too so he wasn't going to be by himself. My mom was kinda bummed that he wouldn't be here and she kept talking about past memories involving Matt and Thanksgiving all day. Well around 2 o'clock guess who came through my mom's front door....my brother Matt!! No one had any idea he was coming, I guess he bought his ticket last minute on Wednesday because he couldn't imagine not being home for Thanksgiving and eating my mom's good food!!! Everyone was so excited to see him and it was an awesome surprise!

Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving and I will keep you posted how my stay at my mom's goes!!! :)

A few good books....

2007-11-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

So I have taken up reading. I find it passes the time faster but that is as long as you have a good book. Luckily I have found a few good books, I have read 3 in the past week. I thought I would share their titles with you in case you are looking for a good book too.

*The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
*The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
* The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Today I am going to start reading Steve & Me by Terri Irwin. I'll let you know how it is.

I also have some good news. I've been pretty stable and doing well so my doctor might let me go home for Thanksgiving, actually to my mom's since she lives closer, and try bed rest there. I will still visit my doctor weekly and if things change then I will go back to the hospital. I'm just excited to get out of here even if it is for one day. But we will see, it depends on how the next few days good as to whether I get to leave or not. I'll keep you posted.

Tagged!

2007-11-08T21:04:00.000-08:00

My friend Amy, who I have known since freshman year in high school, thought she would give me something to do to pass the time while in the hospital and tagged me. I would like to also thank Amy for visiting me in the hospital today. Amy, who lives in Arizona, was in town this week visiting her mom and I haven't seen Amy since my wedding 5 years ago. So it was good to see her and her son today! Thanks Amy!

Anyway, on to the tag:
RULES:
1. List the link to your tagger and also post these following rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird, etc.
3. Tag 7 people at the the end of your blog also leaving the links to their blogs

7 facts about me:

1. When I was 7 I was hit by a VW Bug (the old school kind) while rollerskating across the street in front of my house. My dad was mowing the lawn in front of the house and saw it all happen. I was hit, flew some feet, the girls didn't know what they hit so they kept going and ran over me, finally stopping. I broke my femur bone, shattered my hip bone and had to get stitches in my head. I was in the hospital for 5 weeks (what's with me and long hospital stays?!) . This happened in February when I was in 2nd grade so I had to be home schooled the rest of the year.

2. In high school I went on a date with Hobie from Baywatch. He was so cocky and full of himself. Obviously things didn't work out. Haha

3. I have two tattoos. My first one I got is on the back of my neck and its the Japanese symbol meaning "blessed". I got it as an acceptance that even if I don't ever get pregnant (at one time I thought it would never happen) that I am still blessed. I got pregnant with Lindsay and Taylor two months later. :) My second tattoo is a red heart with a "T" inside on my wrist in memory of my daughter Taylor who passed away 18 hours after birth.

4. I have know my husband Brian since we were freshman in high school. We met at band camp. :)

5. The guy on 7th Heaven who got Haylie Duff's character pregnant (I forget his screen name) was my student two years ago.

6. My parents have been married for 30 years and I hope to get that far and further in my marriage.

7. Within the next couple months, I will have given birth to 5 children in the past 2 years!

Okay, since I only know 6 people with blogs and one person tagged me, I can only tag 5......

Matt, Sarah, Jessica, Julie, and Allison you have all been tagged!!! :)

Lindsay's 2nd Birthday Pictures

2007-11-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

Carving a Pumpkin

2007-10-31T10:06:00.001-07:00

Last night Brian and Lindsay stopped by the hospital to carve a pumpkin for me. First Lindsay helped Daddy draw a face on the pumpkin...

Then Brian did the carving and Lindsay was a little scared at first but ended up loving the pumpkin.
Today is Lindsay's 2nd birthday so stay tuned for pictures from her "party" we are going to have for her in my room. :)

Happy Birthday Luke!

2007-10-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my nephew Luke turned 4. Here are some pictures from his party that I of course couldn't go to but Brian was able to take Lindsay.
Luke and Lindsay
Lindsay hitting the pinata.
The kids getting their candy. No, Lindsay was not the one who broke the pinata.
Cake time!
My brother, my sister-n-law, and their two adorable boys!

When Lindsay comes to visit...

2007-10-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is what we do. She lays in bed with me and I read to her or she colors. :)

5 pounds to be exact....

2007-10-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

I had my ultrasound yesterday and everything still looks good. My cervical length did shorten some but it is still at a good number and my doctor was not worried about it. The babies are doing great. They are all ahead of schedule by a few days. The boy weighs 1 pound 12 ounces (which is what Lindsay weighed when she was born at 25 weeks) and the girls are 1 pound 9 ounces and 1 pound 10 ounces. I can actually see them moving now and it is so weird. It is like a circus in there!

I have got a few pumpkins in here.....

2007-10-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

Since I know you all like to see the belly pictures I thought I would humble myself and post these for your viewing pleasure. Let me first say that I have no make-up on, contacts are out - glasses on, and my roots are in desperate need of a touch-up. Oh, also I am proud to say those are veins on my stomach not stretch marks (at least not yet haha). These pictures were taken Wednesday when I hit 24 weeks. I got my steroid shot Wed and Thurs. however I had some strong contractions and irritability Wed. night due to the shot, which is common. However it did scare me and they were talking about having to put in an IV and give me stronger medicine to control it because nothing else was working. However thankfully things calmed down before that measure needed to be taken. And since then things have been calm and good. So since all that happened my doctor didn't want to stir things up anymore by doing a check so tomorrow he is supposed to do a cervical length check and a full ultrasound to see how big the babies are now. I'll keep you posted. :)

After 3 weeks here is what is going on.....

