No Diapers, No Highchairs, Holy cow….. Pop goes Em

Hello Karlie blog followers. I hope all of you have been having an amazing summer. I know I am not the person who is usually writing so again welcome from the ghost writer Ken. Karlie’s other half (I will not say better half as she is raising our three unbelievable children- Hey I am their dad/husband so please give me a little room to boast.)  I wanted to jump in as the summer has flown by quicker than spring did. What happened to time slowing down?  Can someone tell Father Time to wind down the watch a bit please?

Ultimately that is what my post is about: Just when you think you are catching up you realize how fast things are going by.

Year one Tired Parents two days after coming back - Excited Kids

Last month we had a few big changes going on in the House of the “Tripl-lets” (as my sister’s kids like to call Em ,Nola, and Attie). We started down the crazy train of potty training and eating at a table. Let me tell you every blog is right about potty training. When you read what it’s going to be like during and right after Potty training – why they hell would any sane man or woman do it.  Constantly asking when the three of them are going to poop or pee, cleaning endless underwear, rolling up rugs ( yep really) and the best…… carrying around a port-o-john with you everywhere.

Seriously, we thought about giving up multiple times – 2nd day in became shot day after the kids went to bed. We contemplated -- was it so bad to see them graduate with adult diapers? Maybe there were advantages -- never having to leave a concert to go the bathroom and adult diapers are great for long road trips. You can see the imagination was working. Lucky for us, on the 3 day the clouds broke and Attie and Nola were going on the potty. The next week we went a whole week with just 2 accidents.

Meghan (our savior and nanny - whom we couldn’t rave about more) came in like a savant baby whisperer and with the help of Karlie got them all on track.  Today I can say that we are no longer buying diapers. OK, not big for people who don’t have kids – but with triplets – we were elated to see those expensive cases of diapers become a thing of the past.  Yes, our laundry has increased quite a bit to compensate – but we will take a small victory lap.

We have occasional flare-ups, and hey every once in while a kid gets stuck in a potty- yeah it happens when you’re in a restaurant ( Ray’s in Rye, N.H.- almost had a full-time meltdown as  Em fell in and got stuck in the toilet for a few minutes. I was freaking out- pacing like a mad man. We were both about to start crying before I gathered myself and found some calm. Surprisingly, I told him to hold his breath and like two new teammates in the potty marathon- we worked together to pop him out. (He was out and I was happy and did not care how many wipes I had to use to clean him up.)

Home Of Em's De-corking

The following week we got rid of the high chairs and our new kitchen seems wider, but at the same time melancholy that the highchairs are gone. Maybe it is just me, wondering where my little babies have already gone.  Like the new Mohawk we gave Attie,
we are off to new adventures, but I will miss the diapers and highchair days a bit. Father time can you slow down a bit…. maybe just a little.





On a different note- we lost my aunt Gerry last month. She was a wonderful woman, who was there for every birthday and every celebration growing up. One of those people in our lives that provides the glue that keeps us all moving forward. She was a big fan of the Triplets and we will miss her greatly. Gerry I hope you are beating  Pop and Will in Cards up there. We miss you.

Under Construction

It  has been ages since I updated this blog – AGES! It most definitely had something to do with this never-ending winter (I love winter – but c’mon this one was a real pain in the ass)  and the fact that our house has been undergoing renovations since the beginning of November – roughly 5 months – but it feels more like a 100.

It’s exhausting having different people in and out of your house on a daily basis. It’s like Grand Central – and I just want to it to be over.

The good news is – we finally have the kitchen we always wanted and an almost finished hangout for the adults, which is a den/library space.

But with three toddlers running around – let’s be honest – there’s no such thing as a totally adult space in this house.

And speaking of those little sweet peas… they are getting HUGE! In the last few months they shed any baby fat they had left – and are now lean and mean little machines.  The chatting is non-stop. They all have full sentences now and love to put each other in time out.

“You, time out, 2 minutes, OK!”

That’s a favorite quote from my Attie. He’s my force to be reckoned with. His latest obsessions include brushing his teeth, flicking the lights on and off and closing and opening all doors everywhere we go. Of course when he does open a door he likes to close it real fast and bolt. He’s constantly keeping us on our toes.

Nola Grace and Em are definitely a little tamer – although they too have their little obsessions. Brushing their teeth is right up there as well (I’m sure the bubblegum toothpaste has something to do with it!) --- And she’s just starting to pick out what she wants to wear. I hear a lot of “No Mommy” when I try to dress in her in something she doesn’t approve of. I can imagine it will only get worse from here.

Emmie has been working hard at being a true gentleman. Says a lot of please and thank you’s and you’re welcomes. The other two do as well… but Em has got it down pat. As polite as he is, my big man definitely has a little temper, which is what gets him sent to “time out” more than anything else.

Other highlights and low-lights from the past few months:

• Calling poison control after Nola Grace climbed out of her pack n’ play during nap time and tore through our bathroom. She unearthed some old bottle of aspirin that had a crack in the bottom. (We had no idea it was in there). I literally almost had a heart attack when I saw white pills on the floor.  Fortunately, she he didn’t take any – and much as it scared the S*** out of me – it was a good lesson learned: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE WHAT A TODDLER CAN FIND OR CLIMB!
• The three of them constantly scheming and working together to get what they want – mostly to escape from their room! It’s such a bummer when they learn how to climb out of their cribs.
• Mommy-and-Me class will be no more after Wednesday. The three amigos start a “kids only” class the first week in April. That means pre-school is on the radar for the fall.  I can’t believe it – what happened to my toothless, pudgy little babies!
• They love to dance and hold hands while singing the theme song to Barney. Yes, they go crazy over that (sometimes annoying) big purple dinosaur.  It’s the sweetest sight to see them all hugging.
• They’re obsession over apple juice has hit a new high. I think I should start investing in the Honest Kids Juice line.
• I should also start investing in Maderma Scar Gel because Attie has dings all over his forehead and nose from being such a wild man! ( see photo below)
• Watching each of them develop into such unique individuals. Yes, they’re all distinctly different– yet there’s no denying the truly amazing connection they share. It’s gotta be that “multiple” thing!                 

And as exhausting as motherhood can be at times - I’m just happy to have a front row seat to the show!

P.S.
Speaking of obsessions – this is my latest: The Madsen Bucket Bike. I need to save my pennies (a lot of them) for this sweet ride!

That bucket has seating for 4 kiddos. I need one!

Attie's latest boo boo after climbing on our new metal stools.


A taste of spring - and our crazy dog Blue!




And here's the new kitchen. Finally!