Hodgepodge

It seems like things change daily in our house! We also seem busier then ever... and to tell you the truth I just can't keep up with the blog as well as I used to. I think I have three posts started, but none with pictures. But, I love the blog... it's a great record for when the babies are older, it keeps our families in the loop, and it's therapeutic :) All great things!

So, here are a few updates from the last few weeks... just to be clear, there will be a "Hodgepodge Part 2" and probably a "Hodgepodge Part 3" in the near future :)

- Olivia can point to her head, nose, and belly button on command... of course she really likes to point to the inside of her nose - dad is proud she's up to her 3rd knuckle :) George has figured out where his ears are, and Samuel still likes to poke out his tongue and laughs when you return the favor.

- George loves walking with his shopping cart... and anything else he can push. The boy wants nothing more then to stand! Of course Olivia wanted nothing to do with pushing the shopping cart - until George did it - now she's starting to show a little more interest. For example, she doesn't cry when she touches it :)

- Samuel is trying so hard to roll over! That darn ventilator...

- Everyone has become a copy cat... Samuel with facial expressions, George with laughing, and Olivia with just about everything. (DB's college buddy, Trevor, brought his 4-year old daughter to visit and George and Olivia thought she hung the moon! They wanted to watch, and do, everything she did - it was so cute.)

- Olivia managed to take off her diaper during her nap and poop in her bed - but did NOT smear it anywhere, good girl :) Apparently that's a normal toddler thing... that I hope to never see!

- Samuel still likes his alone time, and let's you know it. He pretends to fall asleep, but the second you're gone he has a party all by himself :)

- George and Olivia involuntarily dance any time music comes on - it's awesome! Especially when they realize they're dancing and really get into it. Olivia has started waving her arms, and George does this fist pump that makes his bootie come off the ground. Samuel has also started dancing with a side-to-side move that almost knocks him out of his chair - DB takes complete credit for this one.

A few catch up photos...

Samuel is interested in everything! Including drums... or rather trying to figure out how the drums work :)

And of course he is having a great time using his tooth brush! This is actually a huge step for him... he still has those oral aversions, but he will go to town munching on his tooth brush - yea!

Samuel also loves to laugh! What this photo doesn't show is the side-to-side dance he has perfected.

Sweet boy taking a nap :)

My "normal" baby...
Sweet Olivia, our baby who has had the most normal life since coming home with no continuing health issues, has all the "normal" baby issues! First there was the cut above her eye a few weeks ago... and this time it was HIVES!

I was worried sick. The doctor was great - once he saw her and realized it was not a shellfish allergy (no, I didn't give her shellfish on purpose), and that it was just hives, he laughed that I knew too much intensive care stuff and not a lot of day-to-day baby stuff :)

Not sure just how bad the hives were... check out this smiling girl and then the one above of her red and swollen. Agh! Swollen and red lips, ears, and cheeks. You can't tell from the photo, but she even had little hives on her arms, back, stomach, and legs. Not fun. But very easily cured :)

George and Olivia love water! They try to grab a drink anytime they see a water bottle... even if the bottle isn't theirs :)

Samuel is also enjoying the wide variety of accessories at our house... this one is the hat that is just like dads :)

George and Olivia are incorporating Samuel into their play more and more every day!

Hi!

Come Back Magic Bus!

We miss you, Magic Bus!

Cousins Gary and Elizabeth came for a week-long visit last week - and it was so wonderful! They were also here last April, when George and Olivia came home, which was such a huge help. This visit was just as great! We were so spoiled to have four more hands-on-deck AND nightly dinner conversation with another couple. Come back soon!

Gary and Elizabeth purchased an RV - "the magic bus" - and starting taking trips last year. They take a few months at a time and travel to and from a destination, stopping to visit friends and take in the sights along the way. It sounds like so much fun! Of course, DB is mostly interested in the workings of the bus... I had no idea you could ask so many questions about it. That's my car guy!

We love their stops here! Last year it was organizing the drawers in the baby room and helping with last-minute preparations to come home... and then caring for little tiny babies :) This year, it was caring for big babies and getting used to R2D2 (the ventilator). I mentioned it before, but they were also here for the March for Babies :) And took a lot more photos than I did, here are a few...

George and Elizabeth - having fun at the walk with Gary's hat!

