I tried ... I really, really tried.
I'm sorry to announce the retirement of our 2009 Project 365 Blog. While I promise to finish the 2009 year in pictures, I am not even going to attempt a 2010 series.
It started out so well. How hard could it be to take a picture every day and post it?
AURGH!!!!!
Very hard indeed.
So, faithful readers (and I really am so happy to say that I have 23 followers -- it's like my own little Waco), since there will no longer be a 365 picture blog, expect more posting of pictures on this blog!
I thought about creating another side blog that told the story of how the boys came into our life and the world ... kind of a, "And then God said, 'Let them have triplets -- that will teach them!'", but I'm not sure I could do the whole story justice. Much of the last two months of my pregnancy was spent in a haze of drugs in attempts to keep the little beans cooking for as long as possible.
We'll see ...
Happy New Year Everyone!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Christmas 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Groovy, Baby!
Today we had our 6-month dentist check with the boys.
Most moms I know don't even take their kids to the dentist until they are three or four years old. We started going at one year old, as recommended by our pediatrician. He mainly recommended it because the boys were preemies, and preemies can have enamel issues, but it is also the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists.
We are lucky that our pediatric dentist has been voted "Best of Cincinnati" too many times to count. He is a rock star -- and if you live anywhere close by, I highly recommend checking out Sea of Smiles.
We have also been lucky that we have always had great news at all of our check-ups. Yes, Noel's got the cross-bite and we will have to start orthodontics for him when he hits six years old. But other than that, no problems!
Until today ...
The dentist told us that Hayden's teeth are "groovy". At first, I was like, "Cool! Far out, man!" Then I realized he did not mean groovy like the way Greg Brady meant it, but he was trying to tell me that Hayden has huge craters in his teeth, especially his back molars.
Well, crap -- that's not "Totally Awesome in a Groovy Far-out Kind of Cool Way".
They laser scanned his teeth to check for decay and his back molars were a "20" -- anything 30 and higher means cavity. So that's pretty close considering all his other teeth were 2s and 3s.
The dentist said there not much we can do about it -- some kids just have more grooves in their teeth than others. For example, Noel and Tanner do not have the grooves that Hayden does. It's just a matter of genetics. (Okay, family, fess up! Who has the groovy teeth?)
Wait, the news gets better ... it really doesn't matter how much or how well you brush. If you've got grooves that deep, you are probably going to get cavities. (Fabulous. So the incentive to get them to brush is what again?)
The one ray of hope and the one thing we can do ... cut out carbs. (Insert slow-clap here.)
No crackers, no chips, no bread, no dry cereal, no raisins = no fun. Seriously? What three year old doesn't love him some Ritz crackers? And you want me to cut that out of his diet completely? Thanks, doc, looking forward to the melt-downs at meal and snack times.
We are very lucky that Hayden is my most diverse eater and will happily snack on apples, carrots, cheese, yogurt, and salad. But he will also not be happy to see his brother chowing down on pretzels while he gets none.
But, we are willing cutting back on the carbs if it helps his groovy teeth.
The dentist agreed to wait on drilling and filling the back molars since Hayden would have to put under general anesthesia since he is still so young. Instead we are putting a high concentration fluoride on his back molars every night after he brushes. We'll go back in three months and hopefully still scan out at a "20" or lower. If it gets worse, then we will have to drill. Ugh ...
My one piece of mind is that since we have been seeing the dentist regularly for so long, we caught any decay early. If we had waited until they were four years old or later, we would have had some serious teeth issues.
Plus, our boys are so used to going to the dentist -- this is our fourth visit -- they all sat very quietly in their chairs as they had their teeth cleaned and counted.
So, to all you moms out there ... get thee children to a pediatric dentist! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! After all, it has been estimated that preventive dentistry can add ten years to a person's lifespan!
Most moms I know don't even take their kids to the dentist until they are three or four years old. We started going at one year old, as recommended by our pediatrician. He mainly recommended it because the boys were preemies, and preemies can have enamel issues, but it is also the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists.
We are lucky that our pediatric dentist has been voted "Best of Cincinnati" too many times to count. He is a rock star -- and if you live anywhere close by, I highly recommend checking out Sea of Smiles.
We have also been lucky that we have always had great news at all of our check-ups. Yes, Noel's got the cross-bite and we will have to start orthodontics for him when he hits six years old. But other than that, no problems!
Until today ...