2007-10-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

First I want to thank all of you for your care, concern, thoughts, and prayers. It is really much appreciated! I know you probably check my blog often for updates and fortunately not much changes day to day so that is why I save it all for a weekly update. Pretty much right now no news is good news. :) But here is what has happened in the last week....
My doctor was off the last 3 days so he's not going to do a cervical length check until Thursday. I did get to go outside in a wheelchair for 30 minutes on Sunday to get some fresh air. It was nice but I was pretty much uncomfortable the whole time since I haven't sat upright for that long of a time in awhile. I have also had some contractions here and there the past 3 days that required the nurses to give me extra medicine but its nothing that my doctor is worried about. Tomorrow I will be 24 weeks which was my first milestone to get to so that's exciting. My next goal will be 28 weeks. I will be getting my steroid shot for the babies' lungs tomorrow and Thursday which will help their lungs mature faster if they were to be born prematurely. I received this shot when I was pregnant with Lindsay and although it seemed to not make a difference when she was first born, she didn't have to go home on oxygen which is rare for preemies. So in the end it did make a difference. As far as going home, I will most likely be staying in the hospital until I deliver. I feel much safer and more comfortable in here than I think I would feel at home. As hard as it is for me to stay in here, I just want to do what is best for the babies' health and don't want to jeopardize the possibility of life-long disabilities they could have just because I wanted to go home for a few weeks.
Lindsay and Brian are doing good. She is staying on her normal routine which is good for her right now. Brian's sister has been a huge help staying the night at our house and getting Lindsay to daycare when Brian has to work early. The hard part for me is that I don't see them during the week because it is just too much for Brian to drive down in the afternoon, then deal with traffic going home and Lindsay getting to bed late. So I see them on the weekend although I talk to them everyday on the phone. My conversations with Lindsay are usually the same, she says "Hi mommy", I say "Hi Lindsay, I love you", then she says "love you" and we both say bye. :)
So that's about it. I will keep you posted if anything changes, although as I said no news is pretty much good news right now. I will get through this as I have in the past, I can do it again! Although did I mention that I am done having babies after this?! ;)

Jessica's Boys

2007-10-15T12:32:00.001-07:00

So since Jessica's last post is about her wedding in June (which she didn't post about until July) I thought I would help her out, since I have so much time on my hands, and post these pictures that were recently taken of her boys. I also owe her since she brought me lunch from Paradise Bakery on Saturday. So her boys, James & Conner, are now 9 1/2 months old and are so adorable as you can see from the pictures. Look at their matching Puma shoes!!! So cute!!

Things are looking good!

2007-10-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

It has now been two weeks since I have been in the hospital and I am doing really well. God definitely hears our prayers! I had another check-up yesterday and again my doctor was happy with what he saw. My cervical length hasn't changed since last week. The babies also looked good, have plenty of fluid, and are moving like crazy now. I have also not had any extra medicine to control contractions since last Wednesday. My doctor is even talking about me possibly going home on bed rest once I reach 24 weeks (which is a week from Wed.) as long as everything stays looking good. Lindsay is doing well, she spent last week at my parents house and then this week she will be back home with Brian. Oh, Julie you will be so proud of me, I am staying on top of all the baseball games. :) I don't have a favorite team yet, I suppose I should choose one soon!
Here's Lindsay with my dad and her cousin Mark.
Lindsay loves playing with my dad, who she calls Papa.
My mom said one morning she walked around the house with this blanket on her head! :)

Update - week 1 in the hospital

2007-10-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Well, here is what has happened in the last week. Last Monday I went to my doctor appointment and my cervical length shortened a little more to 2.3. So the doctor put me in the hospital on bed rest to be monitored. I had surgery last Tuesday and the doctor put stitches in my cervix to help keep the babies' in and keep my cervix from getting any worse. However, I still have to be on bed rest because any pressure can tear the stitches. Yesterday my doctor checked my cervical length since the surgery and he was very happy with the results. My cervical length is now back up to 3.7 which is good. In 2 more weeks, when I am 24 weeks, I will get the steroid shot to help the babies' lungs mature faster. I got this shot with Lindsay as well. After that my goal will be to get to 28 weeks and then of course the more weeks they can stay in the better.
My dad hooked my laptop up in my hospital room so I pass most of my time on the internet. At least I have been through this before so I know what I have to do and I will do whatever it takes for these babies to be born healthy. The hardest part this time though is not being with Lindsay. She comes to visit almost every day and will lay in the bed with me but thankfully my parents, Brian's mom and sister, and of course Brian are helping out so much and trying to keep her routine as normal as possible.
Well, that's it for now. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers and I will be sure to keep you posted as the weeks go by.

Down for the count!!!

2007-09-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

So I have a lot to update you all on. I went to the doctor's on Thursday for my every two week checkup and some things had changed. So much so that the doctor told me I could not go back to work that day and that I am now on complete bedrest. The length of my cervix changed from 4.9 cm to 2.7 cm which is not a good sign. Also where my cervix and unterus meet, there is now a funnel shape instead of being flat which is also not a good sign. Its nothing too alarming yet but he wants me off my feet because any pressure will make it worse. I am going in again Monday to see if there is any change and if things have gotten worse they are going to put a stich in my cervix to stop it from opening anymore. The doctor might put me in the hospital on bedrest too, it just all depends on how fast it progresses. The good news is that the babies are doing great. They are all the right size, in fact the boy is measuring a week ahead which is great. That leads me to another new piece of information...there is now two girls and one boy. I guess the 2nd boy was never really confirmed but now all three sexes are confirmed, the girls won.
So I will keep you posted as anything changes. Right now I am just trying to lay flat so hopefully things wont change come Monday.

