The Howell Quintuplets -- Ellen's Blog

Surfside, Texas

2011-09-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Once a year, one of my college roommates' (Brie) family (The Newtons) gets together in a beach house in the Galveston area... Every year, they invite my sister, Amy, and me to join them for the weekend... Even after having my flock, they still keep inviting me. (It'll be interesting to see at what age, they will conveniently forget to call! Ha!)

A little history on Brie and her fam.... First, Brie started out as a unknown person on Amy's potluck dorm roommate assignment her freshman year at A&M. My parents made each of us live on campus our freshman year and Amy didn't know anyone staying in the dorms so she went potluck.... After pilfering through each others closets, wondering what they had got themselves into, they became best friends fast... I mean TIGHT. And of course, once you know Brie, you love her as I did after meeting her. The next year, as I headed off to A&M, my bestie Misty, didn't get on campus housing, so seeing Amy's experience with potluck, I decided to do the same, thinking I was going to meet this amazing jewel of a friend that we would all fall in love with and add to our fabulous group of girls.... Wrong! That story is for another time, but let me just say, I spent many of nights my freshman year sleeping on the floor of Amy & Brie's dorm room!!! It took another year after that, but we were all finally together in an apartment! To this day Amy and Brie will swear that living with someone you never met is a fantastic experience, but don't believe them!!

The closer we became with Brie, the closer we became with her family... The Newtons. Like Brie, to know them is to love them! Her mom and dad are amazing! Her brother Brad and sister Laurie are identical versions of Brie... Same laid back happy personality.... very active, very smart, very interesting to talk to and they all have sickening gorgeous naturally blond hair. Their mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at an early age and to see them pull together to take care of her is incredible... Each of them has made HUGE sacrifices in their lives and it is an example of what a strong family should be! It's always inspiring to be around them.

I thought that I had blogged about the previous time we went, but couldn't find it... Anyhoo...

This year we went to Surfside, TX, which is about 45 minutes away from Galveston. Believe it or not, it was the first time in my life that I wasn't grossed out about the water and the beach down there!! It wasn't the Caribbean, but the water was clean and the beach wasn't full of gunk! It was actually really pretty.

This is the house we stayed in! It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it was HUGE! 10 rooms, I think...

Tons of ramps and stairs for entertaining the littles...

Even a media room for chill down time...

The babies love, love, love the beach!!! It was complete craziness, but so much fun!

Stephen and Damon

With the Seven

Beach Chaos

It was SO nice having all of the Newtons there... There was always someone willing to go and jump waves (which wore this mama out,) build sand castles, take someone to tee-tee, push a raft, or even just corral a straying kid or carrying an extra bag!!

P.S. Gone are the days where I can sit under my umbrella drink my fruity drink with a celeb gossip mag!

Brad and Stephen taking the first group of kids to the Beach

Jumping Waves in the "Big Water"

I left my sunglasses at home and my big beach hats block my peripheral vision, so I ended up wearing Stephen's hat... A titch boyish for me, but oh well!

Aim and Me

Luke

Surfer Ivy Girl

Mitchell

LOVING all the action

Brie

Miss Priss got a little finicky about the sand being on her hands.

The Newtons had every beach activity you could ever imagine... Boogie boards, skimboards, floaties, kites, frisbees, golf equipment, fishing supplies.... And as if that wasn't enough, they built a pond full of fish for the babies!!!

Cousin Aiden and Brie w/ Pond

Fish! Including natural greenery!

Sidney Kissing the Fish

College Roomies

Me, Brie and Amy

Amy, Brie and Brie's Fiance, Darren

Boys with Daddy on Skim Board

Ms. Priss getting over her sand aversion

Floatie Rides w/ Cutie Summer (Brad's G-friend)

Boys Wrestling (this is non-stop now!!)

Cousin Brynne, Mitchell, Luke and Sid w/ Stephen

Laurie Building Castles w/ Luke and Aiden

We really had so much fun!! Can't wait to do it again!

Sleep Overs!

2011-09-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me, you know that I ADORE my family!! Here is an example of how they always step up when you need them:

Amy blogged about it, so I am going to send you to her blog to read about how she took a baby each night of the week to spend the night with her!

Fabulous Farley's - A Q Slumber Party

Love you, Aunt Mimi!!!

July 4th!

2011-09-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

Love any reason to get together with friends and family and have sangria by the pool! It has become an tradition to go to Moppy & PawPaws (My sisters in-laws...) for the 4th and do just that.

Ivy, Luke, Sidney, Mitchell & Brie

Kiddie Lunch Al Fresco

Aunt Sooze & Aunt Mimi

Eli & Brynne

Baby Soup

The Terrible Three's

2011-08-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little babies turned three on June 24th... I still look at them in awe... I seriously can't believe that I have these 5 little creatures that so completely consume my life! I love them to pieces, but let me tell you three has been no cake walk!

... Why does no one warn you about the three's??? All you read or hear about is the terrible twos!!! Well, let this be a warning to those who have not heard... The three's are rough! Almost rougher than the beginning... just almost! The meltdowns, the whining, the testing, the full blow temper tantrums... Oy!

There are definitely sweet moments where they love on you and tell you how wonderful you are or when you see them love and hug on each other. There are moments when you see your hard work paying off like when they are polite to others without being reminded. It is amazing to see them learn so fast and retain everything... They sing and laugh and dance and question everything in the world around them!

Birthday Cupcakes!

Mitchell, Briellen, Sidney, Ivy & Luke

Punchy Birthday Balloons

Ivy, Brie, Luke, Mitchell & Sidney

Gifts!

I couldn't have asked for a better outcome for their 3 year check up... Everyone is healthy and growing just like they should. Brie and Sidney are only 26 pounds, but they are healthy and are just going to be teeny girls. They are way ahead of their age developmentally and they are smart, smart, smart! (I am sure every mom says this about their little ones!)

Brie, Mitchell, Luke, Sidney & Ivy

Cars Room @ Dr. Neeta's Office

The only health hiccup we have had is in our little Tink-Tink... The last two times the babies have gotten snotty noses (in less than 2 months!) Brie has had coughing issues and they think she might have allergies and/or asthma... They say that this is common in preemies and that she will probably grow out of it...
I hate this for her, but remember that things could be much, much worse!

So now we have a nebulizer... Nasonex. Xopenex. Pulmicort. Singulair...
I am trying to up the nutrition is her TERRIBLE diet in hopes that if her body gets the nutrition it needs it can fight the funk without all the pharmaceuticals! (HUGE challenge for this mama, because this girl will only eat 5 foods and is STUBBORN!!!)

We had their birthday party at the Children's museum... fun, but total chaos!!

While I am determined to enjoy each moment this year has to offer, I will not be sad to see them turn four!!

Father's Day

2011-08-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

Yikes!!! I am SO far behind on my blog! I HATE that I procrastinate...

My choices are:

A) Start with current events and not update the last 2 months AND vow never to get behind again!

B) Blog mini posts for the last 2 months (minus my usual witty repertoire) AND vow never to get behind again!

I am choosing B, so here we go....

Happy Fathers Day, Stephen!!!

Brie, Sidney, Ivy, Stephen, Luke, Mitchell

At the risk of sounding sappy, Stephen really is the BEST father and husband in the world! Very hands on... Very involved... He is home at 5:30 every night, he wrestles/tickles/plays with the babes from the time he gets home until they go to bed, he gives them baths every night... He is constantly telling them how much he loves them, how pretty, smart, clever and sweet they are. TONS of hugs and kisses!

At the same time he has NO tolerance for whining, rudeness and disrespect! We are all scared when "stern daddy" comes out, but I honestly feel his combination of love and firmness is the reason the babies are as well behaved as they are.... (The term well behaved is used loosely, because they are still 3 and there are days we both think we have the worst kids on the planet!!!)

Now this is where I would normally insert pictures of Stephen with the babies from the time they were babies to now, but I am forcing myself to move on to next post...

3rd Annual Lake Travis Vacay

2011-07-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that 3 years has gone by since our very first family vacation!! Time flies... "The days are long, but the years are short." (Stolen from my girlfriend Kimber.)

Read about our first and second annual trips to Lake Travis to stay in my B/F/F's gorgeous lake house! Every year we keep extending our stay... Soon we are going to be summering in Austin! (Have I mentioned to you my theory on summering? I really believe there is NO reason that normal people can't summer... Rent a house on VRBO, load up the car and get away from this miserable heat! Stephen doesn't agree with me, which is why we haven't yet summered anywhere, but I am working on it!)

We had an amazing week! The Farley's came with us again this year, which always makes for good times!

My girls Misty, Kimber and Suzy all came to visit several times so instead of it being a rushed chaotic visit, we actually finished some conversations! And since we stayed the weekend, we got to see the hubbies too!

Elle & Stephen

Luke, Sidney, Ivy, Briellen & Mitchell

(Um, can anyone look at the camera, please?!?)

Ivy, Luke, Mitchell, Brie & Sidney

Watching Boats

The babies LOVED the water!! I was a little worried about how they were going to react to the new life jackets (Puddle Jumpers) that I bought, but I worried for nothing! Everyone with toddlers should own one of these... The babies were jumping in the water and kicking around the entire pool. Ivy and Luke still preferred to stay on the shallow ledge unless they were holding on to one of us. But let me tell you hanging out in the pool was a MUCH more enjoyable experience not constantly manning the ledge to make sure no one fell or jumped off!

Stephen & Boys in Puddle Jumpers

We spent the days swimming, eating, drinking and hanging out with our friends... Perfect vacation... Well, maybe not perfect... The downfall was the sleeping arrangements. For some reason, each baby needed something at one point during the night, so instead of sleeping I was running back and forth between the girls and boys rooms... Not acceptable. (Tired mommy = mean mommy.) SO for the rest of the time, Stephen slept with the boys and I slept with the girls. Next vacation... No kids!

Fun times below:

Meal Time

Computer Junkies

Aiden & Brie

(Uncle Briski would be proud!)

Golf Cart Rides

(LOVE Brynne's Ruffle Bum!)

Hanging with Aunt Mimi

Thank you, Misty and Bill, for being so generous and letting us stay there! We love you guys!

(Left my camera at home, so these pics are borrowed from Amy and I have none of my girlfriends... I was and am still SO annoyed!!)

Goodbye Lovies

2011-07-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

When I took the babies pacifiers away at 6 months, I gave them each a little blankie to sleep with -- We call them their lovies. In the beginning, they didn't really care about them, but soon they became addicted to them. They went everywhere with us... It amazed me how much my little guys loved them!! It was like they were best friends, wanting them when they were sad, talking to them before they went to sleep and just being happy when they were around.

Yes, it would be annoying every time one was missing at nap/bedtime or getting dragged through the mud right before we had to get in the car, but I had a blankie as a child (ok, so maybe I kept it until I was an adult!) and remember how wonderful it felt, so was thrilled that mine had the same thing.

Of course, some babies became more attached than others... Specifically, Luke and Sidney... They started sucking on their lovies... Luke would suck on the little "feet" (3 small tabs of fabric on his lovie) while Sidney would stuff as much fabric as she could as far as she could in her mouth. This made for some funky stin-kay lovies, but it was how they fell asleep best. (I had to order a second set of lovies, so I could wash a set at night.)

Luke @ 21 Months

Sleeping with Lovie in his Mouth

Sidney @ 21 Months

Sleeping with Lovie in her Mouth

Like many mothers think of their own children, I thought that this was endearing and cute... My family lovingly told me it was gross and my friends diplomatically stayed silent, but our dentist told me, after seeing their teeth starting to buck, that the lovies had to go! I didn't have the heart to take them away, so I negotiated with her the latest possible date to get rid of them.... She said 3 years was the absolute latest.

Our developmental specialist told me a horror story at one point about a family who took their child's pacifier away too early and the child grieved the loss of the pacifier and started to lose developmental milestones... So, of course, I was terrified, but knew I had to do it.

