Monday

Monday. What can I say? Judging from the fact that I'm actually getting to this "Monday" post on Tuesday evening truly tells it all. My day began with little more than 4 hours of total sleep. This was followed by breakfast at 9:00 and then three starving babies again at 11:30. Here was the scene.

At the very same time that this was going on, I looked outside to see Griffen and Rhys, along with their two neighborhood accomplices, doing THIS.....

Yup, they turned our side yard into a virtual mud pit. Gonna have to make that landscaping project a bit of a priority!

On top of these eventful happenings, my littlest loves added two complete diaper blowouts and one full bottle throw up all over me!!! Sometimes you just gotta grab the camera.

"Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,

but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox."

(Proverbs 14:4)

Since Monday was so....uh....tiring, I will take a moment to reflect on Sunday. At my request, my dear sweet husband took the time to paint Princess Keira's fingernails. She was darling in her pretty pink dress and manicure. And you will be hard pressed to find two more handsome little guys than T and D. 

And since I haven't posted in a little while, and since the grandparents are loving all the pics, I will post a few more random happenings from my past few Monday's, Tuesday's, Wednesday's, Thursday's, and Friday's. Enjoy!

Yes, I tell myself this a little too often!

Older brothers!!! What can you do?

Griffen's newest trick.

My time is up. I hear three crying babes in the background and Rhys just announced, "I just can't deal with all these kids." :) 

Holiday Fun

Our family enjoyed a great Fourth of July this year. To think - last year at this time we were preparing for our first embryo transfer. I had already begun all the medications and we eagerly awaited what God had in store for our life. This year we enjoyed the festivities as a family of seven! Plus, my parents were in town for a short visit, thus increasing our brood by two. The day began as it has the past several years with a gourmet breakfast at the Hartzell's house. "Miss Barb" prepared a delicious feast of casseroles and breads. She sent us on our way at 9:00 AM with a collection of patriotic goodies and we headed to the Derby parade. Our family donned our "Jim Howell for Sedgwick County Commissioner" shirts and we all walked along in support of his campaign. The babies got lots of attention in their decorated stroller and Griffen and Rhys energetically passed out candy and cheered. After a very full morning, we arrived home and took a NAP! Yes, this mother of five got a 3 HOUR NAP!!! That was quite possibly the highlight of my entire week. :) The evening found us enjoying a fabulous smoked brisket and watching fireworks from our driveway. Daddy even set up the tent in our backyard, where he spent the night with Griffen and Rhys watching the sky filled with bright bursts of red, white, and blue. As Griffen stated, "This was a perfect family day." I would have to agree!

Family Pics

A friend from church is starting up his own photography business called "Elliott Fine Art." Desiring to create a portfolio of his work, he has been taking demo pictures for several in our church. Here is a sampling from our family session.

The Five Fuller Fellows

Two very handsome big brothers!!!

You gotta love the ad lib shot that shows how things really went down.

"I'm Glad It's Me, Too"

The babies had their two month doctor's appointment and shots yesterday. The poor nurse could hardly keep from crying after giving 9 sticks to three crying babies. In the end, they all survived and are growing like weeds!

9 pounds, 4 ounces

22 inches long

36.9 cm. head circumference

8 pounds

20 1/4 inches long

37.1 cm. head circumference

Drake also got clearance to ditch the apnea monitor, so he is now free and clear of all wires!!!

9 pounds, 8 ounces

20 inches long

37.5 cm. head circumference

You can imagine that with three babies, we get some interesting looks and comments. Several times now, I have had someone say to me, "I'm glad it's you and not me." And, no doubt, they are referring to all the hard work, sleepless nights, diaper changes, and energy exertion. But, I have to say, there is nothing quite like snuggling 3 precious babies, waking up to 3 almost smiling faces, and gazing at 3 sleeping angels! And so, I proudly answer, "I'm glad it's me, too." 