The dentist told us that Hayden's teeth are "groovy". At first, I was like, "Cool! Far out, man!" Then I realized he did not mean groovy like the way Greg Brady meant it, but he was trying to tell me that Hayden has huge craters in his teeth, especially his back molars.
Well, crap -- that's not "Totally Awesome in a Groovy Far-out Kind of Cool Way".
They laser scanned his teeth to check for decay and his back molars were a "20" -- anything 30 and higher means cavity. So that's pretty close considering all his other teeth were 2s and 3s.
The dentist said there not much we can do about it -- some kids just have more grooves in their teeth than others. For example, Noel and Tanner do not have the grooves that Hayden does. It's just a matter of genetics. (Okay, family, fess up! Who has the groovy teeth?)
Wait, the news gets better ... it really doesn't matter how much or how well you brush. If you've got grooves that deep, you are probably going to get cavities. (Fabulous. So the incentive to get them to brush is what again?)
The one ray of hope and the one thing we can do ... cut out carbs. (Insert slow-clap here.)
No crackers, no chips, no bread, no dry cereal, no raisins = no fun. Seriously? What three year old doesn't love him some Ritz crackers? And you want me to cut that out of his diet completely? Thanks, doc, looking forward to the melt-downs at meal and snack times.
We are very lucky that Hayden is my most diverse eater and will happily snack on apples, carrots, cheese, yogurt, and salad. But he will also not be happy to see his brother chowing down on pretzels while he gets none.
But, we are willing cutting back on the carbs if it helps his groovy teeth.
The dentist agreed to wait on drilling and filling the back molars since Hayden would have to put under general anesthesia since he is still so young. Instead we are putting a high concentration fluoride on his back molars every night after he brushes. We'll go back in three months and hopefully still scan out at a "20" or lower. If it gets worse, then we will have to drill. Ugh ...
My one piece of mind is that since we have been seeing the dentist regularly for so long, we caught any decay early. If we had waited until they were four years old or later, we would have had some serious teeth issues.
Plus, our boys are so used to going to the dentist -- this is our fourth visit -- they all sat very quietly in their chairs as they had their teeth cleaned and counted.
So, to all you moms out there ... get thee children to a pediatric dentist! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! After all, it has been estimated that preventive dentistry can add ten years to a person's lifespan!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
O Christmas Tree
Better late than never! We finally got around to decorating our Christmas tree. It was ready to go for almost a week, but we had some train issues. (Don't ask.)
All three boys were very excited to help, and I was very proud that we only broke four ornaments (mostly skis coming off skiers)! I was honestly expecting much worse, and I was glad we kept our breakable ones off the the tree this year.
Noel did a fabulous job and kept us entertained by singing Christmas songs that he would make up about each ornament. We heard about Santas and angels and gingerbread men and cats all.night.long.
Tanner was a superstar and figured out very early on how to hook the ornaments on the tree far enough back on the branch so they won't fall off.
Hayden started out strong, but his interest quickly faded from the whole decorating thing when he found out he could play with the train instead.
Christmas tree decorated? Check!
Now onto wrapping gifts ...
All three boys were very excited to help, and I was very proud that we only broke four ornaments (mostly skis coming off skiers)! I was honestly expecting much worse, and I was glad we kept our breakable ones off the the tree this year.
Noel did a fabulous job and kept us entertained by singing Christmas songs that he would make up about each ornament. We heard about Santas and angels and gingerbread men and cats all.night.long.
Tanner was a superstar and figured out very early on how to hook the ornaments on the tree far enough back on the branch so they won't fall off.
Hayden started out strong, but his interest quickly faded from the whole decorating thing when he found out he could play with the train instead.
Christmas tree decorated? Check!Now onto wrapping gifts ...
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Long Awaited Birthday Party Post
We had the boys third birthday party at the Cincinnati Fire Museum. About 30 people, including 11 kids, helped Hayden, Tanner, and Noel leave the "Terrible Twos" and enter the "Trying Threes."
Our cake was awesome -- I'm so lucky to have a close friend who designs cakes for one of the best bakeries in town!
The museum has a real front halve of a fire truck in it, so the boys spent most of their time playing with all the lights and sirens!
But nobody could resist a slide down the fire pole ...
... including Neena!
We ended the party with a pinata. I was holding my breath, just waiting for something to go wrong as the kids took turns whacking on it. But, it ended peacefully with all the kids happily collecting the goodies that come out after a few good whacks by the Daddies of the group!
It was a great day and a great party -- I'm already trying to plan out how to top it for next year when we move from the Trying Threes to the 'Effin' Fours.