I decided that I would replace their lovie with a small stuffed animal, so they would still have a companion and hopefully the fur would be a deterrent for sucking. I had every intention of taking each child to the store by themselves to pick out the stuffed animal, but it didn't happen. (I ran out of time before our potty training weekend and really needed the lovies gone before that weekend.... Potty training, next post.) SO, I brought the store to us... I went to a million different stores and bought a million different animal for them to choose from.

That night before bed, I set up all of the animals in the girls bedroom and had a box for their old lovies. I took each child in the room by themselves and let them choose a new lovie and say goodbye to their old lovie and put it in the box.

Hooray! New Lovies!!

New Lovies & Old Lovies in Box

Briellen, Luke, Mitchell, Ivy, Sidney

As expected, Luke & Sidney had the toughest time sleeping that night, but after a couple nights they were able to go to sleep without asking for the lovie. For a couple of days, all of the babies would ask for their lovie at one point or another, mostly after getting in trouble. I would say 5 days and we were home free!!

I had the babies name their new lovies and some the names are hilarious...

Ivy

New Lovie -- Horse Named Cookie

Brie

New Lovie -- Cat Named Coco

Sidney

New Lovie #1 -- No Name

After being put to bed and she would cry for her lovie, I would go in and get her and rock her and explain why we had to get rid of lovie. After a couple of times of doing this she asked for another animal, so I let her pick a new one. Of course, she tried to work me and get a new one every time after, but she finally grew to love the new (and only) one she picked.

New Lovie #2 -- Giraffe Named Can-Can

Mitchell

New Lovie -- Horse Named Boom-ba

Luke -- Last Chew on Lovie

New Lovie -- Weiner Dog Named Space Balls

All in all, it definitely was a lot easier that I was expecting...

The thing I wasn't expecting was for me to be so emotional about it... After all of the lovies were in the box, I cried and cried! I don't know if it was because I knew how hard it was for them or if I was just sad about them growing up and not being "babies" anymore. Silly.

Camping

2011-06-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

Let me start this post by saying that I am not a camper... never have been... never even really tried. Of course, I went to summer camp as a child, but somewhere along the way, that child decided that roughing it was not fun and fancy hotels with room service were oh so much nicer!

Seven-ish years ago, my sister Amy, married a camper. And her life as a non-camper was over. (I'll never forget the first time she went camping with him... She had a million bags packed including her hair dryer and flat iron!!) I would always do my best to sound supportive when she told me they were going and cluck appropriately when she told me about her trip when she got back... the bugs, the heat, the rain... inside gladly knowing that it would never be me.

But, never say never!!!

A couple of years ago, my camping converted sister and her wonderful huzband, told me about a study that had been done to determine what factors are common among families that stay together... Across all socioeconomic statuses, races, political standpoints, etc., the common factor was (drum roll) camping. This made me start thinking about camping from a different perspective. Add to that how much my kids ADORE being outside and how much I want them to experience everything life has to offer... I totally got it!

SO, when Amy told me they were going camping in May with Damon's family, I invited myself. (How sweet is Damon's family not to blink an eye about having us crash their camping trip!!)

We bought a tent and prayed for the best!

We had the BEST time!! I was shocked how much fun I had... I think there were several factors that attributed to us having so much fun that wouldn't have been there if we had tried going camping on our own...

1- Damon's parents massive RV, parked right next to our tent, so we had a home base including a microwave, coffee pot and griddle.

PawPaw & Moppy

2- Damon & Amy's amazing campfire cooking - silver turtles, cobblers, sour dough bread & S'mores!

Ivy & Aunt Mimi

Making Silver Turtles

Making S'mores!

3- The weather was PERFECT! Cool and crisp in the mornings and warm in the afternoon. (Of course, I just assumed it would be hot and didn't plan clothing accordingly, but who cares!!! I'll take the cool!)

The babies LOVED the tent... Jumping on the air mattresses was a daily activity. There was a park nearby, tons of fish in the lake for fishing, massive amounts of sticks and dirt to play with, and their favorite -- Uncle D's Canoe! The water was too choppy to actually use it, but they would sit in it and pretend to paddle!

Sidney, Ivy, Brie & Aiden

Uncle D with all 7 kids

Mitchell & Brie

Playing in the Dirt

Story Time with Daddy

Mitchell, Briellen & Sidney

There were a couple of times that I felt like the soon-to-be-step-mom on the Parent Trap clapping my sticks together to make the "bears" go away, but mostly there were very few creepy crawlies and other unpleasant camping stereotypes.

Sign us up for next year, please!!!

Brynne, Ivy, Aiden, Luke, Brie, Mitchell & Sidney

Me & My Babes

(See how pretty the park was!)

Mealtime!

P.S. The amount of laundry that I had to do when we got home was insane!!!

I. Heart. Vacation.

2011-05-18T10:58:00.001-07:00

I don't even know where to begin... I love vacation! I love my family! I love new experiences in new countries!! Be prepared for an extra long post, but I want to remember everything and this blog seconds as my journal!

My brother has been working in Batam, Indonesia for several years and we have been saying forever that we wanted to go and visit, but it just never happened... lives can be a titch hectic, ya know. When he said that his project was over in October this year, we were like, if we are going to go, we need to go NOW! So, somehow we convinced husbands that this was a fantastic idea, coordinated childcare, purchased tickets, made a gazillion lists for the friends/family helping out and off we went.

3 Sisters -- 10 Days -- 2 Countries -- ZERO kids!!!!

Our game plan was to go to Batam for 1 day, just to see where Neal lives and works, spend a few days in Singapore SHOPPING and then rest and relaxation in BALI!! If we were to do it all over again, we would have gone straight to Bali and stayed there... Not that we didn't love Spore, but just LOVED Bali.

So... Where is Indonesia? On the other side of the world... Literally. It was a 24 hour plan ride. 12 hours to Moscow, then 12 hours to Singapore! Interesting fact that I learned... Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands...

All I have to say is that Singapore Airlines is the way to go!! Tons of meals and snacks, TV in the head rest with tons of movies, tv shows and games and lots of bathrooms! Coach is still coach... the walk through business class makes me feel like a passenger heading to steerage on the Titanic, but who cares when I am lucky enough to go!

I would love to know the hiring criteria for Singapore Air flight attendants because everyone of them was gorgeous, teeny-tiny, and perfectly coiffed -- even at the end of our flight!

Margaret Ellen & Amy

In the plane... ready to go!

We finally made it to Singapore at 5:30 in the morning... We took a 45 minute ferry to Batam to meet my brother Neal. (We've called him Bubba (for Brother) since we were babies.)

I can't tell you how how excited we were to see him on the dock waiting for us... You would have totally laughed to see us running shouting, Bubba!! He had a surprise waiting for us... his girl, Alit. We thought we would meet her in Bali, but there she was... LOVE. HER. More on that later.

So, Neal has his own driver at his beck and call... Very nice... Very Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman!

He took us to see where Neal lives....

... to our resort

... to get massages to help with jet lag (It was $15!!! For 2 hours!!!!)

... and of course Shopping!
We had an early dinner that night, because we were fading fast. We went to a really cool restaurant on the water... You walk down and pick out what live seafood you want to eat and then they take it to the kitchen and cook it. We ate crab, lobster and fish until we popped and drank coconut water right out of the coconut!

Picking Out Dinner

(Before I go on, I feel like I should explain that it was HOT, HOT, HOT over there. Before I left, I was determined to fix my hair everyday and keep my fake tan applied... Well, after one day of sweating my tooshie off, I threw those plans out of the window.)

We went to bed really early that night and that was pretty much it for jet lag. (Coming home was a MILLION times worse!)

After seeing where Neal lived and worked, we were off to Bali... We had a layover in Jakarta and I had to take a picture of us there because I always remember my dad talking about traveling to Jakarta when I was younger and it just sounded so exotic. Never did I think that I would actually be there myself!

It took us ALL day to get to Bali, but, oh, so worth the wait.

Elle, Alit, Aim, Marg

Watermelon Juice Welcome

We stayed in a boutique hotel called.. Putu Bali Villa.

View from Margaret's Window

Walkway Outside Room

Chillin' at the Pool

Outdoor Shower

Welcome to Bali Dinner...

Me & My Big Brother

Alit & Neal

Our first day in Bali consisted of shopping in Seminyak and walking and walking and walking. Neal and Alit dropped us girls off to do some shopping... After shopping we thought we would walk to the beach for a cocktail... from the looks of my guide book we were close, but we were NOT.

Stopping to take a break from our search for the beach.

We finally made it!!

Amy & Marg

Next we drove to Ubud.... What a gorgeous drive! Lots of rice fields and green, green, green! I use the term drove loosely... it was more like mad dashing in a tiny car, battling motor bikes and other tiny cars for the same exact spot on the road... no rules, no turn signals, just go and hope the other guys moves or stops!!

We specifically drove to Ubud for the suckling pig... Babi Guling. We were determined to eat every and all local foods, so Alit ordered for us... Some was fantastic and others were not, but we tried everything.

(When we called Neal, Bubbie, in front of Alit's friends, they died laughing because they thought we were saying Babi, which is pig!!!)

Alit & Bubbie

The Girls

We watched a ceremony at a palace across the street.. Really neat music and dancing!

Market & Motorbikes in Ubud

Beach time!!! All of our running around made us ready for some chill time on the beach. (I brought Summer in the City to read for this trip... How Carrie meets Samantha, Miranda & Charolette!)

Alit had her cousin Janaprya come and take us to the beach. Neal told us that we would love him, but we had no idea how much! HUGE personality and HUGE heart! He totally fit in to our girl talk... boys, make-up, designer clothes and celebrity gossip! He kept us entertained with stories of his single life drama and made us want to bring him home with us to protect him and share him with our girlfriends here!

La Plancha Beach

Serious Waves

The Girls with Miss Bali 2011

Not a lot of tourists go to Denpasar, Bali's capital, but since we had our local tour guide, we ventured in to try Bebek Goreng (fried duck) and hit the local market.

Matching Dresses

Bebek Goreng

The market was crazy! Just like something you would see in a movie... Raw fish, chicken and other meats outside, massive amounts of fruit on the bottom floor and several floors above with clothes and housewares. We were the ONLY tourists there! I loved feeling like we were truly submerged in their culture! (I did not love the rat that ran across the stairwell on our way up, but it gave it a true authentic feel.) Everything was SUPER cheap! We couldn't believe it. You bargain for everything... Alit did it for us and she had a hard time getting the best price because we were with her, but even then it was a steal! (I am talking $5 for a shirt.)

Buying Fruit

Alit -- Serious Bargainer!

Inside Market

Outside Market

On one of our shopping outings, as we were leaving the mall, we saw a Fish Spa... You dunk your feet in the pool and little fish called Garra Rufa come and eat all of the dead skin off of your feet! At first we were a little leery, but ended up saying "when in Rome!" It was the most ticklish thing ever! I could barley stand it for 5 minutes, but it sure got some funk off our feet!

Part of experiencing Bali is to ride on a motor bike, so Alit had some of her friends pick us up for dinner one night on theirs. It's not as scary riding on one as it is watching them!

Pizza -- Tasted exactly like the kind you get in Italy!!

After dinner we went to a Karaoke bar... This was one of my favorite nights!! It's not the kind of bar you think of when you hear karaoke here in America... It was a warehouse with tons of little rooms that you rent, each one being set up for karaoke, so you only sing in front of your group! We spent the night belting out cheesy pop songs... (No judgments, please!)

(James & Tami -- It reminded me of the first time we went to New York to visit you!!)

Singing

The Girls

So now for the biggest part of the trip!!! SURPRISE... NEAL & ALIT are getting MARRIED!!! We had no idea until a couple days after we got there and we were giving them the 5th degree about their relationship! One of the questions was "When do you think you'll get married?" and the response was "Thursday." We were shocked, but happily so, because like I said earlier, we love her!

