Halloween Festivites!

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

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

Sidney Kisses

Brie Kisses


Ivy Kisses

First Haircut

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!

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

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!

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!