The Jones Family

Yesterday I made a point to finally sit down together and take a picture of the whole family.

Chillin' with my Bro

Talk to the Hand

Charlotte is very expressive with her little hands and arms. This is one of her favorite moves - sassy!

A Night's Carnage

Many people have asked what a typical night is like with three newborns. I never really know how to answer - so I thought this picture would give you a good idea. Every morning, after the 6 am feeding, we gather up the carnage from the night before. You can tell if it was a particularly rough night because bottles, burp clothes, binkies and dirtied clothes are strewn everywhere. Three babies call for a lot of bottle washing, which is why we're on bottle brush #2 already. These babies like to eat!

Mini Nana

Do you remember "Nana" the protective dog from Peter Pan the Disney cartoon? Well, our little Cleo is a "Mini Nana". It seems that Cleo's maternal instincts are kicking in. She gets up on her hind legs and looks into the cribs or swings to check on the babies. When someone begins to cry, Cleo will look at the baby with her ears up, run to us and look at us with her ears down, then run over to the baby again....just like Lassy or Nana! Good Girl, Cleo!

Us Against Them

Last night was a rough one. Today I asked Kreg if we slept last night…the question in and of itself is pretty telling. His answer was "Uh, no, I don't think so. Well, maybe a half hour here of there." I had a feeling it would be tough at the 7pm feeding because I turned to Kreg and said "united we stand, divided we fall…it's us against them". Regardless, we seem to be loosing the battle of strategy and stamina to these three 9 week old preemies… they're tougher than they look and nighttime is their strong suit.

Bath Time with Grammie

Well, it seems I'm not the best when it comes to bathes. I think I'm supposed to love this time with my babies and bask in the nuturing glory of motherhood. The truth is, I'm not so into it and Lita took the time to show me how "Bath Time" is done. We lined up all our towels, washclothes, and product and stripped those babies down for a good scrubbing! Grammie showed us how to do the "football hold" and get their little bodies nice and clean. My favorite part was the end - Alton, Baxter, and Charlotte were so sweet wrapped up in their hooded towels. Since my lesson, I'm getting more and more comfortable with the bath time ritual. Thanks Grammie!!

The Jones Trio

Just wanted to post a picture of the three little guys together. For some reason we don't get a lot of these...probably because one is bound to be eating, crying, or getting changed!

First Day Back

This past Monday was my first day back in the office. In the morning I happily did my hair and make-up…even wore heels. Lita and my mom cautiously said goodbye to me - as if waiting for some tears... nothing and I ran out the door. The drive in was liberating and everyone was so welcoming in the office. At lunch I hit Kmart to buy Kreg deodorant and stopped by the baby department. There I stood in the middle of the department with tears welling up in my eyes - I quickly pulled it together and headed to check out. As I began to pay for the tube of deodorant, the cashier asked "would you like to donate to the March of Dimes" … it happened. Tears… giant, uncontrollable, slightly pathetic tears poured down my face as I whimpered "Yes, yes I would". I then proceeded to sniffle and slobber on about the babies, their NICU stay, and that they were exactly 2 months that day as this poor cashier stared at me slightly horrified with my change in her hand. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying work once again, but I suppose I'm only human

Thanks Grandmom!

I have to send out a great big thank you to my mom. MUAH!!! My dad used to say "Super Mom to the rescue" for a reason and my mom's super powers sure are shining these days. If it were not for her, I'm not sure where Kreg and I would be in the middle of this "multiples madness". Here is a picture of Grandmom demonstrating her amazing multi-tasking abilities with ease. Not only does she calm fussy babies like a pro, but this grandmom knocks out multiple feedings, does laundry, and washes bottles too. I know that in the future I will look back on these days with a smile. I'll remember the 2 am feedings with her sitting on the floor and handing me clementine pieces while I give someone a bottle. I suppose you really do never stop being a mom.

March 11th - A Date in my Memory

Today was my due date - 40 weeks - it's hard to believe. March 11th is the date I would state when asked "when are you due?" then follow up with my explanation of why it would be earlier. Alton, Baxter, and Charlotte are 8 weeks old today because they learned about Charlotte's small size at my 32 week ultrasound measurements appointment. 8 weeks old, yet just due...

Comfy Cozy

Last week we discovered the wonderful world of relaxing in "boppy pillows". Alton is showing how comfortable it is chilling on the couch in this great invention.

Cheeky Lady

Looking back at some older photos gave me a reminder of how far Charlotte has come. She is really filling out and looks like a "baby". For so long we worried about weight gain and looked down at her tiny face wondering if she would ever fill in....today I look at her chubby cheeks with a grateful smile. She's an amazing little girl!

Bustin' at the Seams

Holy smokes these kids keep growing! In this pic Baxter is showing how he and his brother no longer fit into many of their newborn clothing. They sure do like to chow down. Charlotte has also grown out of most of her preemie outfits. I can't believe it's time to pack some things away - it was just a month ago when they weren't allowed to wear anything while in the isolettes!

6.5 Weeks Stats

Alton = 7 pounds 10 ounces
Baxter = 7 pounds 13 ounces
Charlotte = 5 pounds 2 ounces

They sure are growing!! We're averaging about an ounce and a half a day!

Triple-Duty Doc Appointments

This week was our first trial in hitting the doc offices with all three babies. What a test of physical and emotional strength!

Yesterday grandmom Stimson and I hit the opthamologist and got through the appointment with little sweat. The biggest challenge was actually getting the babies in and out of the car and offices.

Today grandmom Hanlon and I managed through a pediatrician appointment with a few more hurdles to clear. First off, we had to feed everyone at the office which was crazy and then changed three diapers ontop of everything (stinky ones too). Babies and clothes were being passed around in wild abandon but, we got through it. Lastly, I had to experience my babies getting a shot for the first time and fought back tears while kissing their little heads. UGH.

Thanks to the grandmoms for the big help!