She is smart (a civil engineer) and funny (cha, cha, cha) and so, so sweet (she cried when we left) and best of all she adores our brother! She is as close to perfect as you can get, except the fact that she is the reason that Neal keeps his mustache!! (The babies referred to it as an orange caterpillar on Skype one time!!!!!) No, really... she is perfect for him and we loved her immediately and after spending a week with her, we truly feel like she is our sister and can't wait for her to come home with him!!

The wedding was very small and intimate... perfectly suited for both Neal and Alit's personalities. Just a handful of Alit's close friends and of course, the sisters.... If I know our mom, you can expect there to be a big bash here in Houston when the happy couple arrive!

Wedding Kebaya's & Batik

(Girl shirts & Boy Shirt)

Jana doing Alit's Hair & Make-up

Wedding Guests

Walking Down

Getting Baptized

Vows

Kiss the Bride

Rose Petals

Mr. & Mrs. Hare

(Everyone was pronouncing it Haar-y!)

The Hares

The reception was a really cool restaurant on the beach in Jimbaran... Again, you got to pick out the live seafood and they would prepare it and serve. We had crab, prawns, scallops, snapper, bawal fish and yellow fish... Again, we gorged!

Picking Out Dinner

Everyone

Newlyweds

After reading about a fruit called a Mangosteen, Amy was on a mission to try as many exotic fruits as she could. After going to the market, we spent a morning at our hotel trying all of the different fruit... Rambutan, Mangosteen, Mango, Durian and a bunch of others that I can't spell!

Now, I had never heard of a durian before, but before we left we heard some hubbub about how this was a stinky fruit and it turned into a big joke about how we all have to try the stinky fruit. We were like, how bad can it really be... Well, let me tell you that it was FOUL! Like hot, dirty, funky feet! It smelled up the entire car, it smelled up the entire hotel... Just wrong for any food to smell like that. But, being troopers, we tried it. Umm... Not so good.

Durian

Amy and her Beloved Mangosteens

All of the Fruit We Tried

Neal & Amy

We took pictures of all the fantastic food that we tried... Our world traveling friends, Kim & Ralf would be so proud!

And speaking of food, I have to mention that my absolute favorite was the Nasi Goreng!! (Fried Rice.) It was so good that I had it for every meal... every day. When I got back, I had gained 5 pounds, I knew every pound was the Nasi Goreng! (Second row - Far Right)

We hated to leave Bali, but Singapore awaited... Ahhhh! The City!! I love hustle and bustle... Singapore was amazing... So, so clean. So, so cosmopolitan. We stayed in a funky boutique hotel in Chinatown... The New Majestic.

Hotel is Behind Margaret

We couldn't get over how clean and cool and quiet the subway was. Remembering my experiences in Europe, the subways are always hot and stinky... Like you are walking down into the bowels of the earth. In Spore, it was opposite... As you would walk down, the air would get colder and colder... So nice.

Subway Pic - Neal, Aim & Marg

Subway Pic - Elle, Neal, Marg

Hilarious Sign

I totally get it now!!

Our first night out... We went to Clarke Quay in the Buisness District... An area of the city right along the Singapore river. Tons of packed restaurants... I think we ended up choosing the restaurant by the least amount of people more so than the food... It was a bonus that it had a killer happy hour and a flamboyant waiter!

Amy & Neal Being Silly

Best Apple-tini's EVER!

Random Donkey on our Patio

Loud Aim jumped on yelling "It's Rody!" We laughed so hard for 15 minutes!!

This is Rody!!

(and Ivy)

A trip to Singapore is not complete without journeying to Orchard Rd. My guide book called it "A wall-to-wall fashion-junkie's paradise!" and they were not mistaken. Huge mall-after-mall that had level-after-level of store-after-store! I haven't seen anything like it.... From the multiple high end designer stores to the tiny little adorable boutiques to the familiar chains that I love, they had EVERYTHING. Margaret and Neal are not shoppers, so they bailed while Amy and I got to work...

Now I don't know if coming from Bali, our perspective was off, but everything was really expensive. That coupled with the fact that it was the last day of our vacation and we had already spent most of our money, we didn't get to buy a ton!

And on our last night, we got fancy and headed out to the Raffles Hotel, the oldest hotel in Singapore named after the man who founded Singapore. The cocktail, The Singapore Sling, was invented in the hotel's bar and we had to venture over to try it.... When we saw that it was $25, we were worried that we wouldn't like it, but it was yummy! Not yummy enough for 2, but we enjoyed!

So for all the talk of fancy that we heard about the Raffles, they served peanuts and you would throw the shells on the floor. Nothing like being in high heels and stepping in peanut shells.

Elle & Aim with Singapore Slings

Margaret & Amy at Raffles

(Look at those legs!!)

After we left the Raffles, we went across the street to the 70th floor of the Swissotel, to a place called Asia Bar... The view was AMAZING, with all of the city lights below.

Trying to Read Menu in the Dark!

We had our last cocktails and toasted to a fabulous trip and a fabulous time with fabulous siblings!

HUGE Thank You to:

- Stephen, my fantastic husband, for braving the 10 days without me.

- Lolly, Ms. Deborah, Peaches and Ms. Sandy for taking the babies off of Stephen's hands a few of those days.

- Nonna, for taking the week off of work to help while Stephen was at work.

I can NOT imagine what life would be like without all of the support and help I get from so many people who love me and my babies! I am so grateful that I have each of you in my life and I love you with all of my heart!

Happy Easter!

2011-05-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Easter Party @ School

Sidney, Luke, Brie, Mitchell, Ivy

Easter Morning

Briellen, Mitchell, Ivy, Luke, Sidney

Toddler Beds!!

2011-04-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

This post is about 5 months over due, but as you know, I procrastinate where I can. I started feeling sad that I hadn't shared this HUGE step with so many of my loved ones, so here I am blogging when I should be packing! (Big trip to Indonesia in 2 days with my sisters to visit my brother... will blog about that when I get back!)

The babies were 2 1/2 and really ready to move out of their cribs. Well, I was really the ready one... I was tired of lifting the babies up and down... tired of breaking my back to change sheets. But, I knew it was time to move them into the next phase of life.

When I bought the cribs, I assumed that we would be in a bigger house by this time and they would move straight to single beds, so I didn't buy convertible cribs. Three single beds won't fit in the girls room, so I had to go with Toddler beds. (I saw these on another multiples mom's blog... They are from Walmart for $89!!!! Cute and so far, pretty sturdy!) They are teeny-tiny and won't last a long time, but it gave us more time to look for a bigger house and the babies LOVE them.

I was really nervous about the transition, turns out, for no reason. There were a couple of times when I caught the boys playing in the closet or at their "diner" after the lights went out, but nothing major. The girls I know get out of bed to get books or dolls, because they are piled high in the beds in the morning, but they are very quiet about it. (I kept meaning to get cameras, but have been too lazy!)

None of the horror stories I had heard about happened to us... The worst of it was when Mitchell, my best sleeper, starting coming into our room at 5:30 AM. Like any mother, I just yanked him into the bed with me... This was fine until a few days later, Luke came in shortly after Mitchell. But, as it was before 6 AM and I was TIRED, into the bed came Luke. The next week when the girls started wandering in early as well, I knew it was time to do something... (Actually, I tried to pull the girls in too, but it was like dogs scrapping -- 7 in a queen bed is WAY too many!)

SO, my solution to this was timers on the lamps. (I read this in a parenting book.) Light comes on at 6 AM and only then can you come out. It took a few days, but they got it! A couple of weeks later, I moved the timer to 6:30 AM and just last week I moved it to 6:45 AM!!

I love being able to sleep in a little bit now, but losing out on 45 minutes make the mornings really rushed. I really need to get my booty out of bed at 6 AM and get myself ready before the babies wake up! One day I may, but for now I will take the extra sleep!!!

Girls Room - View #1

Briellen's Bed

Girls Room - View #2

Sidney's Bed

Girls Room - View #3

Ivy's Bed

Sidney

Ivy

Brie

Boy's Room - View #1

Boy's Room - View #2

Mitchell

Luke

Multiple Multiples

2011-04-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

I met a Houston quad mom, Betsy Gilbride, randomly on Facebook and one day we decided to have lunch together! Best decision ever... We totally hit it off and had a ton in common other than the fact that we had well over the average 2.5 kids!! (She has 6 and I have my 5.) She is so much fun to be around.... Brooklyn accent and attitude.. Love it! She's one of those moms that you can vent to and she totally gets it!

We have been lunching sans kids every other month for a while now and we decided that it would be fun, maybe?, for our kids to meet, so we went to their 2nd birthday party. We had a blast... (not as much fun as our girl, talk for two hours, 2 cocktail minimum lunches, but still very fun!)

It was a Dr. Seuss house party... tons of sweets and playtime for the babies.

It was the babies first time meeting another high order multiple set, but they didn't get it... To them it was just more kids to play with (or take toys away from, Luke!) I was worried that bringing our kids would just make it too much, but there was plenty of space and it felt like a normal 2 year old party!

Dr. Seuss Theme

Birthday Babies!

Gunner, Ruby, Jude, Saoirse

Everyone Together

Top - Mitchell, Luke, Sidney

Bottom - Ivy, Sadie & Ruby, Brie, Jude, Saoirse, Gunner

Sidney, Brie, Luke, Mitchell, Ivy

Loving their Lollipops

Amy, Betsy, Elle

My Girls chillin' with Betsy's Co-worker, Amy, getting make-up tips.

Again, with more lollipops!

Ivy is in LOVE!

Sidney

Dipping her lollipop in the purple sand! Hilarious!

I had to post these of our cousins, because they are both SO STINKING CUTE!!

Aiden

Brynne-Boo!

Road Trip...

2011-03-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

It was Spring Break for most people in Houston, so we decided to join the fun! In a spur of the moment decision, we decided to go and visit PaPa Steve & MaMa Jude in Ocean Springs, MS. (8 hour drive including stops.) The drive isn't so terrible now that the kids LOVE to watch shows and eat junk food! I have told you guys a million times how adorable this little town is and how much I love it... this time was no exception! As we were pulling in the driveway, we saw tons of people walking into town. We asked what was up and found out there was a St. Patty's day parade! (Y'all... I had forgotten it was St. Patrick's Day!! How horrible it that?!? How many pinches did all of us get for not wearing green?!?) It was a cute little parade, very short, but perfect for the attention span of my little ones!

Waiting for the Parade

Sidney & Teebs

Ivy, Mitchell, Luke, Elle, Briellen, Uncle Ronnie

More Waiting....

Game - How many of us can stand on the small cement square?

Budweiser Clydesdales

I have never seen them in person... Gorgeous!

Every morning we walk into town to the coffee shop... They changed ownership and we love, love, love the new owner. Lulu is her name as well as the coffee shops new name! She was adorable and so sweet! She loved the kids and gave them toys and treats... There is a cute patio outside and a big yard, so we could sit and the kids could play!

Briellen, Sidney & Ivy

In Front of Lulu's

Mitchell, Ivy, Luke, Sidney, Brie

Jumping down the steps

Finding ways to entertain themselves...

For months, the babies have been talking about going to the beach... they pretend they are on the beach, they pretend they are driving to the beach, they pretend they are swimming in the ocean... you get the picture. So, of course, we had to go to the beach!

The last time we went to the beach, they really had no interest in the water, so I honestly thought we would go to the beach, they would play in the sand a little bit and then we would go to the park across the street. Well, I was wrong! They LOVED the water. They played in the water forever! Unfortunately, my error in judgement had HUGE consequences! I only packed two towels, no swim diapers, no snacks, no drinks, besides water... When everyone got out of the water, they were cold, starving and had GIGANTIC diapers and they were beyond mad... I am talking Category 5 meltdown! (no pun intended!) It was one of those moments that I wished the sand would just open up and swallow me! (It was a crowded day and I can only imagine what everyone was thinking.) Well, there was no way that we were going to get them all back to our car in that condition and luckily PaPa Steve parked his Jeep on the beach, so we threw them all in the jeep to get them home. I am a car seat NAZI, so the entire minute drive home, I am praying, "Dear God, don't let us crash, don't let us crash!!"

