Christmas and How many teeth do they have to get again?

Christmas Morning!!!

Our Christmas at Grandma Debbie's and Grandpa Tom's was wonderful!  We spent the night there on Christmas eve and woke up on Christmas morning bright and early with the babies...poor Grandma and Grandpa probably haven't had to get up that early on Christmas since Mike was a little guy, lol.  We all got out coffee and we opened presents together for as long as the boys would let us and then when the  boys took their morning nap we opened the rest. The boys don't really get the concept of unwrapping yet, but they definitely get that there is something underneath the wrapping paper and they all watched and "helped" unwrap in order to get to the toy underneath. They were very interactive and cute and they played with all of their new toys and things. The Taggie Blankets from mommy and daddy were a really big hit with Konrad and Zachary, but Mikey is still deciding. They also got a play table and ride on train from Grandma and Grandpa with lights and songs and all sorts of things with no volume control or off buttons, yay.  Somehow we fit in breakfast and early dinner and then we went to Grandma and Grandpa Huber's house. The boys got to hang out with Aunt Meggyn and they received some very cute clothing and more toys...also with no volume or off switchs, lol...but the boys liked them and so mommy likes them.  Mommy forgot her camera, boo, so we did not get any pictures of the Huber side of the family Christmas which is a bummer. After Grandma and Grandpa Huber's house, we drove to great Aunt Bonnie's house (Mike's Aunt) and enjoyed Christmas dinner with the extended Huber family.  It was wonderful to see everyone and the boys got to interact with their older cousins Molly and Maddie and both Charlotte and Isabella, their baby cousins who were born in March 2008. It was wonderful to see all of the babies crawling around. It was something that we joked about the year before when we were all pregnant and to see it in actuality was pretty amazing...all those little people!  What a zoo! We definitely didn't lack for entertainment, but that many babies makes dinner a bit more hectic for everyone than the usual sit down that we prefer as a family.  Maybe next year the Huber Three will be a bit more manageable and Mike and I will be able to sit together at dinner...probably it will be a few more years though...hopefully not 10 or 15, lol.  All in all, it was a wonderful holiday and we gave thanks that we were both healthy and happy and that our boys were too...the memories of the challenges and fears from the year before are not so far gone that we do not remember them clearly and we are so very thankful that things turned out well for our family. Hopefully we will always remember to count our blessings, I think we will since we have three, lovable, squirmy, and curious soon to be one year olds to remind us!

Babies, babies everywhere

Opening Presents with Mommy and Daddy

Zachary and Konrad checking out their Taggie blanket and Mikey climbing over Konrad to get a toy

Konrad and Zach relaxing with Grandpa Tom

Christmas parties and Merry Christmas to all!

This weekend we had two Christmas parties. Saturday we had our Richardson family Christmas party at Uncle Bill's and Aunt Sarah's house. When we arrived, cousin Finley ran over to the babies and kissed each of them and said "My friends are here", which was hilarious and cute. He coped all right with all of the babies around and he only had a couple moments of "Stop guys, don't come in here, my toys are here" which was more funny to me than anything else because he is so articulate and he was standing there with his hands out in front of him palms out saying "Stop guys" like that was going to stop my crazy babies in their walkers...really he is quite tolerant of them and all of the chaos that they bring into his house when we come over. We had a great time, the boys took good naps and when we got home they went right to bed! Then on Sunday we got together with Mike's friends and had dinner and games. The boys were going to have a late night on Sunday because we were determined to go, but at the last minute, they got to stay home, which was lovely for Mike and I. Our friend's Jason and Christina have a sister, Angela, who was in town and wanted to meet the boys and she offered to watch them for part of the evening for us (thanks again Angela). It was very nice to get out without babies. The boys were spoiled by all of the Godparents and friends and family and although they did not understand the whole unwrapping the present thing, they enoyed trying to eat the paper and of course they enjoyed all of their wonderful gifts once they saw all of the lights and sounds coming out of the boxes...Mommy and Daddy enjoyed that most of the noise making gifts have an off switch, lol. Everyone was so generous (thank you again) that Mike and I don't feel quite as bad about not getting them many Christmas gifts since everyone else definitely went overboard! We got a fridge farm which is pretty hilarious and the boys roll up to it in their walkers, grab a piece and roll away eating it happily...now our house is filled with the fridge farm song all day long, lol. Konrad is obsessed with some new squishy blocks that he received, he must be teething again. Michael had been focusing on a lights and sounds and songs table that he got and it keeps him very occupied. Zachary really likes a light up ball that moves on its own across the blanket...he just follows along after it, lol. Really they all have their own toy that they like the most, which is great so far, and I am definitely enjoying having new things to put out for them. I am definitely going to put some of it away so that we can continue to have new things throughout the year, especially since their birthday is right around the corner. We really did have a wonderful weekend.

