Haircuts!

Finally, Ethan and Nathanial's hair grew out enough to go visit Barber John from the horrific cut they recieved this summer. They've actually needed cuts for a while, but today worked perfectly. They look like such big boys now!!

Ethan after:

Nathanial after (his face is filthy from his m&m's - Barber John's bribe):

Newborn Pictures

Today I was scanning some pictures for my post about Austin's birthday (on Austin's blog) and I found his newborn picture. When I opened the frame, I found my newborn picture behind his. I have always thought that our kids look so much like Steve, but when I looked at my newborn picture I was shocked by how similar Ethan looks to me. And not necessarily when Ethan was a newborn, but more Ethan now. So, since I am in the spirit of pictures, I thought I would post all our pictures on here and now pictures of the kids. Oh, and the triplets never got their pictures taken in the hospital (I still don't know why??), so their pictures are ones I made Steve take so I could see them while they were in NICU and I was hooked up to mag. Ethan's is one I did take, though (he never went). I do not have Steve's newborn picture, but I do have his baptism picture, and he is, according to the side date on the photo, approximately four months old, I think. To think, it all started with us!

Steve (black and white)

Trista (color - hospital)

Austin (1995/2007):

Aidan (2003/2008)

Nathanial (2/3/07 & 9/08)

Ethan (2/4/07 & 9/2008)

Noah (2/3/07 & 9/08)

Hannah 9/17/08 and a week ago

I Love Nursing!

Can I just say that I love nursing? Apart from all the benefits for baby, I have already lost 28 pounds!! Yay! I cannot wait to get back to the gym, but I was told I have to wait until after my six week appointment for that. And, the middle of my incision still has a little opening, so it probably wouldn't be wise to push it anyway.

Hannah nurses like a champ. She has had no problems and is on a great "schedule" already. She eats pretty much every three hours during the day, then ramps it up in the evening and eats every hour and a half. Then, by ten, she's tuckered out. She sleeps a good four hours, then eats. This is our problem hour, though. She likes to be awake then for a few hours and wants someone, anyone, to stay awake with her. This doesn't make for a happy mama. Daddy has been staying awake with her the last several nights after she eats. This is especially difficult when the triplets get up around 7 these days and my day has to start then. She will usually go another four hour stretch once she's back to sleep, but it never seems like it because she is so wide awake at 3 am. She also has a bad habit of being wide awake during the triplets nap time, so I don't get naps during the day. It is nice, though, because three days a week, we get Hannah and Mommy alone time.

I don't know why I always worry prior to a baby being born if I will be able to nurse or not. I always fret that maybe it isn't wise to not have any bottles in the house or maybe I should stock up on formula "just in case." I think this is exactly what formula companies want moms to think. Thankfully, I have never had any supply issues and every baby, with some work, has nursed well. The triplets had a preemie suck, but eventually got over that. The second day Hannah was a little lazy, but she has really done well since then. I am thrilled it is working for us because I fear she would not get a whole lot of mommy time any other way. The triplets are not jealous of it, either. Ethan likes to sit right next to me while I'm nursing and just lean in to me. Kind of like my sniff-tester - Aidan - when I was pumping for the triplets! Aidan has had me read books while she's eating. We find ways to work with everyone. It is so much less stressful to not have to worry about preparing, washing, warming, bottles.

I know not everyone is able to nurse and I am so thankful that I am able to.

Too Cool...

Too cool for sunglasses - and some nice pictures.

Ethan:
Noah:
Ethan - posing for Daddy:
Nathanial thinks Daddy is hilarious:
Noah looking pretty:

The babies are too cool for their sunglasses....

They did WHAT???

Aidan came to me while I was feeding Hannah and told me the triplets were getting into "whipped cream." Now, I knew this couldn't be true, because they were upstairs, not in the kitchen. So my thought was that they must have found Daddy's shaving cream and that must be what he was referring to. No big deal...that comes right off with a little water. About five minutes later, Noah came downstairs. I looked at him and quickly realized it was not whipped cream, not shaving cream, but plaster. Ahh!! What else are they going to get into??

Our bedroom door:
The floor in the bathroom where they found, and opened, the plaster:
Noah (this really doesn't do him justice - it was down to his toes):Nathanial:

Ethan is relatively clean. We're trying to figure out if he painted his brothers, or if he just egged them on:

Thankfully, after a good tub scrubbing, everyone came clean. Even their clothes came clean, because we washed them right away. Whew!