The Hurricane went as quickly as it came and they were excited to be able to play in the jeep back at the house...

The next day, being a brave girl, we ventured back to the beach. And being a smart girl, I packed lots of towels, lots of snack, lots of juice boxes and a bottle of wine for me! It was a perfect afternoon!!!

Stephen and PaPa Steve with Everyone

Stephen was in the water with them the entire time...

The boys constantly wrestle... No matter where they are.

Big Brie Hugs!

In the jeep after all is well!

We went a nearby park one morning and to my delight it had a million swings!! NO fighting over who gets to swing or who gets the "blue" one!!

Al Fresco lunch at Leo's with their cousin Megan.

Chillin' with Mama Jude

Ivy, Sidney & Luke

Some single shots, as group pictures inevitably show someones eyes closed or the top of someones head...

Sidney

Luke

Ivy

Mitchell

Briellen

On the way back to Houston, we stopped at the Atchafalya River Basin Welcome center... It was perfect! Covered picnic tables with lots of green running space and lots of animal statues everywhere for entertainment. Inside they had more animals for kids and coffee for mom and dad. VERY Clean... Exit 121 for anyone driving through Louisiana.

Ivy, Brie, Mitchell, Luke, Sidney

Sidney, Luke, Mitchell, Ivy, Brie

I am always glad to get home and back into a rhythm... I say that I am not ready to do anything for a loooooonnnng time. Then after being home for a week, I am ready for another adventure!

Really? Again?

2011-03-03T17:00:00.001-08:00

Why is it always Mitchell!?! Why is it always when I am in a hurry!?!

My favorite Mac pigment gone forever...

Little Turkey

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Valentines Day

2011-02-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

Holidays are getting more and more fun around here!! I know Valentines isn't technically a holiday and it's over commercialized and blah, blah, blah, but any reason to dress up and celebrate is a good thing to me!!

Lots of parties for the kiddies... Not so many for mama this year... Finding a sitter for V-day is worse than finding one for New Years Eve!!

My little ones don't get the concept of eating a little bit of candy now and saving the rest for later, so I put all of their candy out, let them gorge and then threw the rest of it away. (It HAS to be thrown out or I'll finish it off!)

My sister says that Ivy looks like she is about to throw a fit in most of her pictures... Unfortunately, this is her saying cheese... I was by myself and it was before school, so this is the best I could do... I guess these imperfect pictures are really a true reflection of what life is like, but why can't they just stand next to each other, look at the camera and smile?!? (hee-hee.)

Luke, Sidney, Ivy, Brie, Mitchell

Nicknames:

Tink, Moo, Ivers, LukeHare, Sissy

I hope that everyone feels as loved as I do!!!

Love to ALL!!

A Walk Down the Aisle

2011-02-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

Many of you know or have heard me talk about our nanny old Melissa! She was our night nanny when I first brought the babies home from Phoenix and I can honestly say she is the reason that we survived those first months!! (Well, her and my mom!) After the babies started sleeping through the night after 6 or 7 months, she worked for us during the days part time... She then found a job in College Station working full time and had to leave us... One of the saddest days ever! She still comes to visit a couple of times a month... the babies (and me) ADORE her! When she told me that she was getting married I was SO excited for her... Then she told me that she wanted all 5 of the babies in her wedding and I thought she had lost her mind!! No really, I was very touched that she wanted us to be a part of her special day.

I stressed a LOT about what the babies would do. More scared than anything that they would freak out and not walk down the aisle. I ordered flower girl and ring bearer books and read them to them daily. We tried on dresses and tuxes and talked a ton about what their job was going to be. I even had them walk down the aisle of my church here.

It wasn't until the rehearsal that I started to stress about them wreaking havoc at the wedding! We walked into the ballroom and they were EVERYWHERE! The front of the room had a little stage and white curtains everywhere... I was told that they were not very stable. I almost had a heart attack when I saw the boys plow through the curtains at one point.

Melissa and the Babies at Rehearsal

The boys would pick up the flower petals and

throw them in the air and yell "Happy New Year!"

Which is what they are all doing here on Melissa's head.

When we first started traveling with the babies, Stephen and I decided that the only way to do it was to rent a house. That way we had the room for sleeping, a refrigerator for food and space for the babies to run around. Unfortunately, crazy Aggies will pay whatever for lodging, so house rentals were pricey. So we decided to rough it and stay in a hotel for one night. It was tough trying to keep them occupied and quiet and I am thankful it was for only one night. The LSU and Kansas Track and Swim teams sleeping next to us did not appreciate their 6AM wake up call... We were proud that we did our part to sleep deprive the competition!

Dinner and a Movie

Girl Book Time

Boy Book Time

Sleeping Arrangements

(I left their nap mats at home... Talk about feeling guilty!)

The day of the wedding the girls and I went to a bridal brunch.... Stephen took the boys to the Dixie Chicken for lunch... The Chicken is a well known bar/restaurant in College Station, where Aggies dunk their class rings. This Aggie included!

They had a cute little table set up for the girls.

Milkshakes at the Chicken

We had to be out of our room at 2, pictures were at 3 and the wedding at 5. So basically, we had to keep 5 toddlers entertained in a hotel for 3 hours. But entertained in a way so they wouldn't mess up their clothes!! Let me tell you, there were lots of rides in the elevator!

I couldn't get a good shot of all 5 and I didn't want

to wear them out before the official pictures.

Luke, Mitchell

Ivy, Sidney & Briellen

My Little Men

My Girls

When it finally was time to walk, they did beautifully! No melt downs, No crazy wild men... They did exactly what they were supposed to do! The girls were halfway down the aisle before they remembered to throw their petals, but, oh well.

Mitchell & Luke

(I love Stephen in the back ground prepping the girls.)

Sweet Girls

Melissa & Her Dad

"Standing" at the Front

The Reception was SO much fun... None of my friends or family have had little ones at weddings, so I have had little experience with kid friendly weddings. They had a food buffet their height, an activity table with colors and stickers and they even did a candy toss.

The Kiddie Table

The babies all wanted to dance so badly with Melissa... At one point I looked up and Mitchell was in between Melissa and her dad during the Father/Daughter dance.... Mortifying!

Finally getting to dance with Melissa...

"Apple Bottom Jeans. Boots with the Fur!!"

The babies were beyond tired and honestly, Stephen and I were too, but we truly had a fantastic time and were so incredibly honored to be included in such a special occasion for someone who is truly special to us!

Preschool!!

2011-02-03T13:31:00.001-08:00

Oh, how I have dreamed of this day for years!! 5 hours, twice a week guaranteed freedom! All of the lunch dates, shopping and spa appointments a girl could hope for... Bring it!! But really, being at home by myself... in my house alone... just me... felt SO good. I can't even being to explain it. (And as sad as it sounds, I am actually looking forward to cleaning out some closets!)

The babies were so excited about going to school... They wore their backpacks around and carried their lunch boxes all over the house... Of course, when it was time to actually carry them into the school they were too heavy and the babies would just drop them on the ground as they walked in.

Brie, Ivy, Sidney, Mitchell & Luke

First Day of School

I was really nervous about their first day, not really knowing what to expect. I didn't have any help, so all I could think was "How am I going to get all of them into school with ALL of their stuff by myself?" And having experienced the toddler meltdown -- limp arms and legs, screaming on the ground of a parking lot, impervious to the stream of threats coming out of my mouth -- I was terrified that one or, help me, more would decide to do this while I would have to juggle back packs, lunch boxes and hold three other hands at the same time! I worried for nothing... they all stayed on the sidewalk, walked into their classroom and started playing without a single tear, even after I kissed them goodbye. (I made a second trip for their nap mats.)

Their Stuff...

I was determined to get pics of them walking down the hall and with their teachers, but I was so high strung that morning I forgot the camera, so I took a pic with their teachers when I picked them up, and that is what melted them down...

Ms. Terri and Ms. Cindy

When I want something so bad or am looking forward to something for so long, I tend to forget or not recognize the down sides... I hadn't even put a single thought to how much work it would be to get everyone ready and out of the door... I know I'll get my groove down and it eventually won't be so bad, but, whew!

The school they are going to is Cy-Fair Christian Church Preschool (http://cfccnet.org)

The director is SO sweet and caring and understanding... and the teachers are wonderful.... They go out of their way to help me and make this experience a positive one for me and the babies!

Holiday!! Celebrate!!

2011-01-11T11:48:00.001-08:00

Blogging about the holidays so late makes me feel like one of those people that still has their decorations up in February! But, oh well, better late than never.

THANKSGIVING

Briellen, Mitchell, Ivy, Luke & Sidney

Oh, all of the things that I am thankful for.... One night at dinner, I looked around and saw Stephen and these 5 little people sitting there eating and chatting and laughing and my heart almost burst. I am thankful for this little family, I am thankful that we all love each other unconditionally, I am thankful that we are healthy and happy and that we have found a groove that makes our life normal and happy.

I am thankful for my Mom & Dad for showing me what a family should look and feel like, for constantly sharing their wisdom, for being a rock for us to hold on to when we are sinking. I am thankful for my sisters and brother for our amazing friendships with each other, for being an example to my babies of what brothers and sisters should be!

I am thankful for Stephen's family who loves and supports us... Willing to move to a different state to be near us.

I am thankful for my oh, so many true girlfriends. I am thankful for the hours of crying and laughing and shopping and wine. I am thankful that even if months slip by without talking, catching up is like it was only a week that passed. I am thankful that they embraced my chaotic life without missing a step!

I am thankful for the help I STILL get every week even 2 1/2 years later -- Ms. Deborah, Nae-Nae, Lolly, & Bella -- What would I do without you??

I am thankful that I have a relationship with God... I am thankful that he carries me through the crazy times, comforts me when I am sad, gives me strength when I am scared, and forgives me when I mess up!

(I am also thankful for Pumpkin spice lattes, Rain boots in rainy weather, Pedicures, Nordstrom's semi annual shoe sale, Bubble gum, Cosmopolitans, Triscuits & Laughing Cow Cheese, Skype, and Angry Birds)

CHRISTMAS

Luke, Ivy, Brie, Sidney & Mitchell

With Santa

My grandma, GG, invited us to the Buckingham for brunch with Santa. The babies were not sure what to think of Santa... They loved the idea of him, but when face to face they wanted nothing to do with him. The only way that they would get near him is if Stephen and I were with them. If you look closely you can see that they are all ready to BOLT!!

Ivers

Loving the markers!

Sidney

Um, yes, this is her smile these days.

Briellen

She is a perfectionist

Luke

Mitchell

Stephen & Elle

We never take pics together anymore so I was adamant...

However, I am getting so tired of my dang pony tail!

Sisters & GG

Elle, Margaret, Amy

CHRISTMAS MORNING

I can't even begin to tell you how much fun Christmas morning was! The stockings were the biggest hit. I debated whether or not to do them, but opening stockings was such a great memory for me, that I decided I must do them! I am SO glad that I did. Every time they pulled something new out of their stocking, their faces just glowed!!

When it came to the gifts, the girls loved ripping open the paper... The boys wanted to play with everything. So the girls opened everything and the boys played with the very first thing they opened. (Trains) It was complete chaos with trash and toys everywhere! LOVED. IT.

Mitchell

Couldn't move past the flashlight in his stocking.

Luke

Was obsessed with the lollipops in his stocking.

Licked for a minute then opened a new one.

Luke's discard pile.

Briellen

Movie Star

Ivy

Spent forever on her stocking... savoring every item.

Sidney

Was so excited to have more stuff to hoard.

We then went over to my mom and dad's house for more presents and traditional Turkey & stuffing Christmas lunch.

