We have had such a great Friday and weekend!

Friday was filled with fun little moments! Abigail started the day with a sweet little bit of singing! It was precious! She has been cooing for some time, but it was a continuous little song! I can't help but stop and smile when she does that kind of stuff! She just melts my heart! I brought her into the kitchen and sat her in her carrier on the floor so that I could feed her baby food! Cade and Annabelle had finished their breakfast so they were sitting on each side of the baby watching me feed her. They were quite curious about the banana baby food and oatmeal cereal! I couldn't resist, so I offered Cade a bite. He ate it, but made a really funny face! I figured it was Annabelle's turn, so I put a little bit in her mouth! Oh my, I thought I was going to pop from laughing so hard! She started gagging and I was afraid she was going to be sick on the spot! I grabbed her a sippy cup and she drank like there was no tomorrow. I think its safe to say that Abigail has the baby food all to herself! :)

Annabelle got her hands on a polo blue, mens fragrance insert from the Macy's add! I showed her that you open the scent strip and sniff! I guess during all those years that I worked for Ralph Lauren, somehow it soaked into my blood and passed to her, because she loved it! I actually took it away from her after a while of watching her walk around the house swith it stuck to her nose, sniffing! Hope those brain cells are ok!  Her daddy would love me for that!

Later in the afternoon, I found myself snickering again as I watched to twins try to give eachother a high five! So far they have only given other people high five..people who know how to hold their hands still and let them do the slapping! When the two of them tried together, they were a mess! Neither one of them could figure out why they couldn't make their hands hit together!They both were blinking too which didn't help! Too funny! We'll have to work on that one! :)

Everyday, the afternoon (right around 4pm) is one of the busiest times for me. The twins have gotten up from their nap, Shane has usually fallen asleep on the floor while playing with them, for his 20 minute or so " teenager" nap, and Abigail is wanting her bottle. I'm usually also starting to work on dinner! It can get a little crazy!  Anyway, I tease that one of the most common phrases I say daily is, "I'll be with you in just a moment"! On Friday afternoon , it got shortened to "hang on"! I was scrambling around the kitchen and Abigail had started squawking (as Ma Carrie once called it when she was starting to fuss) a little bit for her bottle. I started talking to her as I often do (as if she understands). I said, "Abigail, sweetie, hang on, Mommy is getting it as soon as she can"! At that point Annabelle, who was standing in the kitchen, turned toward where Abigail was, and said, "hang on" to her! She considered it very important to let Abigail know to hang on! She has so much personality, goodness!

I had also bought some kids bandaids at the grocery store (since Cade has had a boo boo on his elbow that keeps getting bumped each time he falls). I had put one on him and I had a cut on my finger, so I put one on too! I thought poor Annabelle might feel left out, so I asked her if she wanted one. I started toward her with it and she started screaming and crying! I was shocked! I kept trying to get close enough to show her the pretty designs on it and that it was just a bandaid! She was shaking and having a fit! It finally hit me..Every month from November through March, for the past two winters, a nurse would come to the house to administer the synagis shot to each of the twins! That nurse would always get out the bandaids for each leg before she ever got started! Annabelle would scream, shake, and cry over the shots everytime! She had to associate the bandaids I bought with it all!  (not to mention the one after her flu shot a couple of months ago). I can't think of any other reason she would act that way! I did finally get one on her hand where there was no boo boo! Oh, how she held her hand up for kisses on that spot!  Silly girl!

Daddy decided it would be fun to head up to Blue Ridge on Saturday for a picnic and to let the twins play on some property. I packed three outfits for each of them as I was sure they would be getting dirty! We threw their wagon in the truck along with the golden and yorkie- of course the yorkie had to ride in my lap, not the back of the truck! Anyway, they were too busy exploring to sit and picnic! We had to stuff bites in while they were passing by! Cade always had rocks in his hands every time he blew by! Annabelle wanted to keep playing in the tupperware bowl we had filled with water for the dogs to drink. Sheez! Abigail sat up in her bumbo chair and enjoyed being with us! It was not exactly a Norman Rockwell picnic, but it was fun anyway! We had 4 deer come right up to where we were! By the time we had slowly moved to get the camera, they turned and ran off! They were really pretty!