Mike, Matt, Georgia, Sarah, Grandpa Kurt, & Konrad

Finley showing my boys how to use the light up ball

Finley and Konrad in the ball pit

The boys in the ball pit

Merry Christmas from The Huber Family

Making Lemonade...

Our family had a bit of a shock this week...Mike, daddy, got laid off for the month of January. Losing a month of our income is a huge financial blow to our little family since we have used all of our savings and resources over the past year that I have been off with the boys and we had already been begging favors and walking on very thin ice the past few months. It is also disappointing since I am starting my new job on January 19th and we really felt like we could see the light at the end of the tunnel of our financial woes. Plus the boys first birthday will be right at the end of a month with absolutely no income...happy-bleeping birthday kiddos....of course they don't really know the difference anyway so it is really only Mike and me feeling the loss. If I have learned anything in all of my ups and downs, it is that life is like that sometimes...it gives you lemons. I have always tried to be a good sport despite my inner worries, so for the lemonade...Mike and I have had a year of survival mode and it has not done much for our marriage, hopefully this time together despite having absolutely no money, will give us more than just worries and it will be an opportunity to enjoy each other and our boys together...also Mike sees the boys on weekends and then for an hour or so every evening, so he doesn't always see them at their morning best. This will give Mike the opportunity to be home with the boys for six weeks...he will be very ready to go back to work, lol, but he will know them well after this.
I really hope that we can just make it through these hard times and come out better for them...and hopefully richer or at-least financially solvent, lol...


But enough about us...
Mikey finally has two teeth, he had to work very hard to get that second tooth through, it was very stubborn. He is crawling like a maniac and is very fast and determined when he wants something...he is like a little wind up toy, he just keeps going back and going back toward whatever he wants to get no matter where you move him around the room. He is also a toy thief...he only wants what Konrad or Zach have. He spends his blanket time turning in circles and monitoring what the other boys have picked up and deciding if it is good enough to take...usually it is and then he's a little yo-yo back and forth across the blanket between them. He is really funny right now and runs around in his walker cackling a laugh that is quite muppet like when he gets excited, which is most of the time. He spends the day running toward whatever trouble he can find just giggling and cackling all the way...too funny.
Konrad is crawling finally, he is so cute with his little butt in the air rocking on his knees. He tries to go fast across the floor but usually ends up kicking his legs and looking lke a car spinning its tires. He just gets so excited! Sometimes he goes backwards, sometimes forward but he is moving. He is determined to keep up with Mikey. If Mike steals his toy, Konrad follows him to get it back. It seems like Konrad and Mike are alsmost always head to head trying to grab or eat the same toys or trying to crawl to the same place. Mike is faster and stronger, but Konrad gets there eventually and then he watches and waits for his opportunity and then he takes it right back....he certainly makes Mike work for his thieving ways.
Zachary is also crawling, he and Konrad could definitely be in a snail race together. They go at almost exactly the same speed. Zachary is more organized in his crawling. He doesn't get up and rocking horse like the other two but he is doing what looks more like a classic army crawl and sometimes an actual crawl verses Konrads flailing. Zachary's head sometimes weighs him down and his little legs will flail in the air to get his balance back and then he starts again. He is extremely passive regarding Mikey taking his toys. He just lets him and then finds another. He is so very, congenial. I usually take the toy away form Mike and give it back to Zach because I just cant stand him always crawling to a toy, finally getting there and getting it in his mouth only to have Mikey come and take it away and make him start the process over again. He needs some protection in a way that Konrad does not because he goes and gets his stuff back.

They are all eating cereal, fruit, veggies, yogurt and such very well and we are finally up to three meals a day. Their formula intake is starting to slow down a little bit, but we still go through a can a day. We have implemented a pretty strict schedule with two naps and it is finally starting to really pay off. They boys know what to expect all day long, they go down for their naps without too much of a fuss and it gives me a couple of breaks throughout the day as well. Last night Konrad only woke up once, it is a small miracle, so maybe the schedule will even make Konrad sleep better...it will be a little piece of heaven if he starts sleeping through the night finally...this whole waking up 5, 6, 7 times a night thing is really painful...so I am desperately hopeful that it will keep getting better.

