"Actually, we've got a nice little Saturday planned...

... maybe we'll hit Bed Bath and Beyond. I don't know! I don't know if we'll have enough time! " 


Life is wonderfully dorky and full once you have your own family to share it with. 


Well, it was a pretty nice little Saturday/weekend for the Hackman 5.


In pictures -

One of those, "I've always pictured this trip as a family " moments -- Our 1st official trip to the Farmers Market! Apples for baby applesauce & Coffee for Mom & Dad

Daddy & Gracie at brunch @ Good Morning Mamas

Quinner & Mama

Harper couldn't contain her excitement 

A hot SWEET potato out of the oven... my 1st prep job for real baby food! How did we get here?!

The finished project 

Harper and her arch nemesis, food

Gracie girl 

Quinn Mmm smells good 

Success! These sweet things are good!

We aren't shocked at the licked bowl 

Too tired to be bothered...

1st Farmers Market Salad of the season..this kitchen thing is like riding a bike, it's been awhile, but.. 

Fresh mushrooms and fresh spinach pasta from farmers market and vino for mom & dad 

Our new pj's!! That little 5 lbs when born baby Quinn is in 12 month clothing @ 5 months..way to "grow" Q

This isn't that cool to most - but when I found Quinn in a turned over position in bed for the 1st time, I had tears.. he just looked less newborn like - bittersweet :) Good for the flat head!

Coming soon..our 4 month update! (hopefully before they are a year and 4 months...)

Winnie the Pooh & Triplets too

I think that when your newborn baby smiles at you those first times, its like the world freezes and you got your 1st paycheck for all the hard work you have put in. Payback for pregnancy nausea, the delivery, the sleepless nights, the fear of the unknown and the tornado on your body. At that moment, it's all worth it.

Today I read a quote from Winnie the Pooh:

"Pooh," Piglet whispered to Pooh.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing, said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw, " I just wanted to be sure of you."



Watching Quinn, Harper & Gracie "just be sure of each other" has been more than just a physical return of payback from my babies. It has been a reminder to me that this is right. This is why they all came at once. And it's bigger than Scott & I. They are our gifts, but oh what gifts they are to each other.

They will all be on the playmat (what we refer to as the ocean) and look straight up at hanging toys and then will reach over and just place a hand on one another. Or will immediately take hands when put by each other. Or will be on their tummy, look up, see each other and just smile a big happy grin, "like, oh good, you're here!" Or maybe my favorite, just turning their head and staring at each other - like no one else is in the room.  A special, God chosen bond. Something they can always "be sure of..." 

Five hundred twenty-five thousand Six hundred minutes

My 1st Mothers Day with my three sweet peas :)

As the song goes,

"How do you measure, measure a year?"

For me, it's simple and not so simple.

A year ago, Mother's Day, I was in Nashville,TN .. training for my dream job. A hard day as an employee at lululemon sometimes meant a 6 am cycle class, a full day working with customers, a "fun run" 6 miler followed by an hour and half hot,hot yoga class. And I was doing it all.

I just wasn't doing it alone last year. Little did I know that when I would fly home the day after Mother's Day that I would be getting my blood drawn to show levels of 2500. (If you have ever had your HCG levels checked...for reference, 20ish is pregnant..yes, I was 2500 and oh so naive). I should have known that if I ALMOST DIED in the hottest, longest and most grueling yoga class I've ever taken while in Nashville and these three little fighters stuck it out that I was in for the ride of my life. (I of course was totally clueless I was pregnant..as this 1st round of shots was to test my ovaries...no we didn't do IVF like most people think..just the smallest dose possible of those innocent shots to "boost" your ovaries...)

It certainly is different for everyone, but for me, it happened when I took my eyes of the goal. It's as annoying as high school sweethearts - but it's true. When I totally started to live my life, enjoy being me and enjoy my marriage with our without children, that is when it happened. God repaid us for the almost two years of heartbreak, struggle and absence. And as a testimony that God does provide in abundance and more than you can imagine in your wildest dreams... we were paid in triplicate. And those gifts came in the form of Harper Jo, Gracie Jean and Quinn Scott.

For a true reflection of the journey..here is a post from Mother's Day of 2009 (actually my first ever blog post) - Mothers Day 2009.

Isn't it ironic??

As we celebrate Mother's Day 2011...the answer to the question..how do you measure a year?