Celebrations of Life

2007-09-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday CHOC at Mission Hospital held a Life Remebrance Gathering at Dohney State Park in honor of all the children that have passed away at their facility. It was a beautiful ceremony and thankfully turned out to be a really nice day.

Each family received a dove to hold and release into the sky in honor of their child that has passed away. Lindsay was so excited to be that close to a bird. It was really neat and special.

After the dove release, there were 3 dogs there that the children could play with. Apparently these dogs are part of a special program that go visit children in the hospital. They were so mellow and well-mannered. I think Lindsay stepped on his paw a few times by accident and the dog didn't even flinch.

After the ceremony, we went back to my parents' house and had cake for my birthday. My birthday is not until Friday but my parents are leaving for New York this weekend so they wanted to have a cake for me before they left.

I warned my mom not to put too many candles on the cake and sure enough with just 20 candles (I will really be 28), it took me 3 tries to blow all the candles out! Pathetic! These babies take my breath away, literally!! :)

Oreos

2007-09-20T11:18:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would share this random piece of information about me. So I am not a big Oreo fan, however, I love Halloween Oreos and Christmas Oreos. For some reason I think that the orange creme and the red creme tastes so much bettter than the regular creme. Brian thinks I am crazy since it is just food coloring they put in the filling. I know that it is just dye but for some reason I don't want to believe it. I really do think they taste better and Albertson's already has their Halloween Oreo's in so I am one happy pregnant lady!! :)

P.S. While I was trying to find a picture online of Halloween Oreo's I found out that they were first introduced in 1991 and Christmas Oreo's were first inroduced in 1995. A little piece of trivia for you!

My Belly and I

2007-09-10T12:26:00.001-07:00

This picture was actually taken last week when I was 16 1/2 weeks. My doctor said that my stomach was as big as a someone who is 22 weeks pregnant with one, which is normal. I guess I will always be about 6 weeks ahead size wise, although I feel much bigger.

Lindsay with her cousin Luke.

My other nephew Mark.

Back to school = Back to work

2007-09-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

School started Tuesday so I am back to work. I can't complain though because luckily all of my sickness happened during the summer when I didn't have to work. What is funny is that my students wouldn't ask if I am pregnant, they just stared at my obviously huge stomach and whispered so I had to announce to every class that "Yes, I am pregnant." And then they would started asking all the questions. My favorite line a boy asked me was, "Is it like a mosh pit in there?". He was so sincere about it too and concerned for me. I told him there isn't any head banging yet or elbows bulging out of my stomach but that I would let him know when it begins. Gotta love those high school kids!!!

Heat Wave

2007-09-02T09:06:00.001-07:00

With temperatures around 110 degress, going outside is not possible unless you have an inflatable pool!! Jessica, Josh, and their two boys came to our house for a BBQ yesterday. We put the guys in the pool with the kids, and our dog Harley. This picture was taken around 6pm and it was still over 100 degrees out.The kids loved the water! And Lindsay doesn't mind hanging out with the boys. :)

Couldn't get a smile out of her here.

Jessica's boys. I guess you can consider this post an update for Jess too since she NEVER updates her bolg! :) She should just have a post on her page with a link to mine. :)

Conner on Lindsay's school bus.

Lindsay and James.

New Raft...Same Guy :)

2007-08-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

I came across this picture of my dad and I at Shaver Lake. I was probably somewhere between the ages of 3 -5. Here is a picture, taken about 25 years later, of Lindsay with my dad this year at Shaver Lake.

I love this picture of Lindsay!

2007-08-23T20:50:00.001-07:00

My two cents while being pregnant

2007-08-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

My first pregnancy I tried to wear my pre-maternity jeans as long as I could. I would un-button the top button, slide the zipper down a bit and just wear a long shirt so nobody could tell. It actually did work for th first 3-4 months. I just dreaded the thought of buying maternity jeans and having that hideous looking band across my stomach, also I guess all of the maternity pants I saw at the time we not that cute looking. However, when I gave in and bought a pair of maternity jeans I couldn't believe I had waited as long as I did! They were sooo much more comfortable than my regular ones and they actually didn't look too bad. (I just had to find a really cute shirt to wear with them to take the attention off of the jeans!) :) So this is my "first cent" of advice for pregnant people, maternity jeans are worth the purchase!!!

Now I thought my belly got big fast the first time, but this time around it is out of control already! So of course maternity pants/shorts were no question coming on at 8 weeks! This pregnancy however, I have been having a problem with my underwear cutting into my stomach and being so uncomfortable. And its not the size, I tried getting a bigger pair but smae problem. When my mom suggested I buy maternity underwear I said absolutely not. I guess for pretty much the same reasons as the jeans. HOWEVER, today I bought my first pair of maternity underwear from Old Navy and they are soooo comfortable!! Plus, they are kinda cute although I am sure when Brian sees them he will say otherwise but its all about my comfort while being pregnant, right?!

So my "second cent" of advice is suck it up and but the maternity underwear, you won't regret it!! :)

I tried...