Family photo... minus one. Samuel, that third seat is for YOU! There's always next year :)

After the March...

Elizabeth and Gary came bearing gifts! This caterpillar was a fast favorite... which was good because Olivia needed some coaxing. She has a bit of stranger anxiety, which seems to be worse with males than females. Let's just say Gary wins the prize for patience! Actually, Elizabeth got sick for a few days (ugh) but Gary still came over by himself to watch George and Olivia... which is even more impressive when you consider that the first few days Olivia would either crawl quickly the other way or cry when Gary came to pick her up. Sheesh!

But after much patience, a few dances...

... an enticing necklace (she can't pass up accessories), and a few fish faces...

... Olivia was all about jungle gym Gary :) George does not have the same stranger anxiety - hooray!

I'm pretty sure George was NOT amused when he realized we were making the shadows he was chasing :) ha ha!

Samuel had a great time too! He even sat in a highchair for the first time! I think he enjoyed our dinner-time conversation - he certainly joined in :)

He also enjoyed playing... but I'm not sure he understands that sticking your tongue out at someone is not generally considered a good thing.

Hooked on basketball... Samuel has developed a thing for watching basketball! The tv isn't on too much in our house, but in the last few weeks we have had Duke and Lakers fans in town for visits... the second that Duke game went on, he was hooked! Then the Lakers took the screen two weeks later, and same thing, he loved it. Sportscaster in the making?!

There was also lots of outside time! Luckily, after a few days of being sick, Elizabeth was back on her feet and having a great time!

George and Olivia even got their first big trip to the park!

The Park

George lovin' the swings :)

Olivia not lovin' the swings...

... but this one seems more fun! Especially with her own cheering section :)

Big boy on the slide. A little unsure...

... until the end! That was fun!

Breakfast at the park... Gary and Elizabeth definitely have the hang of two babies :) They are always welcome at our house!

Before the green grass...

George and Olivia love being outside! Good thing because we've got big plans for our family once Samuel is off of this ventilator!

A few catch-up pictures from March... before the grass was green. Now that it's turning, I think there will be a lot more time outside :)

This stuff is kinda prickly...

... and it doesn't taste very good...

... but it sure is interesting!

I think I like it :)

Hmmm... you've got to be kidding me...

... but I guess you're right, George, it is interesting...

... but I'm more interested in sitting on you! Thanks for the back rub George!

A little bit greener... and George is still checkin' it all out. Gotta love our little inspector!

Olivia, on the the other hand, seems much more enthusiastic!

Popsicle Time!

Maybe they'll be a bit more into it when it's warmer... notice the jackets :)

Even more green outside... but now George is just hangin' out, waiting for a call :)
Thank you Kristen and Josh for the great Easter present! A table and THREE little chairs!

Marching

This weekend was our local March of Dimes walk! It was so great to be out there... feeling like we're giving back at least a little. Actually, all of you who donated to our walk are the ones making a difference - thank you! You would be proud, we were recognized as the Top Individual Fundraiser for our local walk. THANK YOU! And check it out, I read this somewhere on the website, but it was reiterated at the walk... $.93 of every $1 goes directly to the March of Dimes programs, research, etc. That is incredible. Only $.07 of every $1 goes to administrative costs, etc. I love that... the focus really is on raising money to save babies.

Besides seeing some friends at the walk, we also had a few friends and family walk with us - yea! We are so incredibly lucky for so many reasons. Kristin and cousins Gary and Elizabeth came along for the 4-miles! Gary and Elizabeth weren't supposed to get here until after the event, but made it in Friday evening and were able to come be with us on Saturday. Not that DB and I don't love walking together, that's technically how we spent our first date, but it was really nice to have the support of the three of them with us every step of the way. Actually, not every step... there were definitely a few moments when we though Elizabeth, or should I say our navigator, might leave us in the dust... gotta love the competitive Biaett girls - I knew it was in my blood :) Actually, DB and I arrived just a bit late to the event - go figure - and our group was bringing up the rear, not generally where I like to be when it comes to anything competitive. But at least we were the top fundraiser, right!