Here is out new schedule:
7:00-8:00am Wake up, 8 ounce bottle, play
9:00 am Cereal and fruit (1-2 jar fruit each)
10:00 am Nap
11:00-11:30am Wake up, change/dress for the day, play
12:00pm 8 ounce bottle
1:30pm Lunch 1-2 jars of veggies for all 3
2:00-2:30pm Nap
4:00-4:30pm Wake up, 8 ounce bottle, play
5:30pm Dinner – cereal, yogurt, fruit
6:30pm Bath, change, read
6:45pm 8 ounce bottle then bed time
10:00-11:00pm Dream feed another 8 ounce bottle if needed
If wake up after 5am, give bottle and put back to bed until 7 or 8am

We really like it so far and the boys are doing well on only two naps a day....hopefully this one lasts for a while for us :)

Poor Mike, the world had one last HA HA for him. On Friday, we got 12 inches of snow and he drove in to work in the middle of it. Then he got his car stuck halfway in the road and driveway when he got home after his last day of work. He ended his day shoveling the car out.

Family Christmas parties...and so it begins...

Christmas with my children...it makes the holidays feel more exciting and I am definitely more excited than I have been in years about the season in general...I know that they don't know or care that its the Christmas season, but it feels good to have my babies in the world to enjoy the holidays with me...although I never expected to have quite so many so soon, lol. I will say that going to a Christmas gathering or any gathering for that matter isn't quite as easy as it was without babies...there is no such thing as coming in and slipping out under the radar...we are the equivelant of an airbus on the radar...Not that I mind, but getting three babies and all of thier accessories in and out does add an extra element of challenge and chaos to the holiday party season that I hadn't considered until I was packing and then repacking everything up to go.

This Saturday, despite the fact that we are supposed to be on RSV season lockdown, we took the boys to their first big family party...pretty amazing that in 10 months we haven't taken them to someone's house beside my moms for a family party....I was worried that we would take over the world with our baby stuff but I streamlined the packing as much as possible and other than filling the room with babies, I think we did okay. I felt like a demented version of the 12 days of Christmas song...8 bottles in cooler, 7 burp cloths, 6 pacifiers, 5 changes of clothing, 4 plates of cookies, 3 car seats with babies, 2 pack and plays, and an exersaucer just to be safe...you get the drift...we were quite the pack mules carrying all of our stuff to the car and then into the house...but the babies were quickly gobbled up into the crowd and they had many hands to hold them. I could have panicked about germs and handwashing and RSV but I decided before we left for the party that if we went I had to let it go because I would have driven myself crazy if I tried to run interference in a group that big...once I decided to give it up to fate, I actually coped quite well if I may say so myself. The boys were on their best baby behavior and they did not get too overwhelmed by it all. We tried to find them a quiet spot for a nap but they could not manage to fall asleep...It was a rest only...if by rest I mean babies howling at the top of their lungs until someone came in and saved them, lol...Konrad slept for almost an hour in Kelly, my sister in law's, arms...so he was well rested oddly enough. We received some wonderful gifts and clothing from our Aunts and cousins although I unwrapped them because the presents were opening minutes after we layed the boys down for their "nap". I am definitely worried that in a few days we will pay for all our fun with runny noses and a cough...but it is the risk we accepted when we breached "lock down" protocol and took them to a social gathering with lots of people...hopefully that decision will not come to bite me in the butt...anyway if it does, it won't be the first time, lol. Hopefully they can stay healthy and remain that way through the winter...thats alot to ask I know...we have a few more gatherings this season although on a smaller scale, so I am hopeful, perhaps naively hopeful, that they will remain healthy.

The Trio in their Christmas Party outfits.