"You know that love is a gift from up above
Share love, give love spread love
Measure measure your life in love"
 
(lyrics to Seasons of Love from RENT)

I feel "____" (pick emotion) today 

The handsomest little man in my world 

50 year old self

So, Laura, this is a shout out to you, friend, for teaching me about the concept of "What would my 50 year old self think/say/do???"

Today was one of those 13 hour days that felt really...triplet like.

Triple the crying. Triple the POOP. Triple the drool and trying to pull back lips to look at gums to see if it's teething or the wheels have just fallen off. Triple the cries in the monitor when you just want your morning coffee ... at noon. Triple the car seats to take out when you have to go on a walk for a showing. Triple the butts to wash in the bath when you are alone and your husband is working (why bath when alone you ask?? see POOP above). Triple the washcloths, towels and bottles and burp rags to scrap up at the end of they day. Etc. etc...

But as I was doing my nightly stare at every single little body as they sleep and pray over them ritual...I remembered...What would my 50 year old self remember about this day? About this time? About this small but mighty chunk in our lives?

Awe...I would hope I remember the sleepy smile I got from Harper in her little pink outfit that doesn't quite fit her yet..but we wore it anyways because it matched G & Q. The way Gracie giggles from somewhere deep inside her big Buddha belly when you jiggle her a little bit. I hope I can recall the walk we went on as a family with Scott in his dress shoes and me in my scrubs just to get out for a showing and use it as an opportunity to catch up on our dreams. And the way Quinn really digs eating rice cereal and how he cries when the spoon leaves his mouth! And the serious koala bear hug naked Harper gave me today around my neck. Those babbles and goos and blaahs filling up our once empty house. And those unique smiles from each of them..And oh Gracie singing to herself while the other two battled who could cry harder waiting on bedtime bottles. And to top it off..pretty much everybody falling to sleep before not only a bedtime story..but before even getting pj's on... and they didn't even judge me :)

It's perfect. All of it.

I don't think I've posted this song yet... But how appropriate to share it now - because it's true!!!!!!!!

You're Gonna Miss This -- by Trace Adkins

Getting Mouthy

A day in the life of triplet mouths...

Smiles -- in the morning, helpful for tired mom & dad since it's worth getting out of bed just for that!

Confused -- not so sure about rice cereal for lunch ... see below for pictures (we tried our 1st bites a week ago.. so this is our 3rd attempt..making strides but are not committed to this weird spoon and texture thing yet. I keep promising nanners mixed in soon.. yum)

Drool -- fingers and sometimes not afraid to stuff fists in mouth. unexplained crying fits. chewing the nipple (no, i do not breast feed anymore) it's beginning to look alike lot teething...everywhere you go

Mmmma -- Harper has been making "mmmmaaa" sounds when crying. Quinn happened to look up from his bottle today and make a short and i want to believe, intentional "ma"noise. Gracie is for certain waiting to blabber "da" first as she favors this parent. I know it's probably just accidental blabber, but it still makes me melt

Triplet talk -- Gracie & Quinn while laying on the bed & waiting to be tended to (Harper getting diaper changed) were closed mouth grunting back to each other..sort of like their normal ooing and cooing, but like "rrrrroooo" back & forth. I'm sure it was complaining about the delayed dinner service around here.

Bleeding -- out of his mouth, as in Quinn after his bath. So as Dad is at work, ALL THREE ARE SCREAMING, i do what any mom would do (ok, maybe not) I call 911. I literally thought he was having a weird bleed out the mouth episode. I hang up on the 1st ring, this is crazy. Of course, they call back to rub it in. They hear screaming babies and a "woman in distress" and don't quite believe me "that yes, everything is alright". I start thinking they need to teach new moms something similar to what we learned about catching on fire in elementary...like instead of "stop, drop and roll" it should be "stop, think and think again before you call 911." Oh well, pretty sure he just snagged a nice tear in the gums with his fist and claws in the mouth action. 

Kisses --  goodnight...another day in the sweet life of 4 month old Quinn, Harper & Gracie  :) 

HEY, THIS ISN'T MY BOTTLE??!!!

Before 

Gracie not sure 

Harper a little more sure 

After... we're stuffed 

Harpers favorite part, wiping her mouth after

Gracie is so jealous Quinn isn't in the hot seat 

I think I can, I think I can 

Oh mom

Spitting out... 

And licking lips. This stuff may be decent