Our cake was awesome -- I'm so lucky to have a close friend who designs cakes for one of the best bakeries in town!
The museum has a real front halve of a fire truck in it, so the boys spent most of their time playing with all the lights and sirens!
But nobody could resist a slide down the fire pole ...
... including Neena!
We ended the party with a pinata. I was holding my breath, just waiting for something to go wrong as the kids took turns whacking on it. But, it ended peacefully with all the kids happily collecting the goodies that come out after a few good whacks by the Daddies of the group!
It was a great day and a great party -- I'm already trying to plan out how to top it for next year when we move from the Trying Threes to the 'Effin' Fours.
Monday, December 14, 2009
3 Year Well Visit Stats
The boys had their three year well visit appointment today with their Pediatrician. Such an easy appointment since this year we didn't have to get any immunizations. Next year is brutal -- they get 4 different booster shots! Ugh!
I'm happy to say all the boys are doing really, really well! Our pedi couldn't not have been more pleased with how they are growing and how healthy they are for being 29 week preemies. He said that if he didn't know they were preemies, he would have never guessed it looking at their current stats!
Hayden is 3 ft, 3 inches and weighs 35 pounds. That's the 87th percentile for both height and weight!
Tanner is 3 ft, 5 inches and weighs 34 pounds. That's the 99th percentile for height and the 80th percentile for weight!
Noel is 3 feet, 2 inches and weighs 29 pounds. That's the 70th percentile for height and the 30th percentile for weight!
Just for giggles, I put these new numbers into the online height predictor: It shows Hayden will be 6'1" ... Tanner will be 6'4" ... Noel will be 5'11".
Holy COW for Tanner's height. I mean, I know the kid is tall for his age and already he wears a size 10 shoe, but 6'4"?! Basketball scholarship, here we come!!
I'm happy to say all the boys are doing really, really well! Our pedi couldn't not have been more pleased with how they are growing and how healthy they are for being 29 week preemies. He said that if he didn't know they were preemies, he would have never guessed it looking at their current stats!
Hayden is 3 ft, 3 inches and weighs 35 pounds. That's the 87th percentile for both height and weight!
Tanner is 3 ft, 5 inches and weighs 34 pounds. That's the 99th percentile for height and the 80th percentile for weight!
Noel is 3 feet, 2 inches and weighs 29 pounds. That's the 70th percentile for height and the 30th percentile for weight!
Just for giggles, I put these new numbers into the online height predictor: It shows Hayden will be 6'1" ... Tanner will be 6'4" ... Noel will be 5'11".
Holy COW for Tanner's height. I mean, I know the kid is tall for his age and already he wears a size 10 shoe, but 6'4"?! Basketball scholarship, here we come!!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
No Such Thing as Coincidence
Many thanks to all of you that are patiently awaiting Birthday Party pictures. I am still in the process of gathering them from the many people who were so awesome to help take pictures of our fun event! That post will be coming soon ... I promise!
In the mean time, on the boys actual birthday, we had our first big snowfall of the year. My normal 15-20 minute commute to work turned into a 2.5 hour nightmare.
But, the whole time I was smiling and even giddy. Why? Three years ago, the day the boys were born was our first big snowfall of the year.
Maybe it was a coincidence, but I'd like to think differently. I had plenty of time to reflect on the miracles my boys are while I sat in traffic that morning.
It was an unexpected delivery to say the least. After having a PPROM with Noel at 24 weeks, but then managing to stabilize and hang in there through the haze of magnesium sulfate, I was suddenly diagnosed with asymptomatic HELLP Syndrome at 29 weeks. I was told they were going to deliver me the next day when they could fit me in. They didn't seem that concerned, and honestly I was in zen mode. I was more stressed about quickly deciding on names than I was delivering 11 weeks early.
Dan stayed with me in the hospital that night, and thank goodness he made that choice. At 5am on December 7th, 2006 I woke up in a pool of blood. The nurses came in and the flurry of activity began -- I was going down NOW for an emergency c-section.
I don't remember much, but I do remember in the surgery room as they bent me over for my epidural, I could look out the window and see that it was snowing ... the first snowfall of the year. I remember turning to Dan when he walked in to make sure that he saw that it was snowing, too. He nodded, and we both silently knew that we had finally decided on names -- Hayden, Tanner, & Noel.
Hayden, the name I had secretly thought of since childhood and that Dan thought was strong and deserving ... Tanner, the name Dan had suddenly thought of at 28 weeks and that we both loved ... and Noel, the name we both felt in our hearts that snowy morning.