Opening Bikes from Mimi

Luke, Sidney, Ivy, Brie, Mitchell & Brynne-Boo

Waiting for more gifts to open.

Nap Mats

One of their favorite gifts... They just lay on them wherever!

NEW YEARS

Two of our best friends (Kari & Bob) came into town to help bring in the New Year... They had a new baby, Ayla, in May and I had been desperately wanting to meet her, but couldn't make it work to get to California, so they brought her to me!! When I tell you that this is the cutest, happiest baby on the planet, it is an understatement. I fell in love, love, love! Her mommy is a fashionista, so Ayla is dressed & accessorized adorably every day. Just wanted to squeeze her all the time!!

Ayla & Auntie Elle

As we are getting older, going out on New Years Eve holds little appeal for us... Sloppy drunks, mass crowds, overpriced dinners... ick! We had a grown up slumber party at my sister Amy's house. Lots of great conversation and catching up!

The next night we hit the town for dinner and drinks!!!

The Girls!

Ellen, Amy, Kari, Amy, Sooze

Susan & Kari

Wasabi Bloodies

Sisters

Amy & Elle

The Guys (And Sooze)

Sis, RJ, Stephen, Damon, Bob

I had every intention of getting Christmas cards out this year, but I procrastinated and decided to do New Year Cards... It's the end of January and I found myself telling myself that I'll do Valentines Cards instead... Now, people, do you think I will really get out Valentines Cards?? I am thinking no, so here is the picture that I was going to use.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Holiday!!! Love to all!!

Happy New Year!!!

Briellen, Mitchell, Ivy, Luke, Sidney

Picture by Laura Howell

www. laurajeannette.com

(Lukes face is priceless because he RARELY smiles in pics)

Phone Pics

2010-11-12T12:41:00.001-08:00

I was randomly looking at pics on my cell phone... I always try to snap a pic when I see something that makes me smile or laugh or irritated... I thought it would be fun to share. I still don't have the iphone thing down so the pics are not the best quality, but you get the point.

Mitchell & Luke

I love the way they sit so close to each other without realizing it!

Briellen

She would totally be potty trained if she was an only child. She asks to go on the potty a couple of times a day, but I am SO not ready to undertake the task... Notice the wad of toilet paper behind her.

We tried out a "kid-friendly" wine bar, thinking they would have a park or play area... Turned out they only had high chairs... Luckily, we were the only ones there and the owners loved kids, so they let them run around. All I could think about was the movie Sweet Home Alabama... "You have a baby... in a bar??"

One of the joys of having 2 year olds is witnessing the ridiculous temper tantrums! This was one of the worst...

The girls have started really playing with and talking to each other... They will run around holding each others hands calling out each others names.

Ivy, Sidney, Briellen

One weekend Stephen took the boys "hunting" and I kept the girls. I would NEVER say that having triplets is easy, but it was SO much easier than having all 5. It was fun just to be with the girls and do girly things.

Luke

He found a scope cover of Stephens and he puts it on his eye and calls himself a pirate. He will wear it for hours!

Ivy, Briellen, Luke, Mitchell, Sidney

They were doing road work down the street from us for about 2 weeks. Every single day we would go and watch the jack hammers, diggers, dump trucks and cement mixers. Again, it amazed me how something that would have been irritating before was such a welcome distraction.

Babies with their friend Eli

This was not a posed shot... The babies will just randomly accumulate on the window sill. I walked by and just happened to see this. Cracked. Me. Up.

Halloween Festivites

2010-11-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun celebrating the arrival of fall! As I spent the entire summer longing for the nice weather and wishing we could be outside, I was determine to spend every minute of fall outside! Being the procrastinator that I am, I've waited until now to post, so beware, it's a super long one...

First stop, local pumpkin patch! Cute small patch in front of a church right around the corner from us... We actually went there several times when we needed to get out of the house... By Halloween we were overloaded with little pumpkins!

Sidney

Luke

Ivy & Her Purple Scarecrow

Mitchell

Briellen --

Demanded to wear her brother's shoes - 3 sizes too big!

Ivy, Sidney, Mitchell, Luke, & Brie

Wagon Rides

Brie & Sidney

Next, Zoo Boo.... It was okay, but kind of a waste of time for us... Way too crowded to let the babies freely roam around and the only things really Halloween-y were trick or treat stands (babies not into that yet really) and a pumpkin patch (didn't really need another one of those!) We hit the large animals then left early and had a picnic lunch in the park in the front of the zoo. It was nice to sit there semi-relaxed and watch them feed the ducks as opposed to having to count to 5 every 10 seconds. The babies were so tired and worn out by the time we got back to my sisters that I decided to try to put them down without their pack n plays! The boys went right to sleep, but the girls were playing and talking and giggling... Just like a slumber party!! Hilarious and annoying at the same time. Amy realized it was her 2 year old, Brynne instigating and took her out of the room. Two seconds later all was quiet.

Me, Girlfriend Sooze & Sister Amy

My Mom & The Girls

Aim & Aiden

Amy & Sooze

Kids would jump from stroller to stroller at will.

You never knew who you'd get!

Luke & Eli with Baby Jaguar's Mama

First time sleeping not in a pack n play!

Love the Oil Ranch in Hockley, TX because there is SO much space for everyone to run around! Tons to do... Train ride, tractor ride, milk the cow, lots of animals to see, slide in the barn, etc...

With all of the space, this was the most unlikely place for me to lose a child for the first time. We were leaving the barn and trying to corral the kids to the hay bale maze... Mitchell was right there, but I turned around and he was gone! He couldn't have been gone for more than 5 minutes, but the panic inside me was awful! Then he just moseys out of the barn like "What's the big deal!" Argh!

Briellen

Mitchell

Ivy

Luke

Sidney's New Smile

Forget trying to get a pic of all 5... Wasn't happening this day!

Only attempt at getting a group shot and it just was too much work.

Train Ride

Girlfriend Dana w/ Chris & Cole

Luke & Ivers Riding Like Big Kids

Sidney went up to the donkey and said "Hello Donkey, I'm Sidney Alun!"

Luke would NOT touch the teats of this dairy cow.

We carved a basic jack-o-lantern... Next year I am going to make more of an effort to do a fun pumpkin...

Stephen & the Babies

We cut off the legs of our old table and made it an activity table for in the garage.

Stephen added wheels so I could move it outside when the weather is nice.

Brie, Sidney, Mitchell, Ivy & Luke

We used finger paint for their pumpkins...

Brie

Mitchell

When I told Ivy not to eat the paint, she said "It's not Ketchup!"

She must have said it a million times.

Luke

(I swear he does know how to smile!)

Sidney

The finale, Halloween day! We all went as Star Trek... Nerdy, I know... I wonder how long we will be able to force them to wear what we want!

I do know that this will be the last year that I make the costumes... Many moons ago, we dressed up as Star Trek for a girlfriends Halloween birthday in New York, so I had seen her whip up the shirts. I thought it was no biggie for me to copy what she had done. It wasn't really hard, but by the 3rd one, I was like "Are you kidding me?? Four to go??"

We had our toddler party at my sister Amy's house this year... It was more of an excuse to get our friends together that it was to have a party for the toddlers. We trick or treated at a few houses, then came home to get the little ones to bed! I thought because they were up an hour and a half after their bed time I would be able to sleep in, but no such luck. Someone is ALWAYS up at 6!

Stephen & Me

Mitchell, Ivy, Brie, Sidney & Luke

Ivy, Luke, Sidney, Mitchell & Brie

Star Trek vs. Star Wars

Sisters

My Boys & Me

Stephen & Ivy

The Farleys went as Star Wars... There is a big rivalry b/t

Star Trek and Star Wars...

So as I am re-reading this, I realize that I still refer to my babies as babies... But they are not really babies anymore... What do I call them? "Quints" sounds so generic and "Children" sounds so adult-like and "Kids" just doesn't sound right either. Hmmmmm.....

Vegas Baby

2010-09-29T12:30:00.001-07:00

I had been jones-ing for a baby free vacation for a while, so when Stephen told me that he was going to take customers to Vegas for a weekend, I jumped all over it! Before children when he had to take customers, I didn't have much interest in going with him, but after children, he couldn't leave me behind if he tried!!

Now, this was by far the LAZIEST Vegas vacation that I have ever taken... No shows, No clubs, No walking up and down the Strip, No spa appointments... And let me tell you, doing NOTHING never felt better. Our days consisted of waking up late, eating brunch, laying by the pool, napping, a fun dinner, bed. (Oh, and of course I had to shop one afternoon...)

A much needed time away and a huge thank you to our friends Lolly & Bella for taking the babies! Love. Them.

Stayed at the Encore -- Awesome! Would recommend staying here for sure!

After Dinner

(We ate in the Aria Casino... I want to stay there next time!)

Sushi @ Nobu

Overflowing Saki Box...

Stephen & Me with his customers Gary and Lynne

We had just left Minus 5, which is bar that is made of all ice and is 23 degrees F. Even the glasses were made out of ice. They gave you jackets and gloves before you went inside, hence Stephen's cool hat.

Dentist!!

2010-09-29T11:45:00.001-07:00

So, we had our first trip to the dentist.... Good news is no cavities... Bad news is the babies have spotty enamel, so cavities will come easily. The fix is brushing 3 times a day, no grazing on food or milk, a calcium paste and going back to the dentist every 3 months. My first response to this fix was, yeah, right! But my ENTIRE life I have had nightmares of rotten falling out teeth and even the thought of a loose tooth rolls my stomach... So to prevent my precious darlings from having meth mouth I am doing everything I can to follow the rules! (Don't tell, but I can only get in two brushings a day!)

Why the spotty enamel? Two things, the stress of a premature birth and the magnesium that I had to be on during my pregnancy... Magnesium depletes ones calcium and everything it did to me, it did to my babies. In some twisted way, I felt guilty that the medicine that I took hurt my babies, but I quickly reminded myself that without the medicine they wouldn't even be here!

(As a side note, I find it funny that since being a mother, I find the silliest things to feel guilty about!!)

When I think about going to the dentist, I think of a calm, quiet office environment where everyone speaks in hushed tones. I was nervous about taking my wild 2 year olds, not knowing what to expect. When we got there, the front office was a little challenging, some books and some toys, but not much to keep them occupied. And why do they think I am abandoning them when I go to turn in paperwork 5 ft away?!? (The paperwork I have to fill out for any appointment of any kind is a full time job in and of itself.)

Anyway, when we got called back it was like a scene from a movie... The doors opened and it was fabulously chaotic!!! An open concept room, HUGE play area, kids running around, parents sitting on top of kids so the hygentists could clean teeth. We fit right in! Relief!

As typical to their personalities, some didn't mind the cleanings and some screamed bloody murder. (Details below.)

And last thing.... Lest you think I am a saint... I split up the visits into 2 days. :)

Sidney -- Charmed everyone. Loved sitting in the chair. Didn't mind brushing herself, but didn't care for the dentist poking into her mouth.

Luke -- So serious. Didn't smile at anyone. Wanted to know how everything worked.

Ivy -- Had to brush herself. She wanted a million prizes at the end of the visit.

Mitchell -- SO easy going. Sat there like a big boy and let them brush the longest.

Briellen -- Drama... Gagged and screamed the entire time. Had to forcefully hold her down.

Fourth of July

2010-07-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

Why does it seem like I start every blog post off by giving an excuse why it's been so long since I've blogged??? This time I swear its a good excuse... My baby sister, Margaret, got married! I will blog about this in a separate post, but just so you know, every spare second I had in the past two months was devoted to planning showers, bach party or helping with the wedding!

SO, for our 4th of July, we drove to see Stephen's family in Ocean Springs, MS. I have said it before how much I just LOVE this little town... I get so excited about walking into town in the mornings to get coffee and walking to the beach to play and shopping in the cute boutiques in the afternoons while the babies are napping. I adore Stephen's dad (Teebs) and step-mom (MaMa Jude) and have so much fun hanging out with them. I love eating the million Tato-Nut donuts that Teebs brings us every morning. (By the way, these are the BEST donuts EVER!!) Most of all, I like taking the babies to the place where their dad grew up and I want them to have fun memories of the place that was special to him.

