Norwood Triplets Since 2007

Long Time...No See...

2011-01-24T19:09:00.003-05:00

The Top Ten Reasons Why I Haven't Written...

10. The kids have been so busy with their Mensa training project...

9. Kids have been actively engaged in higher order thinking training.

8. Mom has been traveling around the country with my children providing them with the synapses to connect neurons to promote brain development.

7. Isabella is being classically trained in ballet, vocals, and Bach. Ben and Will are designing new cars with their K'NEX.

OKAY- enough with what I thought I would be doing with my children... let's get down to the basics...

6. There has been one child on their back in a beetle like state kicking and screaming for the the past two years.

5. My children have Bi-Polar disorder...they are happy one minute and melting down the next.

4. We've gone from 'nanny' to preschool... my alarm goes off at 4:45.

3. I've been locked in a bathroom for 2 years wiping butts and potty training.

2. 2 Year old triplets= pain... As Coach Farrace said- Pain is temporary... Pride is forever... 2's were as bad as you could imagine...3's were awesome! 4's are proving to be the sanity saving age...
And the #1 reason why I haven't posted... It has been all I can do to hang on to my sanity the past few years... but I'm here. My Dad always said Insanity was hereditary...You get it from your kids.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-07T18:47:00.003-05:00

Will and Isabella with their best friend Campbell....Where's Ben??? That's right- He's at Urgent Care...

Fall Festival

2009-11-07T18:33:00.000-05:00

painting pumpkins

2009-11-07T18:27:00.001-05:00

Blowing Rock

2009-11-07T18:15:00.000-05:00

We take our children to the woods to see wildlife...

2009-11-07T18:12:00.000-05:00

The Elk...It's a family tradition...

2009-11-07T17:35:00.002-05:00

The Elk were too close to the road- so we had to park and hike in...but unfortunately that doesn't translate to two year old brains...
We were very close- and saw 50+ elk.

Will gouging out Daddy's eyes.

Will leading the family across a very narrow bridge...

2009-11-07T17:23:00.001-05:00

Making muffins with Mommy.
Will's first haircut!

A Sunny Summer at the Lake

2009-09-02T22:04:00.003-04:00

Grama and her girl.

Captain Bill

3 Generations out for lunch. (or out to lunch?!? I think we are a little bit of both! ha!)

Notice who ate the ENTIRE dessert. :) Munner.

First Haircut!

2009-09-02T21:57:00.001-04:00

2009-09-02T21:46:00.003-04:00

Neighbor update:

After dodging malaria all summer- We cronfonted the neighbor (my mom took Will to show him the 945 mosquito bites on his legs.)

Bill saves the day! Bill and several angry neighbors came over and took down the neighbors' frog infested, mosquito incubating, snake buffet of a pool.

Cha-Ching! Is that the sound of our property value going back up?

Munner!!!! What a smile!

Picnic with Grandmother and Grandaddy.

2009-09-02T21:33:00.003-04:00

Gymnastics Columbia Zoo

Will had a blast!

2009-09-02T21:06:00.001-04:00

Dad teaching the kiddos how to fly a kite.

Poppis and Will heading back to the air conditioning (and TV!)

2009-09-02T20:52:00.002-04:00

The best picture of our trip! Truly amazing! Thank you Kelly! One thing about having 3...1 is NEVER happy!
And 1 is never looking at the camera.

But- these pictures will make us happy for YEARS to come!

More Beach pics

2009-09-02T20:36:00.002-04:00

Isabella finally learned to stop and smell the roses- not just attack and shred them into pieces.

Grammie's swimming lessons

Handsome couple

2009-08-31T20:56:00.001-04:00

Future Professor of Psychological Warfare...

Cookie?!?

Going to see Gran Gran at the Rehab Center

2009-08-31T20:49:00.001-04:00

Independence Day

2009-08-31T20:44:00.002-04:00

Ice Cream Cones are the BEST!

One full hour in the hall at Gran Gran's

2009-08-31T20:39:00.002-04:00

July 4th in Lawrenceburg

2009-08-31T20:32:00.002-04:00

Art with Auntie Ann at the lake.

2009-08-29T08:02:00.001-04:00

Cousins

2009-08-29T07:14:00.004-04:00

"Alright boys, let's plan our escape!"

5 little monkeys jumping on the bed...

"Maymen" ( that's toddler talk for Amen.)

We got to spend lots of time with our three favorite cousins! It's always a party with 5 2year olds and a newborn!

Isabella and Sam got into many philosophical arguments throughout the summer. One in particular went a little something like this:

Isabella: I am me.

Sam: No, I am me.

Isabella: NO, I am me.

Sam: NO IAM ME.

Isabella: NO- I AM ME. (Pounding her chest with her fists).

It actually sounded more like Laurel and Hardy...

Pawley's Island

2009-08-29T06:57:00.001-04:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Pawley's Island

2009-08-29T06:41:00.004-04:00

Great times with the Andersons! Ashleigh and I made a promise a billion years ago- to take our kids to the beach together- we finally got to do it!!! This is one of many trips to come!

Deer Skull Update

2009-08-29T06:35:00.002-04:00

Beep-Ba-Beep-Beep (sounds of a news flash)
This just in!
John had to remove not one- but two deer skulls from the children's swingset due to the fact that an army of squirrels chewed off the antlers.

Thank you, squirrels. I owe you big time!

