A Weekend to Remember

This weekend Adam and I were able to go to a conference hosted by FamilyLife called a Weekend to Remember. A Weekend to Remember is a weekend marriage conference that teaches God's design for marriage and family. It's a time for couples to refresh good marriages or heal troubled ones.

Adam and I are proud to say that we feel we have a pretty good marriage, but we thought that this would be a perfect time to buff up on some of the things we think all couples probably have troubles with... communication and dealing with conflict. And with a toddler at home and three babies on the way the last thing we need to be doing is fighting because we can't communicate! :) But of course we got way more out of it then just that. They also talked about why marriages fail, God's purpose and plan for marriage, having oneness with God, intimacy, how to be a good wife and mother, how to be a good husband and father, how marriages thrive, and what kind of legacy you leave.

Adam and I had thought that going to this conference is something we should do, but it wasn't until Saturday when we just "happened" to sit next to a triplet and next to a nurse that works at St. Luke's that new a lot about their NICU and the doctors that are in our practice. That is when we knew we were right where we were suppose to be.

We really had a great time and highly recommend it to any couple no matter how good or bad your relationship is, or how long you have been married. There was probably around a hundred couples there. One had only been married for two months and another for 46 years!

If you are interested in attending a conference click the link below. They do this all over the the US and it is definitely worth your time.

http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.3204559/k.F5BB/Attend_a_conference.htm

Liv's Check Up

Olivia had her 15 month check up on Wednesday and believe it or not she is STILL not 20 lbs (19 lbs 15 oz)! But the doctor said that she is close enough that we can turn the car seats around and she should be fine. That is good news because despite her small waist she is pretty tall, 31.25 inches, so she could really use the extra leg room! She was also checked for anemia and her iron count was perfect. But then when we got to the ears I heard some unsuspecting news. She has another ear infection. This will be her second one, but it is in the opposite ear, so I guess that is a plus. But if we wouldn't have gone in for this check up I would have never known. She has been sleeping good, eating good, and hasn't pulled at her ears or been fussy at all. She did however have a runny nose and a little cough, but other then that, no symptoms of a an ear infection. So she put her on some medicine and then we decided to hold off on the shots until next week. Other then that she is doing great! She seems to be very quick and picks up on everything!

I found a couple of pictures that I thought were cute, and have shown how much she has grown.

Here is a picture of Liv in her bouncy seat at 1 month old.

And here she is rediscovering the bouncy seat a little over a year later while we were moving it from her closet to downstairs.

Wow, what a difference in such a short time!

17 Weeks

We had another ultrasound and doctor's appointment Thursday morning, and once again they all looked great! They checked each one to make sure that they were growing properly and so far everyone is right on track. The boy is just a little bigger then the girls, but he always has been right from the start. The girls seem to be doing a good job sharing all those important nutrients they get from their placenta so that is wonderful as well. They were all weighing in around 5 to 6 ounces. Pretty tiny yet!

She didn't print off as many pictures as normal, so I was kind of limited on what to post this time. She did do the 3D ones again, but like I said the last time, they are just too tiny yet and look a little scary. Although I do have to say they are looking a little better each time.

This is a picture of our little boy, he wasn't cooperating very well, so you get a good look at his spine.

This is one of our little girls and she seems to be sucking on her hand.

And here is her sister. She has her arm and hand up next to her face. And if you look closely you can see her beautiful little heart.

Our Last Vacation

Our trip to Scottsdale, AZ.

We had a really great time and got a lot of relaxing in! We really missed Liv but knew that she was in good hands.

This was the villa we stayed in.

On Sunday after we got in we got settled in and then went out for steaks at Flemings Steakhouse. The steak was soooo good!

Monday we got up and went to the Fashion Square Mall were I was only to be disappointed. They didn't have any maternity shops! Everything was for skinny rich people. Two things that I no longer am. Then after lunch we went back to lay out by the pool. We had supper later that night with Chris, Adam's cousin, at Oregano's. They had great pizza and the best half baked cookie/ice cream dessert ever!

Tuesday, we went to Galvin Park and hiked up to the "Hole in the Rock". It looks a lot more difficult then it was, trust me!

Then we decided to go to the Phoenix Zoo since it was right next to the hiking trail. We couldn't believe how many people were there. It was a zoo! And I have never seen so many double strollers in my lifetime! I think I spent more time checking out strollers then I did looking at the animals.