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!"  (Psalm 34:8)

Full Term

Drake and daddy arrived at Wesley Hospital at 5:30 this morning where our little guy had surgery to repair an inguinal hernia. Everything went well and they should be coming home tomorrow morning sometime. We were also excited to learn that Drake weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces today! That's a gain of almost a full pound in only nine days! Thank you to all who have been praying for our littlest peanut.

Tomorrow officially marks the babies 40 week gestational age. It's just amazing how well they are doing, despite arriving almost nine weeks early! Our family certainly is FULLER because of them. (OK, really bad pun, I know.) Check out this scene that I get to stare at each morning at 2:00 AM.Yup, I feed them simultaneously in their car seats. :) No matter how tired I am, I find myself just praising the Lord for these three little miracles!

Personalities have certainly begun to emerge. Keira (AKA "Keira-biner", "Honey Bear", "Groany McMoany Pants", and "Keria-Leigh") has definitely exerted her little self as the type A. While she is as cute as a button, she is also the loudest and most opinionated! Even at 8 weeks old, she has mastered the art of getting someone to hold her. She loves warm baths, lotion, and undivided attention. 

And then, there are the boys. Taerik (AKA "Taerik-dactyl", "T-Rex", "T-Bone", "Taerik Drew", and "Riki Drew") is just about the easiest, most laid back baby I have ever seen. Of course, I hope I'm not knocking on wood when I say that. He is so easy to love and adore! Taerik can be laying right between his two little crying siblings and never make a peep. He is just fine with hands flailing in his face and loud screams in his ear. He is also a great eater, burper, and sleeper. Praise the Lord for at least one of these!

Little Drake is about as cuddly as they come. We haven't come up with quite as many nicknames for him yet. No worries, though. This should only take daddy a little while longer, as they seem to flow quite easily with him. The best we've got so far is "Drake McMuffin" and "Drake Xander". Being the smallest, he certainly does endear himself to you! I even enjoyed a one on one date last Thursday all over Wichita with my littlest fellow. Of course, most of the day was spent at doctor's visits, but still.... We are so thankful for Drake and for God's healing in his little body.  

These babies certainly never lack attention. At church, there is usually a waiting line to hold them and at home, their two older brothers are always by their side. Griffen and Rhys come to the rescue at even the smallest whimper. They just adore their babies and are good helpers to mom, as well.

Growing, Growing, Growing

This morning the babies had their "6 week check up" --- at 7 1/2 weeks old and 38 1/2 weeks gestational age. Confused yet? There truly are so many dates to keep track of. People ask me what my original due date was and I don't even know. It changed so many times. What I do know is that the babies are growing! At today's appointment they weighed in at:

Taerik - 8 pounds, 6 ounces and  20 inches long

 Drake - 6 pounds, 12 ounces and almost 19 inches long

Keira - 8 pounds, 9 ounces and 20 inches long

Yup, two of my little babes have officially outgrown their newborn clothes and diapers! Drake is working hard to catch up and is certain to get there eventually. We did learn today that he will need to have surgery to repair a hernia. While the doctor assured me that this is only a minor surgery that is common in preemies, it still has this mommy concerned. Drake will likely need to stay in the hospital for 1-2 days after surgery. Prayers would be appreciated that everything would go smoothly. We are also still waiting for Drake to be able to lose the apnea monitor. The hope is that it could be removed within the next four weeks or so. The alarms have sounded several times now, so this could affect that time frame. He is such a precious little guy and we just keep praying him through to each new milestone.  

I have been asked several times if all three babies ever cry at the same time. The answer is "yes". I took this video just the other day before feeding time. 

While that clip was pretty cute, sometimes they get REAL hacked off. Not that I want to mention any names or anything, but our little miss definitely has deep convictions about life. This next video was shot right before diaper time last night. (She's really going to hate me for this someday, isn't she?)

I'm not going to lie. There have definitely been moments where I find myself clinging to various passages of Scripture. Deuteronomy 33:25 says, "...as your days, so shall your strength be." Another favorite is I Chronicles 16:11-12. "Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done." By His grace, the hard work and stress are balanced with moments like these that just melt my heart. That is when I remember His goodness and bow my head in deep gratitude. We are very blessed!