Summa' Summa' Summa' time...

2009-08-21T19:20:00.002-04:00

so just sit back and unwind...
Listen- if you are unwinding after reading this blog- good for you!
We have had the most amazing summer!
We took lots of field trips and survived strictly on a diet of animal crackers and goldfish found in the crevases of my purse and the corners of the van.
I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy!

An Open Letter to My Husband

2009-05-04T19:56:00.006-04:00

Dear John,

First of all- I love you, however, when I married you I do not recall vows that included: " I, Beth, take your animal skull collection to be plastered all over our happy home..."

Is it not enough that I have incorporated some sort of antler/bone/skull/wildlife art/5ft. high carved black bear into every room in our house? A home that I might add was purchased for the sole purpose of housing your gigantic taxidermied mountain lion that has been posed creeping on two boulders and took six years to obtain. Is it not enough that a deer head stayed in my freezer for 2 years while you "decided what to do with it"... only to find it buried (antlers sticking out) in my vegetable garden (for over a year) where worms and bugs would "eat the flesh and leave a nice white skull". When I came home today and saw what you had done- I decided that enough was enough. Really John? A skull on the children's swingset? No. You are going to turn all of the neighborhood toddlers into vegetarians.

Sprinklers

2009-05-04T19:54:00.001-04:00

Spring blooms

2009-05-04T19:43:00.002-04:00

John and I have worked diligently in our yard for 5 years. We have stategically placed flowers that bloom from April- August. Our yard is a pollination haven. This has all been ripped away from us by one curious blonde... We decided not to plant tomatoes until our children are at least 18.

Toilet Training

2009-05-04T19:37:00.002-04:00

What happens at our house when someone leaves the bathroom door open?

Spring Break ' 09

2009-05-04T19:33:00.003-04:00

I'm sure you've been waiting in anticipation for our pictures from our wonderful Spring Break. Well-I'm sorry to inform you that none were taken. John, Isabella and I were sequestered away with a virus that even robbed us of our Easter dinner. "Deviled" eggs now have a new meaning...

2nd Birthday Whew Hew!

2009-05-04T19:11:00.005-04:00

Thanks for the cute clothes- but we really love the tissue paper!

Al and Ben texting to each other.

Whose clues? Blue's Clues!

Happy Birthday to us!

Well, we are now officially two. Our birthday was lots of fun!

Grama Ballard made a Blues Clues cake, Bill grilled, Munner wore her party hat, John and Dad ate chips and dip, Grammy and Kelly were toddler wranglers. Grandmother passed out gifts.

Enjoy the pics.

John is 40!!!

2009-02-28T11:27:00.002-05:00

It's official. He's old. I keep telling him that 40 is the new 30. (wink, wink.)

Handmade Valentines

2009-02-28T11:21:00.003-05:00

I had the brilliant idea to make some handmade valentines for family members. It was our first experience with finger paint.

Nice February Weather

2009-02-28T11:14:00.001-05:00

There is always a week in February that reminds us to look forward to Spring! We enjoyed several days outside!

Snow Babies

2009-02-28T11:07:00.002-05:00

The Perfect Christmas Gift

2009-02-28T11:03:00.002-05:00

John and I searched and searched for the perfect Christmas gift for our perfect children. We found the perfect gift in the Step 2 50's diner. The perfect gift for 3. Two can sit at the table and enjoy the sounds of the juke box while one is cooking their meal. We envisioned exactly what we saw on the side of the box. Isabella in her poodle skirt and the boys smiling.

False Advertising

2009-02-28T10:57:00.002-05:00

This is how they actually use the diner. I want my money back.

Uncle Ben and Aunt Jess

2009-02-28T10:48:00.006-05:00

Dining with three toddlers... not for the faint of heart. Where is John? Oh, that's right- at another table enjoying his breakfast...

Hank's

What happens when you turn 3 babies loose in a hotel?

Upon entry into our room- the babies were running around the room with a roll of toilet paper "rolling" everything! Isabella pulled the kleenex out one by one and the bible in the drawer had been defaced...and that was the first 5 minutes...

2009-02-28T10:41:00.002-05:00

Isabella was ready for the bath!

Do you think we can go on the road with this show?

He knows if you've been good or bad...

2009-02-28T10:34:00.000-05:00

John getting a lump of coal from Santa.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2009-02-28T10:27:00.004-05:00

Ben's only defense: a lint roller.

Sopranos

2009-02-28T10:09:00.003-05:00

Has it been that long since I last posted? I like to take the Sopranos approach to blogging- you miss it when it's gone- and after waiting 2 years for a new season- you are even more excited than ever to see it!
Well, I have no excuse for taking this long to post- honestly- I just didn't feel the need to do it. We went through a dramatic stage for a few months where the tantrums and rolling around on the floor kicking and screaming left me depleted of energy...and that was just John whining about turning 40.
Let's rewind a few months to Christmas- a great, great holiday! We had a ball. My dad dressed up like Santa and brought a sack full of toys! It was awesome!
Ben was petrified of the horrifying man with the big white beard. He would barely be in the same room with him.

2008-12-04T19:03:00.001-05:00

2008-12-04T17:37:00.004-05:00

Turkey Day in Tennessee

2008-12-04T17:16:00.004-05:00

Over the river and through the woods

To Grandmother’s house we go.

The hooptie van knows the way

To carry the babes through the windy, twisty roads. Oh!