First Time Having Cotton Candy

Luke Having Serious Conversation with Teebs

Sidney Kisses

Ivy & Teebs

(It took forever, but she finally warmed up!!!)

Playing in the Tent Teebs Set Up in Living Room

Luke & Mitchell

(Notice Tato-Nut Box in my Lap!)

Everyone Playing in Yard

Meal-time!

Unfortunately, we couldn't play on the beach due to the oil spill, but right across the beach there is a huge playground and splash pad... The first day we went, we didn't know about the splash pad, so I let the babies play in the water with their clothes on... When they got soaked, they decided to they wanted to be "nakey-nakey." I wasn't sure what to do... I didn't want full on temper tantrums from 5 two year olds, however, I couldn't bear the thought of my children running around in just their diaper. (I know I need to get over it, but I just couldn't that day!) We compromised and I let them take off their shirts. The next day I was sure to dress them in their swimsuits to avoid conflict!

Dancing Briellen

Mitchell

Ivy

Luke

Sidney

Stephen's sister and her two little ones came to visit as well... The babies had tons of fun with their cousins!

Kaeli

Jacob

We left on the actual 4th to come home so we missed fireworks, which is my absolute favorite, but it was worth it to beat traffic and have a day with Stephen before he had to go back to work. Since we were traveling, I didn't get a picture of the babies in their red,white, and blue, so I made them wear the same outfits the next day for pictures!!

Briellen, Mitchell, Sidney, Luke, Ivy

TWO!!!

2010-06-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

It's embarrassing, but I have to admit that I wasn't even going to throw the babies a birthday party this year! I feel like I am always in the midst of craziness and the thought of not having to plan one more thing sounded fabulous. Anyway, they are only 2... they won't remember, right? Well, as is my nature, I started feeling guilty so I decided to just do it... And I am SO glad that I did! We had SO much fun!

We rented out a kiddie pool that was perfect! The entire pool was only waist deep for the littlest of the children, so although you had to keep your eye on everyone you weren't terrified of someone stepping off into the deep end. We could only rent it when it wasn't open to the public, so the party started at 8 AM!! I had serious doubts about it starting that early and after an incredibly hectic morning of trying to get there on time, I knew it was a bad idea. However, once the party was over at 10, we had missed the terrible heat of the day, no one missed a nap and we all had our Saturdays left to do what we wanted, I decided it wasn't such a bad idea after all.

(I was the photographer, so no pics of me)

The pool was called Noah's Ark...

All of the kids on top of the big water slides...

Sidney & Luke on the little water slide...

Mitchell

Luke

Ivy & Nain

Briellen & Sidney with Nonna

Stephen & Fearless Mitchell

Mimi with Brynne & Sidney

The babies actual birthday was on Thursday... I wanted to do something fun with them but not an all day adventure. I thought the Rain Forest Cafe would be perfect... All of the fun animals and sounds. Wow... I couldn't have been more wrong! They were scared to death. I even tried to change tables, but the lighting/thunder storm went off as we were changing and made things worse. We ended up getting our food to go and left quickly. Such a scene. I was so flustered that I didn't get any pics. So that night as we were putting the babies down, I made them pose for a picture because I had to have a picture of them on the actual day. They, again, freaked out on me, but oh well, it had to be done.

Ivy, Sidney, Hidden Brie, Luke, Mitchell

2nd Annual Lake Travis Trip

2010-06-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

So my girlfriend, Misty, has an amazing lake house on Lake Travis in Austin... It's in hot demand from renters on vrbo.com, but she let me pick out a weekend we could come and vacation!! Last year when we went, it was our first family vacation ever!! We had so much fun both times that we decided to make it an annual tradition! Woo-Hoo!!!

The Howells

The View!

This year my sister Amy and her family came with us... It is always fun to vacation with the Farley's not only because they are a blast and jump immediately into the routine of taking care of the babies, but they are great cooks and fancy-up everything. For example, they brought basil from their garden for a special cocktail. Also, my babies are obsessed with them!! At 6 AM, Ivy would try to open their bedroom door calling for Damon. (This is especially funny because the Farley's love to sleep in and Amy is notorious for her morning grumpiness!!) After we got home we had to remind the babies that, no, we don't live with Mimi and Uncle D!

Aunt Mimi With Brynne & Aiden

Uncle D Being Swarmed

This year swimming with the babies was a titch more challenging. They didn't really want to stay in the floaties they had last year... the kind with the saucer around them and a sun shade. But they weren't ready for the old school floaties that go around their arms. I was trying to save money and not buy them the life jacket-y kind of floaties that are a million dollars a piece, but in hind sight, they needed those more than they needed new sunglasses, cover-ups and hats!!! And now I will end up buying them anyway... Well, maybe I did do it the smart way, so now they will have life saving devices AND cute accessories...

Mimi & Sidney

Ivy aka Hollywood

We decided this year to leave our stroller at home. Last year, we only took it out only once... It's too hot and hilly to be worth the trouble. So, the life saver for when everyone got stir crazy was Misty's golf cart!! We would pile everyone on that sucker and ride down to a park and play... I was worried that someone in the neighborhood would report me because it looked unsafe and a little ghetto!

Walking Down to the Lake From the Park

Misty and her fam and our other college roomie, Kimber and her boys came to visit us on Saturday. Of course, it was total chaos, but oh, so much fun!!

Kimber & Ivy

Misty with Luke & Ivy

Mitchell

I am already looking forward to next year!!

Other Hits:

-- Exploring the house --

Briellen

(Her hair is FINALLY growing in, so it's sticks straight up...

Love it!!!)

Luke

-- Perfect Feeding Table--

-- Bath Time --

-- Hot Tub --

Happy Memorial Day!!

2010-05-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

Wish I had more pics of our fun day at my parents house, but I can't seem to get it together!! I made the babies sit on the porch the second we got out of the car so I at least had one group shot... Then the camera just sat there baking in the sun for the rest of the day.

Anyway, it was an amazing day hanging with all of my family and playing with my babies.

Ate way too much BBQ and drank one too many margs... MUST.start.diet.tomorrow!

Ivy, Mitchell, Briellen, Luke, Sidney

Was it worth it??

2010-04-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

The babies punish me ruthlessly every time I come back from leaving them. So during the few days of chaos and misery when I return, I always ask myself if leaving is worth it... The answer is the same every time -- HECK, YES!

This time was a very quick trip to Austin to meet my very best friends new addition who is the cutest, sweetest, most cuddly baby on the planet!! But maybe I am just biased because she is named after me!

Basically, packed in a day -- a girls lunch, pedicure, eyebrow threading (ouch!), a visit to my quintuplet mom mentor/guru -- Rachelle, then a fun dinner with another dear friend Suzy Q. I always say when I am away from the babies that I am going to get a ton of sleep, but end up getting less than I do at home.

Now -- I have to admit that I am afraid that the terrible two's are starting to invade my home a titch before 2... There are days when I feel overwhelmed and want to just hide under the covers. That's why weekends like this are so important to me -- I can recharge and find my smile when the frenzy starts. I say it all the time, but I am so grateful to my fantastic husband and the incredible support system that I have that allows me to "run away" when I need to.

Amy, Misty, Me, Suzy

@ Vivos in Austin!

Elle & Elle!

Rachelle & Me

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T17:59:00.001-07:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter!!! We did... We were on the tail end of major sickness, so we couldn't go to church, but we did go to my mom and dads for a fabulous meal and quality time with all of my family!!

Sidney, Mitchell, Ivy, Luke, Brie

I am normally the equivalent of Ebeneezer Scrooge at Easter, as I think the Easter Bunny is just creepy. (As Stephen points out, it makes no sense that I believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, but have issues with the Easter Bunny, but it is what it is...) However, we did do an egg hunt with the babies and their cousins... My parents have a huge yard that is perfect for running around and getting dirty, so we hid eggs, put on play shoes and let them loose!! They needed some guiding, but generally grasped the concept. They were really excited once they learned what was inside the eggs. Note to self for future: M&M's in Easter eggs in Texas heat isn't the best idea.

Luke Hit the Jack-pot with Brie's Discarded Basket

Ivers

Mitchell Preferred Playing with Trucks

(This is my brothers truck that he played with

30-ish years ago!!)

Brie-Brie

Sidney

Stephen & Elle

(Look closely at Stephen's bid wad of Starbursts!)

p.s. Thanks to our friends Lisa & Bailey for the adorable Easter Baskets!!!

Yee-Haw!

2010-03-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

So, it was a GORGE Saturday and Stephen and I were up for an outing with the babies and I thought... why not the Houston Rodeo?? Now, I knew that it might be a titch crowded but it would be worth it for the babies to see the animals and for me to have carnival food and see the cowboys. Well, maybe not the cowboys so much as the crazy cowboy gear everyone tries to wear. (Saw some hilarious outfits!!)

We scored rock-star parking and were with our B/F/F's, so even though it was crazy crowed and we had to stand in line to see even chickens, we had a good time.

I felt a little sorry for my children because I didn't let them get out of their wagons once... The petting zoo was so crowded that I knew I would leave with a goat instead of a baby. I stopped feeling guilty when, my sister, Amy, came out with a hole in her shirt from a deer and poop ALL over her shoes. (I handle enough poop in one day that I don't need extra!!)

I decided that before we left we needed a Howell family picture and when I saw the mechanical bull, I knew that it was the perfect spot!!! How wrong was I... The babies FREAKED out and no, it wasn't even moving. Needless to say, I didn't get a family picture. (Having a fifth baby is always tricky when taking pictures with just me and Stephen, but it is impossible when all of the babies are freaking out... Thanks, Damon for standing in the midst of our chaos!)

Making Our Way In...
My Babies in Choo-Choo Wagons with Me and Uncle Damon
Aiden & Brynne in Double Stroller with Stephen
(It never stays this way because my babies love the Farley
stroller and when someone gets fussy we switch them out!)

Left - Luke, Ivy
Right - Sidney, Mitchell, Briellen

The days of having our pic taken just the two of us are over...
We can NOT resist our nephew Aiden!

Seeing the Chickens...

Sidney's our meat eater...
p.s. the same worker who told me "That's a big ol' family" earlier,
said "That's a big ol' turkey leg." Gotta love Texas.

Our B/F/F's -- The Farley's

Our other B/F/F's -- The Wagners

Happy St. Patty's

2010-03-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun St. Patty's day... I literally played ALL day long! My college roommate, Kimber came into town with her 2 year old so we went to my sister Amy's to hang out all day... It was the typical chaos, but, oh, so much fun!! Luckily, I was able to spend the previous night with Kimber without my babies so we got to catch up! Such good memories...

Mitchell, Brie, Sidney, Ivy, Luke

Brie would FREAK out when I took her milk away for the pic,

so I thought who cares.

It is getting exponentially harder to get them to be still for a picture.

We tried to get my kids and Amy's kids together for a pic and this

is the best that we got....

Me and My B/F/F Amy

Kimber w/ Brie, Sidney, Aiden, Luke,

& her red-headed cutie, Cade

After the babies went down, Stephen and I went to meet our friends RJ & Susan for dinner. Every year, I say that I want to go to an Irish pub and have a green beer on St. Patty's day and every year we go and it's miserably packed as everyone in Houston had the same brilliant idea... Now that my life is so hectic and time is more meaningful to me, plus, the fact that I don't even like beer, I threw away the Irish pub idea and went to this adorable little wine bar minutes away from our house. To my sheer delight, they offered a green prosecco!! (Italian sparkling Wine.) It was a short evening, but we had good food and were with great friends!