We went to a different area and piled the babies in their wagon to haul them down to a creek! Oh my, they had such a great time splashing and walking around in the water. It was only about 5 or 6 five inches deep in most places. So perfect for them, except it was ice cold! Good thing it was 77 degrees outside!  The dogs were in heaven too! Cade wound up falling down a good bit. Poor fellow, it was a lot to navigate for one who has only been walking for 3 months! It never deterred him! He would pop back up and keep on playing! Needless to say, they were soaking wet and so dirty when it was time to go. Annabelle cried and had a fit to stay. She was having so much fun! I love her eager, adventurous spirit, It definitely reminds me of how Darby was as a young child! We had let them play for a good while but wanted to get them in dry clothes! She cried the whole way back to the truck! Poor Jamie, he was pulling the wagon uphill, through the thick woods, and then on deep gravel! I had Abigail in a body carrier and her little legs were swinging back and forth as I puffed up the hill! Whew, I have seriously got to get on that treadmill!  Cade has so much dirt in his hair, Jamie used a huge water bottle to pour over his head just to get it out! We got them dry and snuggled back in their warm car seats! We rode back into town for a chocolate milkshake! Did I mention I had packed three outfits? Oh yes, after the shakes, we went to the third outfits! ha ha! But they loved it! We made one more stop to feed Abigail her bottle, then decided to head home! We were tired but so grateful  for such a simple, wonderful day with these little ones! Wish Shane had been able to go! 

Sunday, we rested! :) It was a great. lazy day!

Monday we enjoyed a family dinner for Jamie's Birthday!  I had gone and gotten balloons and decorations for him! The twins were so cute trying to sing "Happy Birthday to him! Annabelle finally was able to tell him, Happy Day! I guess "birthday" is just too long! Lots of funny stories about getting those balloons home in the van! Cade and Annabelle had been given one each from the employee at the party store! I had tried to tie them to the stroller and lost Cade's! The sweet girl blew another one up for him! We got that one to the car safely! However, before we could pull away, it dbove Abigail, who grabbed it and popped it! She didn't even cry! Cade did when he realized he was only holding a string! I assured him we had a whole big bunch in the back of the van! They have had so much fun with them! I think Jamie enjoyed his birthday too! :)

As for today,......it was one of those days! I had a pulmonologist appointment for Cade on the other side of town at 9:30am. ( which means traveling through rush hour )I left an hour and a half before the appointment and got there with 15 minutes to spare! It takes me a few minutes to get the twins in the double stroller with the diaper bags and get Abigail in the carrier! And boy, was it humid today! Just irritating and draining!Whew, let the circus begin! I made it in to the elevators with five minutes to spare, thinking, wow, I made it!. I got on and pressed the 4th floor button! Another lady got off at the third! The doors opened again and I saw a level 3 sign! I shut the door and hit the 4th floor button again!  The elevator started going down! It stopped on the second and I was furiously pressing the 4th floor button over and over but it wouldn't highlight! So I get back up to the thrid and got off! I thought I would see if the other elevator was wroking properly! I tried to press the up button in the lobby but nothing happened. Other people that were waiting opted to take the stairs up or down! I didn't exactly have that option with a huge stroller and all my gear! I couldn't believe I had come all that way and couldn't get up one more floor! I was 5 minutes late already. I found the doctor's business card in my wallet and called them! I promised I was an educated woman who despite having 3 small babies, did in fact still have most of her mind, and was capable of operating an elevator, but at the time could not get to them! The receptionist went out to the lobby and pressed the down button at the same time that I pressed the up button and we actually got it to work! Can't tell you how excited I was to get in to that elevator knowing that it wasn't working properly and what if I was stuck with 3 little babies in a 6 by 6 ft box for a while...oh delightful! I was very happy to see the doors open to the right floor! After being 10 minutes late, ( they have a "we can charge you a 100.00 fee anyway and not see you if you're late, we're specialist, too bad for you" policy) I looked at the woman sitting at the desk as if challenging her to a duel..while my mind was thinking, oh Lord, help me be kind today! :) Thank goodness they understood that I enjoy playing with elevators and saw us anyway! I thought my challenge for the day was over, but nooooooo! I knew it was past nap time for all of them so I was pushing it anyway, and Cade totally flipped out when he realized we were there for him and not the girls! He started screaming, crying and bucking in my arms..Remember,  I had Abigail in a front body carrier too!  Oh my, I got her undone without throwing, ahem,.. I mean ..letting ..Cade fall off the exam table, and sat her in the stroller where Cade had been. She and Annabelle were in shock at how upset Cade was, so at least they didn't make a peep! As the PA watched all this, I just kept smiling and gritting my teeth! Finally I sat on the exam table with Cade on my right leg to keep him calm..or a little more calm. Anyway, I was trying to have a somewhat normal conversation across the room with screaming on my right side ( the only ear I can hear out of)! There's no telling what I agreed to! All of a sudden, my right leg felt really hot! I picked Cade up to discover that he had wet ( not his diaper, but my whole leg and the table!) Bless his heart, the position I had him in made his diaper gap and it was like he had poured a glass of water right on my jeans! I continued to smile as Brian, the PA, didn't really know what to do! I tried to grab paper towels and wipe off the table and my leg! I was glad I had packed extra clothes for him...oops, there was only a shirt in the baby bag! However, Annabelle had a soft pink jogging suit in there! A smile crept over my face, but I decided to let him just wear a diaper and his shirt! Who would know I didn't have twin girls, right? just kidding! I managed to finish the appointment which was just a touch base kind of thing before RSV season ( hopefully to have a game plan to keep Cade out of Scottish Rite this year! ) Brian asked if I wanted the door shut while I got them loaded. I told him yes, it wasn't always pretty to watch! :)  As I was putting Abigail in the body carrier, she spit up what seemed like a third of her morning bottle all over me! That awful reflux~! Stinky! James called to see how things were going. I quickly told him, Let me call you when I get to the car, then two words, "complete disaster"! He said "ok" and didn't press for any other information (which is odd for him)! I gathered myself, though smelling like walking urine and vomit, and we finally made our way back out to the dreadful elevators. I prayed and got on! We made it to the car where I changed any bottom that might possibly be wet and drove to the exit! The attendant informed me that they didn't take credit cards, cash and check only. ( all  lots in ATL take credit cards nowadays) I had to write a $2.00 check as the world waited behind me to get out of the parking lot! I took my time! (smirk) Let them have this day and still try to have a shred of humor left! The babies were all beyond tired and James encouraged me that I do such a good job and just to try to get them home. ( ha ha) I got back on our side of town and pulled into the driveway, relieved! ( If you read a blog a few weeks ago, you'll remember me metioning a time when the garage door only raised up about 7 or 8 inches and I was afraid I would have to try to fit under and get filthy to get in the house) Well, this would be the day that it would malfunction again! And I pressed it over and over and over again hoping it would work. James was an hour away, so I didn't even call..I mean, why bother, I had urine on my leg, vomit on my shirt, was I afraid to add a little garage floor filth now? I slid under and went around to the front door! Finally we were home!  Lord, I'm not sure what I was supposed to learn today, but you have my attention! :)