Over the river and through the woods

Turkey’s calling our name.

The potatoes are hot,

Cranberries are not.

Oh will a deer be shot?

Over the river and through the woods

The toilet overflows.

Tree roots obstruct.

We’re out of luck.

To bathe down the road we must truck.

Over the river and through the woods

11 adults, 5 babes share one loo.

If we get in a pinch-

It isn’t a synch-

A chamber pot we must use…

Over the river and through the woods.

On the Wii we played.

To the good laughs we had-

When the plumbing went bad.

Hooray for Thanksgiving Day.

Tricks? or Treats?

2008-11-01T09:42:00.003-04:00

Isabella gave Mommy a Halloween Eve treat: A Baby Ruth...in the bathtub. Yummy!

ha! I won't forget that for some time!

We had a great time cruising the neighborhood!
After the babies went to sleep I passed out candy while John sat in the dark garage making deer/turkey calls each time someone walked to our door. One mom was ready to take down the "creature" in our garage! It was pretty funny. The old trickster then decided the diaper pail full of dirty diapers needed to be opened and placed near our door... he wanted to see the looks on the poor childrens' faces while trying not to vomit in their plastic pumpkins. Well...if this isn't a sign of the times- I don't know what is... A teenage couple came to the door dressed in their costumes...They happily shouted, "Trick or Treat"...with the gusto of any excited child on this hallowed holiday. I then realized the boy had his newborn baby wrapped in a blanket strapped to his chest. When I shockingly asked, "Is that a baby?" "Yes," He answered..."He's ours." I guess there are worse things wild and crazy teenagers could do with their baby on Halloween night...i.e. take them rolling, take them to bonfire parties, take them to a haunted house...
I decided they were going to be our last customers for the evening- lights out!

I want to take this opportunity to publicly wish my baby brother a Happy 30th Birthday!

Isabella Fairy Princess....with Hives

2008-11-01T09:28:00.004-04:00

Well, about 5 minutes before I put her costume on Isabella broke out into hives. Bless her heart!

Cowboy Ben

2008-11-01T09:17:00.004-04:00

Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction.

Cowboy Will

2008-11-01T09:10:00.006-04:00

Don't squat with your spurs on.

2008-10-29T21:19:00.001-04:00

2008-10-29T21:15:00.002-04:00

2008-10-29T21:10:00.002-04:00

Grape Stomp at winery

2008-10-29T20:50:00.000-04:00

Isabella actually rode the horse all around the property

2008-10-29T20:46:00.001-04:00

I'd stand on the saddle if you weren't looking...

2008-10-29T20:45:00.000-04:00

Ride a little horsey

2008-10-29T20:44:00.000-04:00

Trying to get 5 babies to look and smile-this is as good as it gets.

2008-10-29T20:43:00.000-04:00

Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History

2008-10-29T20:41:00.000-04:00

New playground

2008-10-29T20:40:00.000-04:00

2008-10-29T20:38:00.000-04:00

Haven't figured out how to Flinstone the car

2008-10-29T20:37:00.000-04:00

Ben in his big boy boots

2008-10-29T20:36:00.000-04:00

2008-10-29T20:24:00.002-04:00

Wow! I cannot believe It's almost been 3 months since I posted anything! The haze of a new school year has faded- so hopefully we can post more often! So much has happened! Will is a walking fool! I think I even saw him moon walk the other day. Ben and Isabella are now running! If they don't get a bump, bruise, or busted lip then we've had a great day! I'm not going to say much- the pics say it all!

Looks Like Somebody Robbed a Daycare

2008-08-14T14:54:00.003-04:00

The top ten list of crazy comments made to us regarding our children from the home office in Hickory, NC.

10. Do you watch that TV show "John and Kate + 8"?
It's required watching for parents of multiples. (I also grew up next door to Florence and Richard + 10. We rode around in a van with no air conditioning.)