2007-08-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Being that we only live 30 minutes from the beach, it may suprise you that Lindsay has never been there. Maybe its because I am not that fond of the beach, never have liked it. I would rather be at a river or lake. So today Brian got off work early and we went to Balboa Island. We walked around the fun zone and then ate lunch at Ruby's on the pier. As you can see from the pictures below Lindsay had fun eating, or I should say playing, with her corndog. I felt sorry for the guy who had to clean up the floor around her. Anyways, this is as far as we got to going to the beach. After lunch, I was so tired from walking that we went home. I guess its a start, she can say she has eaten lunch over the ocean and maybe next time her little feet will touch the water.

We kinda know what we are having....

2007-08-15T16:26:00.001-07:00

I went to the doctor today for my check-up and everything looks really good. All 3 babies are growing how they should be. The doctor was able to tell me that the first baby is definitely a.....BOY!! For the second baby the doctor was pretty sure it was also a BOY but not 100% sure. And for the third baby....the umbilical cord was between its legs (of course) but the doctor thinks it is possibly a GIRL!! We are so excited but it is not 100% yet. I have another appointment in 2 weeks so we will see if anything changes!!

2 for the price of 1

2007-08-13T08:25:00.001-07:00

So I know I haven't posted in awhile. We were on vacation for a week and with the preganancy I just haven't gotten around to it. So I hope you enjoy the two posts below and the millions of pictures! I am now just about 14 weeks pregnant and doing good. I have an appointment Wednesay and they might be able to tell the sexes. I will be sure to keep you updated....it just might take me awhile! :)

My brother is moving to New York

2007-08-13T08:19:00.001-07:00

My younger brother Matt is moving to New York this Saturday so we had a family dinner last night at Black Angus. Here are some pictures of the family....

Shaver Lake '07

2007-08-13T07:54:00.001-07:00

We just got back from our annual family tradition camping trip to Shaver Lake for a week. It is 6 hours north from O.C. in the Sierras just past Fresno. I have been going since I was a little girl and this is Lindsay's 2nd trip. We "rough it", sleep in a tent, campfires at night (it gets in the 40's at night!), and basically live in the dirt for a week. But it is so much fun and it is so beautiful up there! Here is a picture of the lake, which is surrounded by pine trees. Our boat is on the left. We have had it for a year but are going to put it up for sale soon since we won't get much use out of it for awhile with the triplets coming.

Me by my parents' Sea-Doo (I am really starting to show now!)
Me, Lindsay, and my Mom

My nephew on the left and my cousin on the right.

Lindsay just hanging out!

She loved the water and was fearless! She would just keep walking out into the lake if you didn't stop her!

This is where we had her confined at the campsite when we were too tired to chase her around. All she wanted to do was run around!

Me, my sister-n-law, and my mom making sandwiches to take down to the lake.

Lindsay with her Grandpa

My nephew Mark, 5 months old and his first camping trip. He did very well!

My dad and Brian on the innertube

Kisses from Lindsay!

Just saying hi while eating her sandwich!

Cousins!

My older brother and his family

Orange County Fair

2007-07-22T18:28:00.001-07:00

Last week we went to the fair. Lindsay had a lot of fun except when the goat scared her and made her cry. Other than that it was a good day at the fair. :) She liked the baby chick though and even gave it a kiss.
Lindsay & Grandma

Lindsay & Daddy going down the BIG slide!!

Lindsay & Mommy on the train

Update...

2007-07-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Its been a few weeks since I posted thanks to morning/afternoon/evening sickness so here's an update. I am now 9 weeks pregnant and all 3 babies are doing good. We saw all 3 heartbeats and the babies are all the same size. I have had a hard time with keeping food down no matter what time of day it is. Hopefully that will end soon. Lindsay is keeping me busy around the house. Her new thing is to climb into/onto everything and to try and hide from me. She will make the best hide-and-go seek player because she has so much patience. She will stand beind the rocking chair for minutes before she peeks one eye around the corner to see if I am there. In this picture she pulled out a shelf and the basket that was on it, and is sitting in another basket. She was so quiet I had no idea where she was.

This is in our office and again she just climbed on up and made herself cozy.

Close-up picture of her in her closet.

Triplets!!

2007-06-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, the sign is correct. I am expecting. Although the dirty diaper in the background is not mine but it adds a nice touch, don't you think? And more importantly, I am expecting not one, not two, but three!!! Yes, we were as shocked as you are. I am only 6 weeks along and the doctor said that the first trimester will be the crucial time. Just because there is 3 now he said doesnt mean that all three will develop. However, everything is looking good so far. I go next week to see the heartbeats so I will keep you posted. I already feel huge too!! The end of the school year couldn't have come at a better time. I feel like all I do all day is eat and sleep. No vomiting yet, but I think its coming!!! I was going to wait and tell you all next week after the heartbeats but I couldn't wait. So please keep us in your prayers for a lot smoother pregnancy than the last and for 3 healthy babies!! Brian said there better be a boy in there or he is going to go crazy (and broke!).
Take Care!!

Jessica's Bachelorette Party

2007-06-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Palm Springs for Jessica's bachelorette party. Friday night we went to the JW Marriot Hotel for dinner and danced until 2 in the morning!! It was a lot of fun and something we, especially those with children, haven't done in a long time!!

Needless to say, we slept in until 10:30 Saturday morning and then spent the day at the pool.

Saturday night Jessica wore a veil when we went out. Her friend made tank tops for all of us with our names on it.