Stephen & Susan

Susan & Me!

p.s. When I was posting the above pic, I realize how much I have changed over the past few years... Here I am going to dinner, no shower, no tan, greasy hair and happier that ever!!!

California Love!!

2010-03-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

The monotony of winter life was KILLING me... endless runny noses, being couped up inside our teeny house, missing the sunshine!! So when my girlfriend in California, Kari, told me about her baby shower, I was like, "I'm OUTTA here!"

Before being married and having children, my travel partner was my sister Amy. We went everywhere together... From silly Mardi Gras and Cancun trips in college to more elaborate Europe trips as we got older -- we were ALWAYS together. As we got older are trips started to dwindle and the ones we did go on always included our hubbies. The reason I mention this, is she came with me to the shower in California and it was the first time in forever that it was just us! You should have heard the things we talked about on the plane. Since when is a 4 hour plane ride so much fun?!?

It was such a perfect girly weekend with my girls! Spa pedicures, shopping in adorable boutiques, lots of wine and lots of girl talk. (Well, Kari's husband Bob, is not a girl, but I consider him one of my girlfriends just the same. Will he kill me for saying that?)

"Pedicure on my Toes, Toes"

"Tryin' on all my Clothes, Clothes"

Shopping @ Farmers Market

Now, we all know that baby showers can be a little, well, how do you say it, baby shower-ish... But Kari's mom out did herself... It was so nice!

The best part -- the cupcakes!! (I am an ADDICT.)

The worst part -- decorating baby onesies... I am an engineer, people, not an artist!

Embarrassingly enough, Kari ended up "fixing" my onesie just make it decent. I can tell you for certain what Baby Girl won't be wearing this spring.

Pom-osas @ Shower

Stephen and Nonna held down the fort here while I was gone!! Thank you guys so much for letting me get a much needed break.

Nonna with Everyone But Ivy

P.S. Funny fact - I delivered my babies when I was 30 weeks and 5 days... Exactly how far along Kari was the day we got to California. Look at how CUTE she is. Besides cute, she was showing me aerobics moves to help strengthen your core... I couldn't even do them and I'm not pregs! !

P.P.S - Amy delivered her son at 30 weeks and 5 days too!

Kari - 30 weeks 6 days

Gorg!

Bath Night With Daddy

2010-02-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

The babies always have a titch more fun when daddy does baths. I don't know why I feel the need to be so efficient when I bathe them..... Wash, Rinse, Next! Lesson learned: Take time to enjoy every moment!

Briellen

Still has no hair...

Mitchell

Sidney

Luke

Alway so serious....

Ivy

P.S. The bathtub looks funky, but I swear it's clean! Re-doing the tile is just way low on my priority list.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

2010-02-14T18:50:00.000-08:00

Our Little Valentines...

Brie, Mitchell, Sidney, Luke & Ivy

Mascara Anyone?

2010-02-10T18:33:00.000-08:00

So I thought that maybe I could get dressed in the morning with the babies in the bathroom with me... I thought wrong.

Mitchell somehow got my mascara, got it open and was eating it... His tongue was black and his teeth looked like he had been chewing tobacco!

This is the exact reason that I am having trouble giving up their morning nap even though it is way past time!

Road Trip!!

2009-12-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

When I first had my babies, I told myself that I would not let having five babies stop me from doing what I want, no matter how challenging! So, when this fun festival in Stephen's hometown, Ocean Spring, MS that I have been wanting to go to arrived, I said, Let's Go!! Ocean Springs is about 6 hours away, so totally do-able. BUT I decided since we were already that far away from home and one of my favorite people in the world (Aunt Margie) lives 9 hours from Ocean Springs in Lake Lure, NC, why not just make a huge road trip out of it all. (Sometimes, my logic it a little skewed, but, so what!)

It was a trek and at times I didn't think that we would make it, but I am SO glad that we went!

So, Part One of our journey -- Ocean Springs.

Stephen and our babies and The Farleys (My sisters family) caravaned together. The ride down there was awesome. We stopped every two hours at big rest stops, so the kids could run around. We made it there in 8 hours -- no meltdowns. Ocean Springs is an ADORABLE little town and Papa Steve & Mama Jude live right in downtown. We would walk every morning to get coffee at a cute little coffee shop... on our way we would swing by the condo Amy and Damon rented to get them. In the afternoons, we would walk around the festival or or shop or play in the yard... The weather was gorgeous so we spent most of our time outside. We got to see a ton of Stephen's family that we hadn't seen in a while. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics of this leg... I vow next year to be a better photographer. See pics on my sister Amy's blog -- http://damon-amy-aiden.blogspot.com/2009/11/road-trip.html

Family Pic on Ocean Spring Beach

Ivy, Mitchell, Briellen, Luke, Sidney

Part Two of our journey -- Luke Lure, NC

Lake Lure is a gorgeous little town right outside of Asheville, NC. Part of the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed there. We have been going there since we were little... We are very close to my Aunt Margie, so it was SO much fun to see her and have her get to see the babies at this age! Stephen had to fly home for work after MS, so Amy's husband was our "Dad for the week" I can't even begin to tell you how incredible he was... Packing/unpacking my car, loading/unloading stroller, chasing babies around rest stops, reading to them, feeding them! Thanks Uncle D! My mom, Nain, also flew in to MS to make the leg to North Carolina... All I have to say is God bless Grandmas!!

The first couple of days we were there it rained, rained, rained. Our saving grace was the HUGE covered front porch the house had where we were staying. Aunt Margie had several outings planned for us that got us out and about... We got to meet her church friends who have been praying for us... We got to meet her "Inn" friends. (They meet once a week at the Lake Lure Inn for cocktails.) So, yes, it was the babies first time in a bar! It always amazes me how sweet people are with the babies -- The Mayor of the town was there that night and when we went outside for a change of scenery, he followed Luke around a circular garden bed 1 Million times! Loved it. The last day we were there we got to venture out and explore...

And lastly, the ride home -- 19 hours -- 2 days -- ROUGH -- next time we fly!

View From Front Porch

Uncle Damon with Brie, Cousin Aiden, & Mitchell

Nain & Aunt Margie

Our Morning Walk

(You can't tell from this picture, but it was a

mountain and I almost died!)

Damon, Amy, Nain, Aunt Margie

Lunching in Chimney Rock

Babies

(In front of the river that holds happy childhood

memories for me!)

Elle & Amy

At the Inn

(Dang camera! Don't know why this is blurry, but

had to post!)

Flashback -- Aunt Margie with Babies 8 Months

Halloween Festivites!

2009-11-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

OMG.... Has it really been 2 months since I've blogged!?! My brother constantly reminds me how bad I am about keeping up, but I didn't believe him until now!

October was filled with fun fall/Halloween festivities...

First was the Oil Ranch, in a small town right outside of Houston... They had a large pumpkin patch, petting zoo, train ride and hay bale maze. You could also milk a cow, take a pony ride or hay ride. Plus tons of grass for the babies to run around... We met several of our friends there and the weather was amazing! I learned the valuable lesson that I should pack a picnic lunch instead of relying on concessions.

Stephen Strolling Babies

Luke, Mitchell, Ivy, Briellen, Sidney

Hay Bale Maze
Luke, Brielle, Sidney, Ivy, Mitchell (Hidden!)

Scarecrow Luke

Everyone!
Riding the Train
Stephen & Ivy, Nonna & Mitchell

Elle & Luke

Next we went to our local pumpkin patch to play. We had so much fun that we decided to go out to eat dinner at Lupe Tortilla -- best fajitas andmargs ever! Quite a spectacle with 8 kids 5 adults. I guess I can't go anywhere anymore without it being a spectacle. Funny thing -- Lupe Tortilla has notoriously slow service, but they had us in and out in a flash! They either needed their high chairs back or were afraid of the potential meltdowns. (BTW - No meltdowns actually happened!!)

Sidney

Luke

Ivy

Mitchell

Briellen

The Howells

And then, the finale -- Halloween night! We went to a Toddler Party at our friends Susan & RJ's! Now, a Toddler party is a far cry from the crazy Halloween parties that we were used to attending, but I have to admit that I had so much fun. Pumpkin spice martini's and Gerber Yogurt Bites hors d'oeuvres. We dressed the babies up in Safari animal costumes and Stephen and I went as Safari guides. They didn't stay in their costumes very long, but we got some good pics and then I put them back on for trick-or-treating. They didn't seem to mind them in the wagons! We still got home in time to answer the door at our house for trick-or-treaters!!

Stephen & Ellen
Sidney, Briellen, Ivy, Mitchell, Luke

Trick-or-Treating

My Sister Amy & Brynne

Our Friends Drew & Jes, Mason & Ian

Hosts Sooze & RJ & Eli

15 Months

2009-09-30T07:22:00.001-07:00

Ivy, Mitchell, Briellen, Luke, Sidney

We had the babies 15 month check ups last week and I am happy to report that everyone is doing great! There are exactly where they need to be developmentally and are healthy babies. They are all a titch on the small side but that is to be expected as they were preemies.

Life is quite chaotic as I am sure you can imagine. The babies are off and running and exploring and are into EVERYTHING. We have been blessed with good babies who mostly have sweet temperaments. They test us every now and then and I am glad that it isn't more often. (When I say test, I mean the full body thrown on the floor type fit!)

They are still on a great schedule with a 1 1/2 hour nap in the morning and another one in the afternoon. My books say now is when they start to drop the morning nap, but I want to hang on to it as long as I can. I really need that time in the morning to get dressed and have some alone time!

I have a mix of great eaters/bad eaters, good sleepers/bad sleepers, clingy/independent babies. It amazes me to see how unique each of these little people are. They each have things that they prefer and things that really bother them. I could probably write a book on each of them about the funny things they do and say, but I will try and and give highlights.

Luke
20 lbs. 8 oz. (5th percentile)
31 inches tall (50th percentile)
Luke is our wrestle man. He plows his way through anything to get to what he wants. He is very intent and inquisitive. He points at everything and says "What's that?" He loves the feet of his animal lovie and will sleep with them in his mouth.

Mitchell
20 lbs. 6 oz. (5th percentile)
31 inches tall (50th percentile)
Mitchell is our silly boy. ALWAYS laughing about anything! He is extremely clumsy so always has a bruise or scratch. He loves to give hugs. And will stand by the door and say "outside" one million times.

Ivy
22 lbs. 6 oz (50th percentile)
31 inches tall (50th percentile)
Ivy is our sensitive, ultra sweet girl. She loves to lounge everywhere, on anything. She loves to read books and will drag her finger across the page like she is reading. She plays peek-a-boo constantly... when you pull off her shirt, she'll say "boo" or if she runs around the corner, she'll say "boo." She shakes her head no for everything, even when she means yes.

Sidney
18 lbs. (Not on the chart yet)
29 1/2 inches tall (25 percentile)
Sidney is still our diva. She loves to be the center of attention. She will clap for herself at the littlest accomplishment and make sure that you have noticed her doing it. She will let you know that she is slighted by the littlest thing. She loves waving "hey" to everybody, even her siblings. She loves clothes and will try to put anything "on."

Briellen
17 lbs. 15 oz. (Not on the chart yet)
29 inches tall (10th percentile)
Our "Little Bitty" girl. Fiercely independent and stubborn. And when I say spunky, do I mean it! It has to be her way or it isn't happening. She loves to wear shoes, even with her pj's. She calls them "Shhhhhs"

My Girls Love their Daddy

2009-09-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

Sidney Kisses

Brie Kisses

Ivy Kisses

First Haircut

2009-09-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

My fabulous hairdresser, Jessica, made a house call for the babies first haircut last month! They were wiggle worms, but look adorable! I am scared for the time I have to take them to the salon... Maybe Jessica will teach me how to cut hair.

(Jessica is at The Upper Hand in River Oaks if anyone needs a great stylist!)