9. I guess you're finished having kids then...
Why? Are you worried about overpopulation?

8. I've never seen triplets before.
Well, now you can mark that one off your list.

7. Are they natural?
Nope. 100% processed. I found them in the grocery aisle next to the SPAM.

6. How did that happen?
Well, it all begins with a little thing called the birds and the bees.

5. What do you have? 3 boys? 3 girls? 2 girls and a boy?
2 in blue, 1 in pink- your guess is as good as mine.

4. Did you know you were having triplets?
No- they were having a buy 2 get one free sale in Labor and Delivery.

3. Are they identical?
No comment.

2. Better you than me!
You've got that right.

1. You've got your hands full!
Yep! Full of love!

The Mosquito Culprit

2008-08-13T09:28:00.005-04:00

Aha! I was watching a TV show this morning and it put together the pieces to the mosquito bite puzzle. CBS stated this morning:(CBS) Health officials in California say the foreclosures crisis may be adding a new wrinkle to the fight against the West Nile virus, as standing water in pools that are being left unattended in backyards of abandoned homes becomes a potent breeding ground for the mosquitoes that carry it.
As you will see in the picture above- our neighbors aren't going to receive the yard of the month award. No- it's not a foreclosure...people actually live there. The tree fell on their fence over 4 months ago...it's still there. Who knew this would cause a suburban neighborhood revolt. At any point an angry mob is going to run down our street with their pitchforks in hand to scalp this guy. We've met more neighbors since the tree fell...people come to our house up in arms at the state of our neighborhood. Everyone is afraid to confront the man. Some neighbors have theorized that he's a former Colombian Drug Cartel in the witness protection program.
What does this have to do with mosquitoes? Our neighbors, fearing that their home values were plummeting, came knocking on our door for answers. We found out that behind that broken fence lies an above ground pool that hasn't run in years-but it's full of green, murky water. Not only does it have a black cloud of mosquitoes lingering and multiplying over it- it's also full of frogs. Not only is the pool and tree a problem- apparently his septic system is spilling out into his yard and has been for a few years. No wonder my garden was so plentiful.
We called the health department and after being transfered 5 or 6 times we finally found someone who said the tree can cause rodent problems. What kind of rodents we asked? Rats, of course. I believe this is where the 11th plague of Egypt is incubating.
There's not enough Agent Orange on the Ho Chi Minh Trail to protect our kids from these mosquitoes. I'm afraid if this continues the little blood suckers are going to carry Isabella off like the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz.
I'll keep you posted on the outcome... I have to go deal with bigger problems... our credit card company just called and someone in Wisconsin is buying tvs at Best Buy with our card.
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.

On the Road Again

2008-08-13T01:10:00.002-04:00

Lotta love in this elevator

2008-08-13T01:06:00.001-04:00

Munner- smoking two at once

2008-08-13T00:58:00.000-04:00

MORE SMORES PLEASE

2008-08-13T00:56:00.001-04:00

Petting Zoo

2008-08-13T00:37:00.001-04:00

Sympathetic Gorilla

2008-08-13T00:37:00.000-04:00

Beach trip 2007 My how they've grown!

2008-08-13T00:31:00.000-04:00

The family

2008-08-13T00:13:00.000-04:00

I'm a Salty Dog

2008-08-13T00:10:00.002-04:00

Ben's not sure what to think...

2008-08-13T00:09:00.001-04:00

Will cruising for chicks

2008-08-13T00:06:00.000-04:00

Main Street Jonesborough

2008-08-12T23:53:00.000-04:00

Summer's out of reach

2008-08-12T18:53:00.002-04:00

Okay- I'm a slacker. We've had a great summer and I've yet to share any of it with the 3 people that read this blog. It has been so much fun hanging with the babies. Now I'm down to less than a week at home with them. We are still nanny-less...I keep thinking Ed McMahon will show up with my Publisher's Clearinghouse check so I don't have to work anymore...he probably needs it more than I do now.

I'm recovering from surgery in a house with my Mom, Mother-in-law, 3 babies, one husband and as of 7 PM- no air conditioning...things could get ugly.

I'll fill you in on a few of our field trips this summer...
The beach:
We headed out to the "Grand" Strand to meet my Dad and Deborah on July 4th. Isabella threw up less than 30 minutes into the trip. Luckily for the babies we had the DVD player loaded with Wiggles videos to occupy the next 5 hours in the van...If you haven't heard "Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy" sung by the Aussie sensation- you don't know what you are missing. We unloaded the car in the heat of the day and headed to the pool after baby-proofing the wicker-laden condo. You've never seen fireworks like M.B. on July 4th. As far as the eye can see on the beach are people who apparently cashed out mutual funds to buy fireworks and Budweiser. We had the best fireworks show from our balcony. They literally exploded at our eye level. John was caught in the crossfire and got hit in the arm by a stray missile. It left a bruise.
We stayed on the 14th floor and quickly realized that the babies did not like riding in the elevator- see video... the great thing about our hotel was that the elevator stopped on every floor which only prolonged the screaming fits of rage. (One note about staying on the 14th floor with 3 babies- I didn't sleep the entire time we were there. I knew they were going to get out on the deck and fall...even though they would have to climb out of their pack-n-plays, open the bedroom door, walk down the tile hall over numerous pieces of furniture, drag a chair over to the sliding door to unlock it- then pull it open... I was certain it could happen.)

Being at the beach with the babies was so much fun. It took 3 trips to get everything set up before we brought the babies down. John and I used to complain about dragging a heavy cooler through the sand when we were childless. Actually our system made the days at the beach quite enjoyable for all involved.
The babies loved the water and the sand. (Ben- not so much). They enjoyed dipping their graham crackers into the sand and shoving them into their mouths- then washing it down with a sand coated sippy cup. Mmmmmm.
Isabella was our little dare devil. She braved the waves like a babe on the cover of Surfer Magazine. Will loved it, too! He was into the babe watch with his dad and grandfather. Ben- hated the water!!!! He clung to me like a rabid raccoon. He was able to relax a little in the pool.
All in all- it was a great trip. John and I got time to ourselves. Grandparents got to spoil babies...We may even brave it again next year.

Our trip to Johnson City-
The babies enjoyed their first Rock Creek outing. (One of my favorite places). Mom and Bill were camping there and we went for a cookout. Munner joined us and provided the smoke for the campfire. The babies enjoyed the woods and the their first smores.
We also went to the Knoxville Zoo. We wanted to make sure that our children understood that animals were not just taxidermied decor that hangs in our house. We wanted to show them that animals also live in cages and behind thick plate glass. The babies loved it and so did we-although the triplets had their picture taken by as many people as the elephants. No- we aren't a roadside attraction.
I had no idea that our children might pick up bad habits from the animals in the zoo. The chimpanzees launched poop at us- missing us by an inch. They also have the same Elmo toy that our babies play with on a daily basis. Coincidence? I don't think so. That tells you a lot about the mentality of toddlers.
When we arrived at the gorilla habitat we were greeted by the caretaker. Apparently the gorillas became jealous and one slammed it's body against the glass right in front of us. I screamed- which scared Ben to death. He started crying. I think the gorilla felt badly about it because he came over and looked at us like he was remorsefull.