Tuesday night my grandma Eekhoff got into town, she stays there for the winter, and so we went over to her place, went out to eat, and made a quick stop at a near by BabiesRus.

Wednesday was our last full day there so in the morning Adam and I woke up early to get massages at the resorts spa and then soaked up some sun. That evening we went out to eat at McCormick and Schmicks. I had the best fish and by far the best ever apple dessert in my life. Seriously it was that good, a must if you ever go there!

Then it was off to the Phoenix Suns game. They got beat by Houston, but it was still a fun game to watch.

Finally, we flew out early Thursday morning. My sister picked us up and then it was off to get Liv from Nate and Jocelyn's. I have to admit I was worried that she wouldn't be happy to see us. But when we opened the door and she saw us, she gave us the biggest smile, started laughing and came running over for hugs and wouldn't let go. What a wonderful way to end our trip!

Drum Roll Please.......

We would like to officially announce the sexes of our babies! Baby B is in fact a BOY and babies A and C are both GIRLS!

Once again our visit went very well. All the babies seem to be developing very well at this time, as well as their momma. The doctor cleared us for our trip to Phoenix, so we are very grateful for that. Between work, doctor appointments, physical therapy for my back, taking care of Liv, and all the other day-to-day things that life brings Adam and I could really use a little R&R.

So while things are looking good Dr. Hess did say that between now and 20 weeks they will be carefully monitoring the girls at each appointment. Apparently, that is when twin to twin transfusion is most noticeable. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, twin to twin transfusion can occur when two babies share the same placenta. Basically, when this happens one of the babies ends up getting more of the nutrients from the placenta then the other baby. Which will leave one baby healthy and the other one in not so good of situation. But, like I said before, so far so good, and they seem to be sharing very well for the time being. Let's just all pray that they will continue to share at least for the next five months, and if I'm lucky the next 18 years!

Again they took a ton of pictures and even did some in 3D. I don't think I will be posting the 3D ones though because the babies are so tiny yet and I don't want to scare anyone. In those pictures you can see them like they are right there in the flesh. Once they get some meat on them I will show those. The ultrasound tech was able to get a good profile of the Baby B (the boy) and Baby A, but Baby C kept turning so you just get a side view. Otherwise I have a ton of body part pictures too if anyone is interested.

They are growing so fast and already look so cramped. I can't imagine how they are all going to fit in there! When I told my mom that she reminded me that I too will be growing with them. Growing out that is!

Just Liv

Ever since we found out we were going to be having triplets our blogs have been pretty much just about that. So, I thought it was time for a much needed update on Olivia.

When Adam and I found out that we were prego we decided to take Olivia out of Mother Goose Daycare and take Jocelyn up on her offer to watch her. And so far it has worked out great, at least for us! For those of you who don't know Jocelyn is my sister-in-law. She is married to Nate, Adam's brother, and they have three kids of there own. Brady is in first grade, Owen goes to preschool 3 days a week, and Mabry is just around a half of a year older then Liv. Adam drops Liv off in the morning and I usually pick her up after I get off work. She seems to really enjoy playing with her cousins and loves Jocelyn.

In September Olivia cut four more teeth and has been currently working on a couple more. She got pink eye in both eyes, then she got an ear infection in one of her ears. Poor thing couldn't catch a break!!! But that was the FIRST time that she has ever gotten sick and she was just turning 14 months old, so that is pretty darn good! And really the only bad thing about it when she was sick is that she didn't sleep through the night. Otherwise all she wanted to do is snuggle with her mommy, daddy, and blankie! Now she back on track and playing more then ever.
She is also picking up on things very quickly. She can tell you what a kitty and sheep says, and that a piggy snorts. She can't figure out how to snort yet so she makes a noise like she is clearing her throat...very cute! She also knows where her nose, toes and where her button (belly button) is. Liv is starting to talk a little. Saying things like; shoes, mo (more), mommy, daddy, and I swear she says thank you, even ask my mom.

Olivia still loves books and playing with her babies. She has also been testing out her Snoopy golf clubs that Paul Ortenzo in Greenville, SC gave her. Other things she likes to do is play chase and tackle your legs, hide behind doors and play knock-knock/who's there, draw on her magnetic board she got from Austin and Ashley in Texas, and climb on you like you are a jungle gym.

Liv has been so good an has always had such a great personality and I can only hope and pray that she has three younger siblings act the same way.