Coordinating the walk day also meant finding someone to care for Samuel. How does one little boy steal enough hearts to have THREE people volunteer to stay with him?! Such a ham :) Omi and our friends Joe and Lori came to watch over our sweet Samuel while George and Olivia came with DB and I to the walk. Go figure, with three people to entertain, Samuel did not take his normal 10am nap :)

I really need to get back to taking more photos... here are the only two I took at the walk... slacker...

DB pushing George and Olivia... notice how far ahead of us everybody else is... ha ha!

Gary and Elizabeth at the turn around point - great view!

(I promise Kristen and I walked too :) )

Happy Babies

Beautiful smiling girl :)

George making his pirate face - I love this! I've been trying to get it on film forever - nice work, Stefanie!

I think someone is happy to be home... for THREE weeks straight!

A side note... the babies due date was this past Friday... the 16th. What perfect timing to March for Babies! I never understood how my parents could remember all these crazy details about when I was born, now I get it. Our babies were born on January 28th... but I'm not sure I'll ever forget that April 16th would have been 40 weeks. I will also never forget that March 19th would have been 36 weeks, which is the longest they let you go with triplets. March 19th was my goal... January wasn't even on my radar. Just the beginning of realizing how much is out of my control :)

Celebrations

This week our family celebrated life in very different ways... Olivia, George, and I attended the NICU reunion, and DB went to Virginia to attend his grandmothers funeral.

Damma, DB's grandmother, recently turned 90 and was an incredible woman. I've only known her for the last couple years, but here's what I do know... she was an independent, strong, christian, family oriented, woman who loved her babies and their babies and their babies... and one of the things I've really come to appreciate in the last year, she raised her two oldest children - twins - during the war! Damma will be missed very much, and I'm sure the celebration of her life this weekend was difficult but special. With Samuel still in such a fragile and unpredictable state, we weren't able to all pack up and go, but I was so happy that planning worked (thank you friends and Omi!) and DB was able to go and be with the family.

This photo was taken last May - we made our first road trip with George and Olivia (and DB's older brother) to see DB's little brother graduate from high school. It was also a special time for G & O to meet their great grandmother! 89 years old and holding two babies with ease - go Damma :)

Before DB left for the services (at 2am), he made special morning messages for the babies...

... which they certainly appreciated!

The NICU reunion was appropriately tagged Come Celebrate Where All Your Dreams Began... and it was a sight to see! It was all families whose babies have been in one of the high level nurseries. There were little babies still on oxygen and apnea monitors, all the way to big healthy kids running around. There were multiples and singletons. There were nurses, RT's, docs, behind the scenes folks... all these people who saved the lives of the children in attendance. And there were parents just beaming and showing off their children to anyone who would turn to look... me included :)

Samuel got to spend the day at home with Omi, which was awesome in itself! I think this was the first time - ever - that Omi and Samuel got to be just the two of them. Luckily Rachel could some along with us to the reunion, while I'm usually fine with George and Olivia, this was new territory. Within the first five minutes Olivia had a mini stranger-anxiety-breakdown, luckily she recovered quickly and we spent the rest of the day waving and dancing :) There were pony rides, a petting zoo, jump castles, face painting, a DJ, food, raffles, and even a train that gave rides. I had no idea it would be this crazy! Granted, Olivia and George didn't get to do everything, but they did try a few things...

Olivia is taking her dancing very seriously, while George pauses for a cheesy grin :)

The petting zoo was amazing! Little pigs, sheep, a goat, a tortoise, and a cow, among other things. George and Olivia both got to pet a duckling! But after Olivia almost ripped this one's beak off (shortly following this photo), I hope they didn't revoke that privilege for everyone.

We also got to meet up with friends! Julie's little girl was in the NICU with my three... born at 24 weeks and 2 days, she is also a little miracle! It was an incredible day to be surrounded by so many amazing stories. Julie was also at the Ronald McDonald House with me - it was nice to have a friend, especially when DB had to work.

We even rode the train with our friends :)

We also saw a few of our primaries, that was so great! We were sorry not to see them all, but three of the five that George and Olivia had is pretty good. (I've mentioned it before, but primary nurses are the BEST idea. A very brief recap - when a nurse signs up to be a primary for a baby, they try to pair them with that baby each time they work. When you are in the NICU for 11 weeks... or longer... it is so wonderful to have a few consistent nurses that get to know you and your baby really well.)