After a successful zoo trip we thought we'd try it again at the North Carolina Zoo. While a beautiful zoo- it's not condusive to a Peg Perego with 75 lbs. of babies in the middle of July. The exhibits are uphill both ways. We'll go back when the kiddos are old enough to walk the entire zoo and push mommy and daddy.

Lawrenceburg:
We coincided our trip to Lawrenceburg with the Boy Scout Conference in Nashville. We go to a farm to see cows- they were only at the fence once the entire time we were there. Our kids did enjoy watching the geese on the lake. The would point and say "gee". They also got the band back together with Isabella on the tupperware, Ben played the spoons and Will banged on the pots and pans. Grandmother, Grandaddy and Great Grandaddy Norwood watched the babies for a few days while John and I went to the conference. Although I almost had a nervous breakdown leaving the babies for the first time- that feeling seemed to diminish about 5 minutes after saying goodbye. I actually put on my grown-up hat and went out on the town. We stayed at the Opryland Hotel with 5,000 other professional Scouts and their angry wives. We actually sat down and ate grown up food. Our meals actually included conversation and lasted longer than 5 minutes. We got to see the author of Flags of our Fathers speak. Josh Turner sang (I think he sang- I was too busy staring at his blue eyes). Dr. Kevin Leman was the highlight of the trip. this guy is hilarious! check him out if you get a chance.
I slept in until 7 each morning. Let me tell ya- I was enjoying it!
I envisioned the rendevous with the babies to be a little more meaningful- they looked at me like i was a stranger. ha! I think they had a little too much fun and didn't want to go back with mean old mom.
Well- that's our summer in a nutshell. There were plenty more bug bites, etc. We did go to the Y a few times to swim...I envisioned that to be a daily occurance- but-it was a little more than I could handle by myself.
We are onto bigger and better things, Labor Day, Halloween, UT football... It's gonna be a great Fall! Only 180 more school days till next Summer!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2008-06-29T21:34:00.002-04:00

No- it's not Christmas in July...it's just the new thing I've been singing to the kiddos when they do things like stand on the end table or use their siblings as a step stool to climb over the gate . This song takes on an entirely new meaning as a parent. I can really use this to threaten them from now on. They will soon be learning all about Santa... hmmm...I think I'm liking this Santa Claus thing.
My new theory is that Santa was created by exhausted parents of toddlers who had no other option than to invent a man who would bring toys if they had been "good" all year. Remember the list that's being checked twice? A total fabrication made by parents of toddlers.
Ben has been testing our ability to parent by climbing onto the end table and standing up with arms in the air. Each time we have to get him down and say "no". He then goes into a fit of hysterics. Well- today Will decides to climb out onto the table. Ben looked at him- looked at me- then looked at him and shook his head "no". He's getting the idea now!

Yesterday we were under strict orders from the doctor not to allow fresh air touch Isabella's skin...(j/k) but we did need to keep her cool so that the hives wouldn't act up. We decided what better way to spend a Saturday than at Big Lots. We had a birthday present to get, etc. We would be indoors with air conditioning. No chance of hives, right? Wrong. The power went out during a terrible storm and we were trapped in Big Lots for over an hour in the dark. What happens when the power goes out? The air goes out. Those places get warm fast without air. Isabella ended up with hives indoors. Ha!

Also- she cut 4 teeth this week. She has been in pain!

Anyways- babies are great today. We tried a new food today and they all tolerated it pretty well: edamame. Will didn't flick any of them- so he must like them.

Just remember: He sees you when your sleeping- he knows when you're awake...he knows if you've been bad or good...so be good for goodness sake!

Ants Marching

2008-06-26T19:56:00.002-04:00

They're back.
Ants.
The rains drove them into the shelter of our kitchen sink.
They can't be stopped by the exterminator. No chemical can stop the continuous stream of ants that enter our kitchen every summer. Last summer the babies drank bottles laced with ants. I credit the protein in our six-legged friends to the triplet's ability to develop like full term babies.

I now understand that Dave Matthew's wasn't spouting of metaphors about our society- he was literally talking about "Ants Marching".

Bug Bites Part Deux

2008-06-26T18:58:00.002-04:00

Well, Isabella woke up this morning with a beard of hives and two swollen feet. After a few doses of Benadryl the swelling subsided- but not completely. I called the doctor at 8:30 this morning and when the call was returned at 3:20 they asked if I could make it there in 20 minutes. Sure- your office is 15 minutes away. I can fill the diaper bag, load the choo-choo, change three diapers, load three babies and make it there- no problem. Diaper change #1: big poopie; Diaper change #2: bigger poopie; Diaper change #3: even bigger poopie. (Whew- at least we got those out of the way). Babies loaded, choo-choo loaded, diaper bag loaded and we are on our way.

As the dark clouds began looming overhead and we were safely on the interstate I realized I was going into public. Did I put on deodorant today? Actually...did I shower today? Oh well- people will see me dragging the choo-choo into the office and understand why I'm in running shorts and a ratty t-shirt with bed head.