After all of us wearing heels Friday night and getting blisters as well as aching feet, we made a trip to Payless on Saturday to buy matching sandals. Saturday night we went to a mexican restuarant and then to donwtown Palm Springs for another night of dancing. The flip flops were so comfortable!!

Double Whammy

2007-05-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

My friend was "tagged" twice and she passed it onto me so here we go....

Four of Everything...
Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Wild Rivers for one summer during high school. I really wanted to be a lifeguard and wear those cute red one-piece bathing suits but I worked in concessions instead.
2. Little Folks Shop in Laguna Hills Mall (this was my senior year in high school and unfortunately this store doesn't exist anymore).
3. Trader Joe's for 4 years during college.
4. High School math teacher

Four Places I have lived:
1. Lake Forest from when I was 3 - 17
2. The dorms at Chico State my freshman year in college
3. Trabuco Canyon (where my parents moved to once I went to college)
4. Corona (where I moved once I got married and where I currently live)

Four Places I've Been on Holiday:
1. Canada when my brother got married
2. Hawaii twice
3. Mexican Riveria, cruise we took for our honeymoon
4. When I am not home I am at Lake Havasu in the summer!

Four Movies I can Watch Over and Over:
1. Wizard of Oz
2. Top Gun
3. Save The Last Dance
4. The Never Ending Story

Four Categories of TV Programming I Enjoy:
1. American Idol
2. Dancing with the Stars
3. LOST
4. The Girls Next Door

Four of My Favorite Dishes:
1. Chicken & rice casserole that my mom makes
2. A really good hamburger
3. Anything Italian that my Grandma makes
4. I love dessert! (that's a dish right??) :)

Four Places I'd Rather be Right Now:
1. Getting a massage
2. Hawaii
3. The river
4. Anywhere but work (I love my job but the school year is almost over and my students are getting impatient!)

Four Websites I Visit (Almost) Daily:
1. My blog
2. Myspace
3. Yahoo!
4. check my email

Seven Random Things About Me...
1. I have never seen a Harry Potter Movie and I have no desire to.
2. I was hit by a car when I was 7 roller skating across the street and broke my femur (the largest bone in your body)
3. I am left-handed
4. My hood flew up on me while driving my Geo Storm on the freeway
5. I don't like cats. Always had dogs as pets growing up.
6. My blood pressure is always super low and nurses usually can't find it.
7. This one time at band camp...I met my husband.

So I am now tagging Jessica since it has been awhile since she posted anything!! :)

Cousins

2007-05-24T11:01:00.001-07:00

Here's two pictures of Lindsay with her cousins Luke & Mark.

Chaperoning Prom

2007-05-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday night myself and 6 other math teachers chaperoned the high school prom. We go every year, only girls no husbands. We go to dinner first and then our "job" at prom is to count the ballots for king and queen. It is alot of fun. This year we went to Olive Garden for dinner and prom was held at the American Cultural Way Center which is actually the place that I went to a winter formal at during high school, that was weird.
This my friend Megan who I work with.

These are 4 other teachers, Rachea, Alma, Margot, and Patti.

Andrea, Megan, and I at dinner.One of my current students.

Two of my current Geometry students. I don't know why my boobs look so big here, they didn't look like that all night, trust me. :)

Two of my former students. They are seniors now but I had them their freshman, sophomore, and junior years for math.

Lindsay's growing up!

2007-05-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest that Lindsay is up to....

1. She is walking around everywhere, doesn't like to be held much, just wants to walk.

2. She says a few words, one of them she just started saying Thursday. If you ask her how big she is she says "So big"

3. She can tell you what a cow, dog, cat, duck, and pig say.

The time just goes by too fast! I can't wait for summer to enjoy my time with her more!

She is learning early how to use her phone!! She walks around the house, holding it like a boombox, blabbering to herself. So cute!

The other day I found her in the barstool "playing". She got herself in there somehow but couldn't get out!

Lindsay's 1st trip to Disneyland

2007-05-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago Lindsay went to Disneyland for the first time. While she still doesn't understand what is really going on, I like to think she had a fun time. Lindsay and I went with my mom, dad, sister-n-law, and nephew. My dad bought this hat for Lindsay and she actually liked wearing it.

The characters didn't scare her, she just had a look on her face like "what is this huge thing?"

Lindsay relaxing with her shades on.

Again, Lindsay is expressionless as we ride Dumbo. But I am sure she liked it, I really am.

Wow...its been awhile

2007-05-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been on in awhile. Life has been pretty busy and hectic. I feel like I spend most of my day in my car driving than at home. So I have some catching up to do...hope it was worth the wait.

Funny story from the past...

2007-04-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

I am reading this book, Eat, Pray, Love, that was recommended by a few people and I came across this line that made me remember an incident when I was child so I thought I would share. The line in the book is "That's me in the corner, in other words. That's me in the spotlight. Choosing my religion." Referring to the song by REM. Reading this line took me back to when I was 9 or 10 and in CCD class. (A class you take as a child as part of the Catholic religion.) So the class meets at a house and this particular year my class had a lot of boys who misbehaved. One day this boy Cody got in trouble (yes Jessica, the Cody you dated in high school ) :) and the teacher put him in the corner. He went to the corner and started singing..."That's me in the corner. That's me in the spotlight, losing my religion." Needless to say, the whole class couldn't stop laughing and he just got in more trouble. I love strolling down memory lane....

Sorry if this is a little untasteful...(Sarah, is that a word?)