Shane had to have a physical form "by today" for basketball at school. I had thought the one from January would work, but the school wanted one from this semester! So I thought I would fax the form to his doctor and they could fax it to the school when it was complete while I had taken the babies to the morning appt. Oh the wonderful medical privacy act. They couldn't fax it to the school, so I had to wait until after lunch for it to be completed so I could go pick it up, bring it home, and fax it from here. That wouldn't be so bad normally, but the babies needed a nap so terribly. I had made them eat lunch and knew the minute I put them down I would get a call that the form was ready for pick up. So we waited...and waited.. and screamed..and fussed..( not Abigail, but the twins) until 2. I called the doctor and begged for it, while letting them hear the chaos in the background..that does seem to help people realize what I'm dealing with! They had it ready in 5 more minutes so off we went. Finally I got back- I had left the back door unlocked- and dared anyone to steal anything! The fax went through and the children went down! I flopped down on the couch only to have my mind think of everything in the world! Agh!

I started 2 loads of laundry and fed Abigail her bottle in the rocker on the front porch! That was a wondeful part of the day! She smiled and cooed and made it all better! James got home as close to 5 as possible and started helping! We had an early dinner ( chicken scallopini, which turned out good in spite of the day) and he grabbed the twins, loaded them in the truck, informed me to take a bubble bath, and headed to pick up Shane from practice! I thought, yeah sure, take a bath! But I actually made myself leave the dinner mess and head to our garden tub. I stripped Abigail down to her diaper and put her in her bouncy seat next to the tub. I bathed and them pulled her in with me! (without her diaper) ha ha! It was so nice to snuggle with her and have her smile and enjoy it too! We stayed in there until we were all pruney! (sp?) Her little skin is so soft and she smells so good!! Holding her was just the medicine I needed after this day! I still don't know how God ever decided to give us such a sweet angel! Thank goodness she's in our world! I was so grateful that James came home and rescued my evening and I got to wind down with my sweet baby girl!  Precious blessings!

Its past midnight now, I'd better go rest!

Think we'll stay home tomorrow! :)

Love to all!