The doctor wrote two prescriptions and as I was leaving the rain began to fall.
The doctor helped me out to the car. We loaded three wet babies. Whew. Made it-
By this time it was 5:00. Dinner time for babies. I can run to the CVS drive-thru and zip home for dinner. It will take 30 minutes to fill the order...what?!?
My dilemma: Do I keep babies in the car and drive around for 30 min. or do I unload babies- feed them- load them back up and pick up the prescription? (John is out of town.) I chose the simplest choice- drive around for 30 min. We are driving around the back roads of Hickory when I smell a strange odor waifing towards the driver's seat. Again I think: deodorant? shower? I realize Isabella has thrown up all over herself. Ben is patting her to make her feel better. Oh, how sweet!
The 30 minutes are up and we get our prescription and head home. I check the rear view mirror one more time before we leave the CVS parking lot...Ben isn't patting Isabella- he's eating her throw up.
We are finally home-babies in bed- and I'm asking myself the question that continues to resonate with me: Is this karma or parenthood?

Summer Vacation

2008-06-25T20:21:00.005-04:00

Wow!
A little over one week of vacation and I'm worn out. Staying at home with triplets is not for the faint of heart. I tried to be the overachieving mother the first week and it was too much.
This week we just aren't doing as much. As of today we have been confined to the indoors due to more bug bites. The babies and I ate dinner outside last night and played at the sand table. Within the 30 minutes that we were out there we were bombarded by mosquitoes. I thought the Vietnamese jungle proof DEET would be enough to stave the boogers off for awhile- but no... Will woke up this morning with one ear at least 3x as big as the other one. It was bright red and hot.
Isabella woke up covered head to toe in hives.
When I googled her symptoms this is what I found:

I hadn't had enough coffee at 6:15 to deal with that picture.
Ben took one right between the eyes.
So until the swelling subsides- it's indoor activities for the babies. Today we took our first trip to the grocery store. I pushed the cart and pulled the choo-choo. It went surprisingly well. I should enjoy these trips before they are old enough to express their desire for Fruity Pebbles and Fruit Loops.
If anyone out there knows of a town with NO mosquitoes- please notify us pronto. We can't take them anymore!

Goodbye, Lemonhead's Cousin

2008-06-10T20:34:00.002-04:00

The Gods of tacky home decor: 1 Beth: 0

Well- the Art Deco poster had to come down today. The babies were basically ripping the frame apart. I guess it will go in our garage with all of John's decor for our "cabin".
I believe it was Munner that said last time she visited, "And you think that looks good on your wall...why?"
That's what I get for using a Pottery Barn catalog as my design inspiration.

No- we didn't drop off the face of the earth

2008-05-19T19:44:00.002-04:00

I just haven't been motivated to write anything. The last few weeks of school are always tough. Hopefully I'll write soon. We've had sick babies, etc. too.
Ben and Isabella are taking a few steps- not many. Will is a little speed demon now! We are a bit worried about the fact that he stares at the television like it's Poltergeist. ha!
We went to the NICU reunion last weekend in Charlotte. Will was the star! Around 500 people attended. People we didn't know were actually setting their children in our choo-choo to get their pictures made with the babies. An entire Chinese family (no english) posed with the babies. We were in line for ice cream and turned around and 6 people had out their camera phones taking pictures of the triplets. We don't neccessarily think it's such a big deal to have triplets. Can you imagine what John and Kate have to deal with?
We sold the triple decker and car seats. It was bittersweet! We are happy to move on- but we are a little sad too.
I'll post later- just not in the mood to talk. Still need to tell you about my encounter with three wild animals in one weekend. It's a good story.

1st Birthday Pics

2008-05-16T20:50:00.000-04:00

Clarification to previous post

2008-04-23T22:11:00.002-04:00

I want to clarify the aura of the previous post... it's not that we survived one year with triplets...it's that they survived one year with us as their parents! ha!
All we can do is our best. Hopefully our best will be good enough!

Happy Birthday to us!!!!!

2008-04-23T12:41:00.004-04:00

Whew! Today has already been an emotional roller coaster! I woke up crying! ha! I didn't think it would hit me this hard. One year ago today our lives were changed forever! We didn't know what to expect! We are so blessed. I even drove by the hospital this morning. boo hoo! I said a special prayer for each baby at their birth time: Ben 7:46 A.M., Will 7:47 A.M., Isabella 7:48 A.M.
I can't remember just how small the babies were.
I have to change my Lily Pie counter. That just tears me up! ha!

This year has been so much fun. We've been to the beach twice, Lawrenceburg 3 times, the mountains several times, etc. There have been so many challenges- but we have survived them all! All of the stress, love, joy, happiness, sleep deprivation, bottle making, diaper changing, laundry, scheduling, keeping up with who pee'd, pooped, burped, how many ounces they ate, etc. It's been so worth all of it. We flourish in complete chaos!

John had a busy day yesterday and felt so sad that he missed their birthday... he didn't realize it was today. He was actually early for something...ha!

We got up this morning and sang Happy Birthday and gave the babies their birthday breakfast, but will celebrate this weekend.

I look forward to the following year- who knows what will be in store?!? I'll keep you posted.

It is Official!