Group After Shot
Jessica - Elle
Sidney, Ivy, Briellen, Luke, Mitchell

Luke -- Before

Luke -- During

Luke -- After

Mitchell -- Before

Mitchell -- During

Mitchell -- After

Ivy - Before

Ivy -- During

Ivy -- After

Briellen -- Before

Brie didn't have that much hair to cut... Just these two long
pieces on either side of the back of her head.

Briellen -- During

Briellen -- After

Sidney - Before

Sidney -- During

Sidney -- After

Two More Walkers!

2009-09-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

Sidney & Briellen decided to take the plunge on the same day! They both have a funny scuttle that they prefer to do, but they finally did take some steps. Can't wait until we can all walk to get into the car together!!

Briellen Walking

Sidney Walking

Funny story about Brie -- She is in LOVE with shoes. She has always played with the shoes that I leave by the front door, but recently she has been trying to put them on. I went to the closet and found some shoes that would fit her and she wants to wear them constantly! The funny thing is because of her scuttle she only wants to wear one shoe! A triplet mom gave us a huge bin of shoes -- they are still too big, but it is Brie's new favorite thing to play in... On the shoe note, Sidney has a love hate relationship with them. She loves to whine for you to put them on and then right away whines for you to take them off... Ivy just hates them. I will put them on her and she will kick her leg hard until either the shoe comes off or afraid of damage to other children, I take it off!

Brie & Her One Shoe

Visit To The Buckingham

2009-08-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

July 24th

GG, my grandma, the babies great grandma, lives at The Buckingham... She calls it her "old folks home," however, it's really a fancy pants retirement community. She has been telling me forever that the residents there have been following my blog and that they love the babies dearly. So one Friday, we decided to take the babies to meet everyone. I think that I was just expecting to show a few people the babies and hang out with GG. But that was the furthest from what happened. There were more than 100 people there -- old and young! They reserved the Buckingham Theater for us and their chef made cookies and lemonade for everyone. Everyone was so fabulous! They brought gifts and played with the babies. One lady even wrote us a poem! (See below.) The babies loved all of the attention and I loved seeing how many people loved them and supported our family.

To the residents of the Buckingham: Thank you so much for a wonderful day! I was so touched by how many of you came to see us. Thank you for being interested in my families journey and for praying for us and loving us. I am sorry if I didn't get to talk to each you personally or if you weren't able to hold a baby, but we will be back!!

Melissa (Our wonderful nanny, ) GG, Me
Mitchell, Sidney, Luke, Ivy, Brie
(GG made the babies Buckingham B T-shirts!)

GG & Luke

Poem by Edna Ahlers
There was once a soon=to=be mother
Who was overjoyed to discover
That soon there would arrive
Not one new born but five.

We think of the 3AM feedings and shudder
And our hearts go out to the mother
Then we think of the joys we will know
As we watch each of them grow.

Dr. Gioia Visits!

2009-08-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

July 10th

Melissa Gioia -- the resident who took care of me while I was in the hospital in Phoenix and delivered the babies-- came to visit me and the babies for a weekend. We had so much fun with her here. It felt like she had been a part of our lives forever! She slept on our couch, helped me sweep the nasty floor after meal times, refereed baby meltdowns, was a baby jungle gym all with a smile on her face. It was a quick weekend, but we squeezed in a girls night as well!

Melissa & Ellen
Mitchell, Sidney, Luke, Brie, Ivy

Mitchell & Ivy on Melissa
(The babies would "run" to the couch and want to crawl on her!)

Peek-a-Boo Brie

Girls Night
Ellen, Susan, Amy, Brie, Melissa
(p.s. Brie is Briellen's namesake.)

Just writing this post makes me reflect on my time in Phoenix (10 weeks of it in the hospital!) Melissa was there for me the entire time, not only as my doctor but as my friend... Whether to take out my c-section staples because I was afraid or make a special trip into the hospital to do my D&C or visit me in the NICU almost daily. She even organized a girls dinner at a trendy restaurant when I was out of the hospital and missing my "normal" life.

Although she did make my life miserable at times, i.e. too much magnesium, the dreaded pessary, I can not even imagine what it would have been like without her. Everyday she came to see me and measure the babies heartbeats, to chat, to assure me that I didn't have MRSA, to give me the scoop on shopping, boys and current events. Everyday she was there to encourage me that I could make it one more day.

Thanks, Melissa, for everything that you did for me! Love you!

Melissa in Phoenix
Mitchell, Sidney, Briellen, Luke, Ivy

Melissa & Me on One of Her Day's Off

Delivery Day w/ Huge Belly!

1st Birthday Party

2009-08-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

June 27th

So, we had a big bash for the babies the Saturday after their 1st birthday. No theme -- my only requirements were Sangria and Cupcakes. Yummy, Yummy! We had the party at my sister Amy's house because she not only has an awesome big backyard, but that way I didn't have to plan a party around the babies napping and eating! We had such a good time... All of my family and Stephens family were there... All of our good friends were there... Most of the people who have been helping us this past year were there... Everyone there played an important role in our lives. It was fun to celebrate with all of them. It was a bit of a blur, not enough time to talk to everyone and not enough time to take pictures. After the party, Stephen took the babies home and let me stay to hang out with my friends that didn't have to leave early.

The only downside to the entire day was that Ivy had a stomach bug... She ended up giving it to all of her siblings and our nanny Melissa, but other than that no one else at the party was contaminated.

(I won't even go into the hell that is 5 babies with stomach bugs -- you can imagine.)

Cupcakes!!

Luke -- Before

Luke -- After

Sidney -- Before

Sidney -- After

Briellen -- Before

Briellen -- After

Mitchell -- Before

Mitchell -- After

Ivy -- Before

Ivy -- After

Because things were a titch chaotic, we decided to open the gifts at home after the party. The best idea ever! For an entire week, anytime the babies got fussy, I would pull out a new gift for them to unwrap. And, yes, they were more interested in the wrapping and boxes than the gifts at the time. Especially little Sidney who loves to eat EVERYTHING. I pulled more paper, ribbon, box pieces out of her mouth that week!

Brie, Mitchell, Luke, Ivy, Sidney
Gifts in the Background

Opening Gifts

Three Walkers!!

2009-08-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

I have an entire month of news to catch you up on, but today was such a big day for us, I am jumping right to it! Mitchell, Luke & Ivy walked today!!! All of the babies have been teetering on the edge of walking... but these three finally did it. I was shocked that Mitchell was the first... I would have sworn that it would have been Briellen as she has been standing and cruising around for months!!

I can't believe they are growing so quickly.

Ivy Walking

Mitchell Walking

Luke Walking

p.s. ignore the disaster that is my house... The only time it is not strewn with toys is after they go to bed at night.

We're One!!!

2009-06-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

The babies turned one today!! I can't believe it... Yipppppeeee!!!!!

Ivy, Mitchell, Briellen, Luke, Sidney

1st Family Vacation

2009-06-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

We took our first family vacation to Austin. My BFF has a lake house that she let us use for the weekend. Getting there and back was a titch challenging as it is a 3 hour drive, but it was soooo worth it.

The house was perfect for us. The living area was one huge space, so no matter where you were you could see all of the babies. Some of the babies favorite things to do in the house...

Hang on to the window sills -

Climb on the bar stools -

Swim in the pool -

The babies would "walk" back and forth on the swim deck in their floaties.

When we would put the babies down for naps or bedtime, Stephen and I would go and sit by or in the pool and just relax.

Sunset Pool Time

On Saturday, our close friends came to hang out at the pool with us. It was like old college days except with 9 kids!! We had SOOOOO much fun!!!

Kimber with Sidney & Ivy and her son Cade.
(Cade could be mine, huh?)

Misty and Me and the Babies

p.s. getting 5 babies ready to swim in the sun was a workout, but totally worth it when I saw the smiles!

Mitchell with Sunscreen Hair

Swimming

2009-06-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to think of weekly summer outings for us, so when Miss Jan asked us to come swimming at her house I was like, Perfect! Jan has been coming to help me out once a week from near the beginning... (She is the dental hygienist of a friend from church... She came over for the first time as a stranger and instantly became our friend!)

The babies LOVED the water... Mitchell, Luke and Brie kicked and splashed. Ivy and Sidney leaned back and relaxed. I think they may be my sun bathing beauties. Our sweet nanny, Melissa, came with us, thank goodness, because I think taking them swimming is a 3 person job. (At least for now.)

Luke

Ivy

Brie

Sidney

Mitchell

Everybody!

Because we had so much fun at the pool, when we went to my sister Amy's house the next day, I asked her to whip out her baby pool... The babies sat around the edge and splashed away... No swimsuits this time. Luke was the most adventurous and went in face first after a ball! We had so much fun!!

Uncle Damon & Aiden

Aunt Meems with Everybody

Brynne & Sidney

Luke, Mitchell & Me

Stephen & Briellen

Ivy

Our First Get Away Sans Babies

2009-05-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

My entire pregnancy I said that once the babies could get out and about, I was going on vacation -- and we finally did two weekends ago. We went to the wine country in Northern California with some of our best friends. There were 11 of us total and we rented a house in Sonoma. (There should have been 12, but our friend Ralf had to go back to Germany.) We had leisurely mornings with coffee and a great view on the deck of the house... Fun days wine tasting at gorgeous wineries... Dinner at great restaurants with delicious food and fun cocktails! And just being with each other and our friends again was amazing. It was so nice not to have to wonder what time it was and what needed to happen next. It was so nice to not sleep with one ear open. One day we spent just with the girls and I loved catching up on girl time. All in all it was a fantastic, much needed time away. As with all vacations it was over way to quick!

Stephen & Me
(In front of the house in Sonoma)

Leisurely Mornings
Kari, Sooze, RJ, Bob, Kim & Stephen

Day 1 - View from Ravenswood Winery

Day 1 - Ledson Winery

Day 2 - Healdsburg - La Crema Tasting Room
Susan, Kim, Kari, Me, Amy

Day 2 - Healdsburg - Thumbprint Tasting Room
Me, Susan, Amy, Kari, Kim

Running Through a Vineyard

The Group on the Way Back to the Airport

I have to say I did miss the babies more than I thought I would and I wasn't prepared to be sad when I was leaving, but I cried a titch when each of them left... In case you were wondering where they were, I sent them all to stay with different families. I am so lucky to have a different friend come over on a specific day of the week to help me with the babies. Since each of them know the daily routine and love the babies like their own, I felt comfortable sending each of the babies to stay at their homes for the weekend. They are so amazing... first of all for even offering to take them , but then they came to the house to pick them up and dropped them off the day after I got back, so I could get one more nights rest and unpack... they even bought the food, formula and diapers so I would have less to pack. Thank you guys so, so much for everything!!!

Miss Sandy & Briellen

Peaches & Sidney

Miss Deborah & Ivy

Miss Lisa & Mitchell & Luke

Happy Memorial Day!!

2009-05-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

Stephen & Elle
Ivy, Mitchell, Sidney, Luke & Brie

(Picture taken with self timer... Hilarious watching Stephen run to the couch with two babies in the 10 seconds before the picture took!)

Baptism

2009-05-14T10:44:00.002-07:00

We finally had the babies baptized a few weeks ago... and they did surprisingly well! Our new church building was finished and we got to use the gorgeous new baptismal font!

The babies wore adorable moccasins that our friend Rick made for them. (He is the one that we stayed with after Hurricane Ike.) They were so preoccupied with pulling on the laces that the baptism didn't phase them.

The babies grandpa and grandmas (Papa Steve (Teebs), Mama Jude & Nonna) came in from out of town for the special day. It was so much fun having them here with us.

Briellen

Luke

Mitchell

Ivy

Sidney

Papa & Brie, Nonna & Luke, Nain & Mitchell, Elle & Ivy, Stephen & Sidney
Pastor Fred & Pastor John

Family Pic
Sidney, Ivy, Luke, Briellen, Mitchell

(The best pic I could get of everyone before they all started climbing off the couch.)
Sidney, Mitchell, Briellen, Ivy, Luke