2007-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce John, my co-worker. He is an English and Spanish teacher. John's personality is not like anyone else's. He could be in a good mood one minute and the next you don't want to make eye contact with him because he looks pissed off. He is very "matter of fact" and to the point. He can be crude, rude, vulgar, and comical. So here's the story....yesterday morning in the teacher workroom I was telling my friend how I ordered a decaf coffee because I am trying to cut back on my caffeine intake but I like the taste of coffee. Well John walks in and hears that I ordered a decaf coffee and he says, "Decaf coffee??? That is like dry humping...what's the point?!"

I could not stop laughing at his random, crude, off-the wall comment so I thought I would share. :)

NICU Reunion

2007-04-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, before the shoe incident, we went to Lindsay's NICU reunion they have once a year. It is so neat to see the doctors, nurses, and other babies that were there the 3 months she was in the hospital. Everyone thought Lindsay looked so good and were amazed that she doesn't have any problems. Here are some pictures.....

It was a jungle safari theme but I think Lindsay knows the elephant is not real. :)

Lindsay with CHOCO the bear...she didn't know what to think.

When I delivered the girls there was a whole team of people in the delivery room. Two ob-gyn doctors, 3 delivery nurses and a seperate team for each girl from the NICU consisting of a neonatonolgist, repiratory therapist, and NICU nurse. This doctor was the neonatologist who took Taylor after she was delivered and he also took care of Lindsay the whole time she was in the hospital. I think he is checking Brian out....

This was Taylor's nurse the first day and Lindsay's nurse numerous times. She was one of our favorite nurses in the NICU.

This little girl was born a week before Lindsay, her mom was 23 1/2 weeks pregnant when she delivered. The little girl left the hospital a few days before Lindsay so they were roomies for 3 months. We got to know this family very well.

The little girl in the middle was born a week after Lindsay, she was also 23 1/2 weeks along. So these three girls basically spent the first 3 months of their lives together.

Unfit mother???

2007-04-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

By the title I don't mean not being in shape (I don't want any feedback on that) but unfit as not being capable of taking care of my daughter. That is how I felt Sunday while shopping for a new pair of shoes for Lindsay at Stride Rite. It was my first time there and might be my last (at least the one at Missin Viejo mall). An old lady helped us, old as in her 70's maybe 80's. (Shouldn't you already be retired at that age?) First thing she asks is what shoe size Lindsay is, I say a 3 and that I need at hard soled shoe, not a soft since she is walking now. The lady has a look on her face as if size 3 and walking don't go together. I don't bother explaining the preemie thing. So she measures her feet and declares with triumph that her feet are a size 4 and that her left foot is slightly bigger than her right.

She also goes on to tell me that the shoes I had Lindsay in were way too small for her and that her foot was cramped. Even though I could see thru Lindsay's sandals that her toes were not at the end of her shoe, the lady said she has a high arch and thus a wide foot. She said she had a hard time taking the shoes off that I had Lindsay in. (I have never had difficulty taking Lindsay's shoes off or on).

So the lady brings out some shoes for Lindsay. First pair is a size 5?! Is she crazy? She goes to put the shoe on Lindsay and tells me that I also do not have the right socks on Lindsay for wearing shoes. She gives me a lecture that the socks with the rubber stuff on the bottom is only for walking without shoes so they don't slip and not for wearing shoes as it is hard to put their foot in the shoe as the rubber grips it. (Again, I have never had any difficulty.) So she asks me to turn her sock inside out. Okay, fine, I do. SO the size 5 shoes go on, Lindsay walks around and she looks like Herman Munster with these big bulky shoes. I ask the lady to bring the other shoe I wanted out in possibly a 4 1/2. She does, and before she puts it on Lindsay I hold the bottom of the shoe up to the bottom of Lindsay's foot to compare. I kid you not, I thought the lady was going to slap me. She tells me that is not the way to measure!! She puts the shoe on Lindsay and feels where he toes are. She tells me that her right toe is a little closer because that was the foot that was a little bigger. I say, "You told me that the left foot was bigger earlier." She doesn't say anything back. Ha! Stride Rite lady, you are not as smart as you think you are!!

So at the end of my experience the shoe lady makes me feel like I don't know what kind of socks to put on Lindsay, I don't know what size shoe to put on Lindsay, and I don't know how to measure a foot. But I still buy the second pair of shoes for Lindsay because they are so cute, even though they are a size 4 1/2 W. :)

10 years ago....

2007-04-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

Ican't believe I am posting my high school picture because I think it is the most hideous picture of me. Why didn't my friends tell me to pluck my eyebrows?!?! I just thought it would be funny to post mine and Brian's senior pictures and a more recent picture. This is what 10 years does to two people. :) Jessica and Sarah, you better be nice or I am going to post yours. :)

I have come to an understanding...

2007-04-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

The other day my friend, who is blogless, clarified something for me that made a lot of sense. I don't have a spending problem, I have a saving problem! As hard as I try to save money, I just end up spending it (on something completely important of course). So I don't have a problem spending (I think I do it very well actaully), its the saving part that is the problem. :)

Pictures

2007-04-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

Today I went online to my wedding photograher's website to see if she still had our pictures displayed on her site. She still does after almost 5 years so go check them out if you have time. www.seejanesnap.com We are under engagement #1 and wedding #2. Enjoy!

The Big 2-8

2007-04-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today is my friend Jessica's birthday. So go to her blog and wish her a happy birthday!!! :)

Easter Pictures

2007-04-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

This picture was actually taken Saturday at a birthday party. Lindsay didn't like it too much but I had to take one quick picture!On Sunday we stopped by the cemetary first to visit Taylor and leave some balloons. Someone had put an Easter egg on every child's tombstone. It looked really cute.