2008-04-12T11:02:00.003-04:00

The triplets favorite song is "Wagon Wheel" performed by Old Crow Medicine Show. All three will start to rock their shoulders back and forth when they hear it and wait for Daddy to dance with them! They even enjoy the dancers in the video. You can watch it on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2vJUadjdmo

They also enjoy watching the birds at the bird feeder. We never knew that so many interesting birds were in our area until John hung two feeders on the deck. We just feed sunflowers. There are several small yellow birds that are using it now, along with cardinals, blue jays, doves, and of course the squirrels. A red cardinal loves to slam into his reflection on the glass door too!

Other songs they enjoy:
Bon Jovi "Its My Life!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOi9FkR1Nk8&feature=related,
Kenny Chesney "Back Where I Come From", http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRVzuimxrCY,
anything by George Strait "Carrying Your Love With Me" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adcixPh_cTY&feature=related,
"I Can Still Make Cheyenne" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjL7W6IIPtQ&feature=related,
KC "How Forever Feels" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=manHE5AoX3c,
OutKast "Hey Ya!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvIw5ZqC1ms,
Black Eyed Peas "Lets Get It Started" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzG_p1z8YSQ&feature=related,
BEP "My Hump" hehe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXKxs8Ge_9g&feature=related,
Gwen Steffani "Hollaback Girl" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clZl9wk03JY,
Justin Timberlake "SexyBack" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAT5ypTjKOI ,
Red Hot Chili Peppers "Californication" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4F3x5bRVEg and "Dani California" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kID5W9k-Zw,
Tupac and Dr. Dre "California Love" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8av_ftCIrc8&feature=related,
the Commie Chicks "Ready to Run" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a9mx1IVZzU&feature=related
Bocephus "Country Boy Can Survive" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIWb8HJ5gLo&feature=related

Daddy likes to introduce the kids to new music!

2008-04-10T20:22:00.001-04:00

2008-04-10T19:41:00.000-04:00

2008-04-10T19:40:00.000-04:00

"DAW"

2008-04-10T15:20:00.002-04:00

Wow! So many thing have happened in the past week! First, I would like to let everyone know that the car top carrier saga has come to an end. It was removed from the top of the car on Tuesday. ha!
You can see by the pictures and video that Ben has a new hobby: Mountain climbing. Very Scary! There is now a gate at the bottom of the stairs. Apparently he escaped while in the care of 3 adults(I was not one of them) and was found upstairs in our bedroom. AARGH. Needless to say- I was NOT happy when I found out. The bystanders were sworn to secrecy by the guilty party...You know who you are. You can't take your eyes off of mobile children for a second!

Will has also been on the move and learned how to escape from baby jail.
This past weekend Dad and Deborah came down. They brought sunglasses and bathing suits for the babies. Will LOVES his glasses. He thinks he's cool. Since there were 4 adults in the house we thought it would be a good idea to bathe all 3 at the same time. I was completely soaked after that experience- but it was a great photo op.
John and I actually got to go out on Saturday night. Whew hew!
Cracker Barrel was also an experience on Sunday. They babies have a new fascination with grits. Will would scream his head off if there wasn't a continuous stream of food put in front of him.

They are making new discoveries each day. Ben points to every animal he sees and says, "Daw!"
Isabella is discovering body parts. she loves to inspect our eye lids. She will open and close them 100 times before she m0ves on to the next person. Will can stand with his new shoes on and now feeds himself his bottle.

Friday is D-Day for the bottles... I noticed an advertisement in a baby mag. for sippy cups.. It said: Sip-n-Smile, with babies smiling happily as they drink from the sippy cups. My experience with sippy cups does not involve sips or smiles... I'll let you know how it goes.

SPRING BREAK '08

2008-04-02T20:01:00.003-04:00

Oh man-
Here's how I envisioned Spring Break:
1. Perfect weather
2. Happy babies crawling in the green grass as butterflies flew overhead.
3. I would be doing yoga in the living room while the children watched in amazement.

Here's what really happened:
1. Snow
2. All of the babies were sick, and Ben had an ear infection.
3. I had some sort of crazy back spasm all week and could barely lift a baby.

With that being said...I wouldn't change a thing. It was a great, restful weekend. We are now counting down the days until Summer!

All has been well with the babies. We had a great Easter trip to Lawrenceburg. The babies got to play with their Grandaddy on Great-Grandaddy's kitchen floor. They had a great time banging pots and pans. Ben was mesmerized by the clock on his mantle. They all enjoyed Grandmother's scrambled eggs and homemade biscuits.

We did get to enjoy our cousins for a few days. 5 babies in one room is a lot of fun! We took them to the Whitewater Center for dinner and a walk.

Sunday John and I took the babies to eat Thai food. John fed Isabella black beans with his chop sticks. She loved it! Will liked it, too!
We've started the countdown to milk. John and I skipped joyfully out of Sam's with our last stash of formula. We are looking forward to weaning them off their bottles, as well. Sippy cup land- here we come!

Will's physical therapist came today. He apparently got a real work out. He passed out before she could even lay him down.

attached are pictures that Al took while here in March.

Grandparents

2008-03-10T20:10:00.003-04:00

We've had 3 wonderful weekends with grandparents. Becky and Bill arrived to celebrate her 60th birthday on Feb. 22nd. John and I were able to go to a Boy Scout dinner in Charlotte and have a night on the town. We stayed in downtown Charlotte and had a blast. We felt a million miles away. I don't know why we didn't do this more often before the babies were mobile or even before we had babies...