Of course, Dan had known it was snowing long before I saw it in the surgery room. The calls went out as I was being whisked away and the grandparents started their journey to the hospital, only to be caught in the snarled traffic that exists in Cincinnati when there is even a threat of a snowflake falling. My Mom was caught in the worst of it on the way to hospital -- morning rush hour traffic during a snowstorm!
As I sat in my car this year, I could only imagine what my Mom was feeling as she sat helplessly in a sea of brake lights as far as she could see. Unfortunately, my Mom did not make it to the hospital in time for the birth of the boys, but she was there to meet me in all my drugged out glory in the recovery room where I was bashing pregnant women who smoke and giving shouts out to myself for being a "bumper" (the term the nurses called me since my emergency c-section bumped the elective c-section scheduled).
My boys loved the snowfall this year ...
In the mean time, on the boys actual birthday, we had our first big snowfall of the year. My normal 15-20 minute commute to work turned into a 2.5 hour nightmare.
But, the whole time I was smiling and even giddy. Why? Three years ago, the day the boys were born was our first big snowfall of the year.
Maybe it was a coincidence, but I'd like to think differently. I had plenty of time to reflect on the miracles my boys are while I sat in traffic that morning.
It was an unexpected delivery to say the least. After having a PPROM with Noel at 24 weeks, but then managing to stabilize and hang in there through the haze of magnesium sulfate, I was suddenly diagnosed with asymptomatic HELLP Syndrome at 29 weeks. I was told they were going to deliver me the next day when they could fit me in. They didn't seem that concerned, and honestly I was in zen mode. I was more stressed about quickly deciding on names than I was delivering 11 weeks early.
Dan stayed with me in the hospital that night, and thank goodness he made that choice. At 5am on December 7th, 2006 I woke up in a pool of blood. The nurses came in and the flurry of activity began -- I was going down NOW for an emergency c-section.
I don't remember much, but I do remember in the surgery room as they bent me over for my epidural, I could look out the window and see that it was snowing ... the first snowfall of the year. I remember turning to Dan when he walked in to make sure that he saw that it was snowing, too. He nodded, and we both silently knew that we had finally decided on names -- Hayden, Tanner, & Noel.
Hayden, the name I had secretly thought of since childhood and that Dan thought was strong and deserving ... Tanner, the name Dan had suddenly thought of at 28 weeks and that we both loved ... and Noel, the name we both felt in our hearts that snowy morning.
Of course, Dan had known it was snowing long before I saw it in the surgery room. The calls went out as I was being whisked away and the grandparents started their journey to the hospital, only to be caught in the snarled traffic that exists in Cincinnati when there is even a threat of a snowflake falling. My Mom was caught in the worst of it on the way to hospital -- morning rush hour traffic during a snowstorm!
As I sat in my car this year, I could only imagine what my Mom was feeling as she sat helplessly in a sea of brake lights as far as she could see. Unfortunately, my Mom did not make it to the hospital in time for the birth of the boys, but she was there to meet me in all my drugged out glory in the recovery room where I was bashing pregnant women who smoke and giving shouts out to myself for being a "bumper" (the term the nurses called me since my emergency c-section bumped the elective c-section scheduled).
My boys loved the snowfall this year ...
It's a long way from how they spent their first snowfall ...
Noel Austin ... 2 pounds, 11.5 ounces
Tanner Allen ... 2 pounds, 15 ounces
Hayden Miller ... 3 pounds, 3 ounces
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thanksgiving Weekend Blitz!
Thanksgiving was great at our house this year! The boys are finally starting to "get" holidays!
We all enjoyed our turkey day dinner with Neena and G-Dad.
We all enjoyed our turkey day dinner with Neena and G-Dad.
Then we spent Black Friday at JumpZone, an inflatable play center. It's pretty pricey and it doesn't have the most convenient hours, so we haven't gone before. The boys had a lot of fun -- and it was a great PT work out for Noel! It never ceases to amaze me when I watch them scale a two-story climbing wall to then go down a slide of equal height! I think we will try and get back every other month.
On Saturday, we took all the boys back to EnterTrainment Junction. Hayden kept on talking about the trains since our Mommy Date, and the other boys were wanting to go!
They all loved the train ride. 
Hayden was more familiar with the area and spent his time exploring the displays.
Tanner instantly found the exact same train layout Hayden had been captivated with, and played with the "train hospital" that Hayden had also been fascinated by.
Noel was attracted to the much more active play areas and even took time to play a game of hide-n-seek in the coal bin.
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