We spent Easter at my mom's with all my family.

I love this picture of Lindsay! She is walking now and that is all she wants to do. If you try to grab her hand she pushes you away, she wants to do it all by herself.

She didn't quite grasp the concept of finding eggs but she loved to shake them!

Lindsay with her Grandma and Papa!

Lindsay's ears made her look more like a mouse than a bunny. They didn't stand up that straight. I love this face she is making!

My mom bought her the traditional corn popper now that she is walking. I think every kid has had this toy sometime when they were little.

You can call off the search party...

2007-04-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

My left ovary was found this morning. I don't know where it went but I am glad it is back and it is healthier than ever!!

MISSING: My left ovary. If found please call.

2007-04-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know how I forgot to blog about this yesterday. How in the heck do you lose an ovary??? Let me back up...in case you didn't know, Brian and I are starting the process again with the fertility doctor to try to have another baby. Two months ago I was put on birth control pills to "calm my ovaries down". Last time I went through this process my ovaries reacted too well to the medicine and I had ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome which made my ovaries uncomfortably large. My left one was the size of a tennis ball when they are supposed to be the size of a walnut. So now apparently the birth control pills did their job because last Thursday my doctor couldn't find my left ovary. He did an ultrasound to check my ovaries and the left one was no where to be found. He wasn't worried about it and so I guess we'll see this week if it decides to show up! :)

I give up!

2007-04-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Its official...once you have children going out with you friends is not like what it used to be, no matter how hard you try.
Example #1: A couple weeks ago, Jessica (who has two boys) and I decided to go out on a Friday night just the two of us. Our original plan was to go to the Irvine Spectrum, eat dinner and go to a movie. We get to the Spectrum, get some dinner and sit there talking for awhile. While we are there two older men approach us, older as in they can be my dad, and start annoyingly talking to Jess and I. They tell me I look like Helen Hunt!?! As many attempts as we make to mention our kids and husbands at home, while also flashing our wedding rings at them, they do not get the hint until 20 agonizing minutes later. So by now its 9 o'clock and we are tired and don't feel like seeing a movie. So we walk around the Spectrum and end up buying clothes for the kids. We are back home by 10 o'clock. Pathetic for two 27 year olds on a Friday night!!!

Example #2: Last night a bunch of us went out to "celebrate" Jessica going back to work tomorrow after being off the past 6 months. We get to the restaurant around 8, eat dinner and then we are supposed to go somewhere else for some drink and hang out but we end up at Brian's friends house to decide where we want to go. Everyone is hanging out and talking. What do Jess and I do?? We go on the guys computer and look at people's myspace pages for a half an hour. Then it is 10:30 and we are tired so we all go home! Such an exciting night!! :)

Good 'ol Gig

2007-04-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

Every year Brian's grandpa, who they call Gig, from Pennsylvania comes out to California to get away from the cold. He calls it paradise out here and especially loves it when we take him to the river. Our last trip he bought himself a t-shirt and couldn't wait to wear it!

Bob, Lindsay and I

2007-04-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid my family and I would go to Bob's Big Boy on El Toro Road occasionally. It was a great family restaurant and I loved going there. Last weekend as we were coming home from the river, we stopped at a Bob's Big Boy for lunch. I forgot how good their hamburgers are! I never imagined when I was a kid, someday taking my daughter to a Bob's Big Boy. Even though this one was in beautiful Barstow :) we had a good time and I think Lindsay liked it too!

Let the blogging begin....

2007-04-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

Lindsay is sleeping and Brian is golfing....so now I can get caught up on my blogging! :)

Gymber Fun!

2007-03-11T21:47:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and I are still attending her tumbling class every Saturday morning. She is really enjoying it and already knows when to tuck her head to do a forward roll! Summer Olympics 2020 here we come!

My New Tattoo

2007-03-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

I recently got a new tattoo on the inside of my right wrist. It is a red heart with the letter "T" inside in memory of my daughter Taylor. The reason I got it on my wrist was because when I was on bed rest in the hospital she was on my right side and I would always have my hand over her. The tattoo didn't hurt too bad, I just kind of closed my eyes and it was all over with before I knew it. My students all think I am "so cool". In fact, I saw one girl had drawn with a pen a heart with her boyfriends initial on her wrist by the end of class. I am such a good role model. Hopefully she doesn't tell her parents who she got the idea from! :)

Pictures of Baby Mark

2007-03-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of baby Mark and family. Hope you enjoy! They will be coming home from the hospital tomorrow. He wasn't taking well to breast feeding the first two days but did really good today. Maria is getting up and walking around. I think they are just all ready to go home! Luke keeps asking Maria if baby Mark is out of her stomach yet even though he sees him lying right next to her. He thinks another baby is going to come out any day!

I'm an Auntie for the second time!

2007-03-09T08:03:00.000-08:00

My brother just called me and told me that my sister-n-law just had their little boy via c-section. He was 8 pounds 15 ounces and healthy! His name is Mark Lewis Jensen. That is all the information I have right now. When I go see him after work I will post more information and some pictures!

A Walk in the Park

2007-02-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took Lindsay to the park for her first ride in a swing. She was not that impressed. It wasn't until we got back home that she finally smiled.