The next weekend John's parents came to town. It was a wonderful weekend with Grandmother and Grandaddy Norwood. They had a ball singing and dancing with the babies. Uncle James and Aunt Arlecia came over and we took a walk around the neighborhood. Steve and Meredith came over to give us the news that they are pregnant! yeah! We met Casey, Ann, Sam and Claire in Asheville on Sunday at McDonalds in Biltmore Village. I can't believe how big the twins are- eating their fruits and veggies. They have TONS of hair and are absolutely precious! We cruised around the village in the choo-choo. Ben fell asleep sitting up!

When we got home Will became sick. Things were rather explosive around the house all week. Thankfully no one else got sick. whew!

Dad and Deborah came this past weekend. We took the babies to get their Easter pictures made in Charlotte. They are absolutely precious if I do say so myself. It was a bit more difficult because they were all over the place. Dad enjoyed strolling the babies around the mall because he gets attention from the ladies...until Ben threw up all over Will in the stroller. Ben somehow ended up without a drop on him.

When we got home the babies were hanging out in the living room. I noticed something strange about Isabella. she had something very large in her mouth- the closer I got I realized it was a huge dog treat! Needless to say- she didn't get away with it.

The Easter Bunny brought them lots of goodies and rabbit ears. The babies loved them!

Not much else has been going on at the Norwood abode. John has decided that we should use "big" vocabulary around the babies. The other day I heard him telling the babies to masticate their food! ha! He also told Isabella that she is very loquacious. John, John, John you are very supercalafragulisticexpealidocious.

The babies are all over the place and all over us! They are climbing on anything that is climbable- including each other. Will isn't crawling yet- but he's close. A physical therapist that is going to come to our home to work with him. He's just so much fun now. He is having a ball with the others and making his place between the two of them. Will and Ben both have 6 teeth now. Life is good. I met a family in Cracker Barrel the other day. Their twins were born at 24 weeks and had been at CMC for 6 weeks. That time in our lives seems like forever ago. I felt so proud to show them Will and let them know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Spring is about make its way into our lives- which is exciting. Lots of new experiences and fun times to be had. I can't wait! I'm also looking forward to Spring Break!

Spring Break '08 Whew Hew!

Update on Mama's cooking

2008-02-18T20:45:00.002-05:00

Okay, Okay, Okay. we tried the homemade chicken again- this time pureeing it with pasta and sweet potatoes. They ate it up! Yum, Yum. My pride restored.

We could just move

2008-02-18T19:53:00.003-05:00

Mom and Dad are having some growing pains... The babies are growing and it causes us great pain! Just kidding. It's difficult to adjust to new schedules etc. We had to do away with the changing table. It was just too dangerous to have them on it! They want to flip over and fly off...

We have tried everything except barbed wire to keep the babies off the hearth. We also moved the feeding table into the hall. It's much easier to clean avacado off the hardwoods than it is off of carpet. We can also roll the table out onto the deck once it warms up. Then we can just hose the babies off with the garden hose. (ha!)

Don't get me wrong...it's a lot of fun...

Here's life a picture of life at the Norwood house.

Our house looks like Baby Vegas, Baby

Three times the love

2008-02-14T12:48:00.002-05:00

What a great day for love! The babies suprised their Dad this morning with a Valentine message. (see picture).

Mama's home cooking

2008-02-13T20:54:00.002-05:00

Okay...so I decided to make some homemade baby food. It's much cheaper than buying the little packs. In my first attempt I made chicken. I was so proud to be able to provide my young 'uns with some wholesome homemade food. They got their first batch last night and couldn't get it out of their mouths fast enough. John got the entire thing on tape...It was quite funny. Ben even threw up it was so bad. I don't think I pureed it enough and the texture was just too much. I was a bit heartbroken...but it made for a good memory. I guess I can enjoy them not liking my food now- soon they will be able to TELL me how bad it is! ha!

Will has an ear infection...so 10 days of antibiotics for him. I have a feeling Ben does as well.
Our first Valentine's Day tomorrow!

9 Months later...

2008-02-12T20:57:00.006-05:00

How long does it take to get something accomplished with triplets? Try 9 months. I have been working on this blog FOREVER and I am finally posting. I had a blog in grad school and thought it would be a great way to record the first year of our babies' lives...so I guess we have a lot of catching up to do.
Nine months...whew! Life at our house will never be the same. Last weekend Dad put up the gates for us...within 20 min. there was a jail break, so John had to put in some extra reinforcements.

The babies are growing and changing daily! It's quite an amazing fete! Ben and Isabella are crawling- kind of... It's a work in process. The little boogers are all over the house. We can't keep them in one place. They are also sitting up in their cribs and working on standing. Will is working on something new each day. He wants to crawl- but hasn't yet.
All babies have 4 teeth right now.

We've come a long way from 24 bottles a day. we are now down to 9 bottles a day and lots of food. Ben is able to feed himself the bottle and Isabella is almost there. One day he just grabbed the bottle put it in his mouth and that was that. It was so hard for me to let go - but it's just part of life. They are eating all kinds of new foods and trying to use a sippy cup. They love finger foods and toast. Peas and cut up carrots are a new favorite for snacking.

I love them a little more each day- if that is possible. I don't think I could have imagined how wonderful it is to be a mom. It's also so amazing to see John with the babies. There is so much love and happiness in our home. I couldn't imagine that life could be this good. We are so blessed.