10...8...yesterday

2007-02-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

Almost 10 years ago this picture was taken, we were seniors at El Toro High School. From left to right, Jessica, Sarah, Stephanie & myself. We were the best of friends and we did everything together. After graduation we all went our seperate ways, chaning location a few times, and trying to keep in touch with at least one of us.

8 years ago in August, Sarah was the first of us to get married and we were all at her wedding. I know I have a picture, I have searched all over for it and can't find it so you'll just have to believe me. :) Since then, I have kept in touch with Jessica, Jessica has kept in touch with Stephanie, and Stephanie was in touch with Sarah. Just recently we all got in contact with each other and yesterday we met for lunch at the Spectrum. It had been 8 years since some of us had seen each other.
From left to right, Sarah & her 18 month old son Bridger, Lindsay and I, Jessica & her 2 month old son James, and Stephaine holding Jessica's other son Conner (James' twin). We had such a good time catching up on everyone and their families. It was as if no time had past, the way we were able to connect with each other again and talk non-stop. I am anxious to see where we will all be in another 10 years! Thank you everyone for a fun day!!

Mommy & Me

2007-02-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Lindsay's 3rd mommy & me tumbling class and I was finally able to take some pictures since Brian was able to come. She is having so much fun! The bars are still not her favorite as she would rather lick them then hang from them. But she did walk across the balance beam with my help, although Brian didn't seem to get a picture of that. Maybe next time!

I'm back....

2007-02-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

I don't have much time as I am educating the youth of America but just wanted to inform you that I am still here and I never left. :) I have had MAJOR computer problems these past two weeks and the problems have still not been fully resolved. So I might not get back on here for another few days but I am still here. Thank you for not deleting me! :) I would blog about what has happened to my computers at work and home but the way that I go on and on....the blog would be just way too long. To make a long story short.... Time Warner Cable is horrible!!!!!

1 year ago....

2007-01-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

Jessica you can stop holding your breath, here's the blog :) ...... 1 year ago today Lindsay came home from the hospital after being in the NICU for 87 days since birth. These pictures were taken that day. When she was born she weighed 1 pound 12 ounces and when she left the hospital she weighed 5 pounds 4 ounces. One year later she now weighs 20 pounds! I remember this much anticipated day like it was yesterday and how excited yet nervous I was. Brian drove the car home as I sat in the back with Lindsay and I kept putting my ear to her to check if she was still breathing. I am sure you can only imagine how the first night went. :) She has been through so much in the past year, she had anesthesia 4 times since she has been home (6 times since she was born) but I am thankful to say that now she is very healthy and quickly catching up devlopmentally to where she should be!!

Do you see what I see?

2007-01-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

Lindsay finally gets to see what I see when we are in the car. Today was her first day in a forward-facing carseat and she loved it! Now she also gets to watch Baby Einstein in Brian's truck, as if she doesn't get enough of it already at home.

On another note...today I felt like Michelle Pfeifer in Dangerous Minds. I had to cover my friend's class today since she was running late to work and I had prep first period. Her class was Algebra 1, but not just any Algebra 1 - it was for juniors and seniors who are taking it for their 3rd or 4th time. They were nice kids, well except for the one girl who kept giving me dirty looks, but other than that they were very comical. However, they were supposed to be taking their final exam. What a task that was! It took us 20 minutes for everyone to finally get a pencil. I had one student during the test tell me the difference between a mongoose and mongeese. (Remember, this is a math class.) Well, I could go on but I think you get the idea of what my first 45 minutes we like at work today. I guess that is what I like about my job, no two days are alike and you never know what suprises the day will bring!

Stay tuned Thursday for a "1 year ago" blog.....

Valentine's Day Cards

2007-01-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

Here are actual cards I had to choose from at Hallmark. Which one would you of chosen for your significant other?

#1 Front: A picture of a boy and girl with the night sky behind them.
Inside: "To the man I want beside me every night for the rest of forever."

#2 Front: A heart shaped pizza
Inside: " I love you to pizzas."

#3 Front: "To my husband: Just a little Valentine's Day love note..."
Inside: "...to remind you how much I need you, how much I appreciate you, and how
very, very much I love you."

50 Sit-Ups

2007-01-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, I enrolled in a workout group on campus after work. There are 7 of us and a personal trainer meets with us for an hour twice a week. She is from brickhouse training (go to the link and you will see a picture of my trainer - she's really nice but works us so hard, which I guess is what I need if I want results). So the other day we had to do 50 sit-ups. Not 50 crunches, which I mistakenly started doing, but 50 sit-ups. That means your chest has to touch your knees and your shoulders come back to the ground, roll up and roll down as my trainer says. The first 25 are a piece of cake, however, the last 25 were quite a struggle. If you have time tonight I challenge you to try 50 sit-ups just so you can feel what I felt and you can workout your abs too! :) (Jessica, you are excused from this assignment for another couple of weeks) Now no cheating, don't grab the back of your legs as you are coming up or grab anything for that matter, use only your abs. You also might want to tuck your feet under something as I had someone standing on mine. Okay, enough of me telling you what to do (its the teacher in me I guess). Let me know how you did! :)

The Little Gym

2007-01-17T13:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I signed Lindsay and I up for out first mommy and me class at The Little Gym. We start Sat. Jan. 27th and I am so excited. It is a 45 minute class for infants 10 months - 18 months and it meets once a week for 20 weeks. The class is made up of motor development activities that include aerobics, elementary gymnastics skills, stretching, rhythm, songs, group activities, ball play and bubbles! I am sure I will have a lot to write about after these classes so stay tuned! :)