Daddy and little Mike

Great Uncle Wayne (my Godfather) with Konrad

Cousin Jessica with Zachary

Videos

Boys in their walkers making noise

Boys eating breakfast

My little attention hogs...or maybe just hogs

So lately little Mike has started screaming at the top of his lungs every time he sees one of us eating...he is obsessed with getting us to give him a taste of food, obsessed. Then when he gets a taste he says "mmm mmm"...he also says this before he puts anything into his mouth so if I am in the other room and I hear him "mmm"ing I know to come running because he has found something, laugh. He is getting very, very mobile - dangerous mobile. He is so close to being a very fast crawler, he gets up on his knees and then flops down on his belly and then gets up on his knees...and he porpoises across the floor. He is faster than I think he is. Yesterday at my sister's house he went from one side of the living room to under the Christmas tree in the 2 seconds I looked away...there he is face to a branch tasting a bristle...his little voice saying "mmm mmm". We picked him up and put him in a walker and not minutes later he had pushed an entire pench over into the Christmas tree and knocked over all of the ornaments...oops, the Hubers are here...great...lol. Konrad isn't far behind Mike with the crawling, he and Zach are in a serious race for second. Although Konrad is scooting backwards. He gets so excited, pulls himself up on his knees and then...he goes backwards...he gets so mad. He was trouble yesterday too, literally 1 minute after we pulled Michael out of the Christmas trees we had to pull Konrad out from under a chair that he had back-scooted himself under...ugh. Oh well, they are cute even if they are trouble. Konrad will start mimicking Michael or Zachary if he sees them getting excitement out of the adults. If Mike or Zach is screaming and we are laughing you hear little Konrad trying to whip up a squeal...it's definitely funny. He is his own little guy but he likes the spotlight. Zachary is just noisy. Not like Mikey noisey, Mikey makes noise to get people to look or to be the center of attention, I think Zachary just likes to hear his own voice. He growls and laughs and squeals and lately he has been trying to get little Mike to do it back at him. He will get all excited and jump up and down when Mikey looks at him and then when he has his attention he will scream or growl and if Mike does it back Zach gets so happy. They will be growling and screaming back and forth at each other like little puppies in the living room. Hilarious. They also play some serious bumper cars with their walkers. One would think that Konrad gets pushed around all of the time because he is smaller but he knows that if he backs up and then gets a running start he can really move his brothers out of his way. They are all pretty fast and agile in their little walker cars. They really impress me with some of their maneuvering. They used to get stuck places all of the time, now when they get stuck they shimmy back and forth until they break loose and then start running again. The other amazing thing is how much they are eating right now. They each eat 6-7 seven ounce bottles a day and then they share 6 tablespoons of oatmeal and 2 jars of fruit in the morning and then 6 tablespoons of oatmeal or rice and 2 jars of vegetables in the evening. Lately I am having to break into the thrid or fourth jar of fruit and vegetables and add in more cereal too! Mommy's little piggies! I think they are having a growth spirt right now if that is even possible. I put them all in their high chairs and then just go down the line feeding them, one bite each and so forth. Recently they started watching each other take bites and they open their mouth miming the motion like little birds, and then they realize that it wasn't their bite and there was no food for them and they get mad and start grunting or shouting for their turn. I have to shovel the food into all of their mouths so fast so that I can move onto the next baby before they all get really mad. I feel like I am playing hungry, hungry hippos or something. Right now our house is noisey, crazy, and chaotic and it makes for a tiring but wonderful life...although I feel like I am running around all day long just trying to meet all of their needs and sometimes not quite making it. So far they seem to forgive me, so I must be doing something right, laugh.

Mikey smiling for the camera

Konrad hamming it up

Zachary laughing at his own jokes

Waiting for breakfast!

10 months old, crazy babies!

I can't believe that the boys were 10 months old yesterday, how time flies when you are having fun. Updates...Mikey is around 20 pounds, he has one tooth - almost two, he can army crawl and is thinking about actually crawling, he is a bit of a ham and he has learned to cough or yell for attention. He is feisty and a bit of a toy stealer. He is our best sleeper by far and takes 2 hour naps and sleeps 12 hours at night when Zach lets him. The best thing is that in the past few days he has started singing. I always sing when I lay him down for naps or get him up in the morning and a few days ago I went into his room and he smiled at me, made a very serious face and started singing. I joined in and he smiled ear to ear and kept on going! Now he greets me with a smile and a song most mornings, how adorable. Zachary is around 21 pounds, has two sharp little teeth, and he is almost ready to army crawl. He gets where he needs to go by rolling there or whining until I move him. He has started screaming and growling recently, whichever suits his fancy and he is definitely mimicking sounds and actions. He has the best dexterity and his pincher grasp is mean, mean, mean - he always goes for the arm pinch. He gives lot of hugs when he's tired, he nuzzles up to your shoulder and puts his head down, so sweet. He is low key, very good natured, smiley, and he is winning the award for "most pleasant baby overall" these days. He still loves his daddy best of all and he is a bit possessive. He starts jumping up and down to be picked up when Mike comes home from work. He almost sleeps through the night but he routinely wakes up once between 3am and 5am for a bottle or a pacifier repacement, but he goes back to sleep fairly quickly. Konrad is around 17 pounds, has two teeth, and he is close to army crawling as well. He gets up on his hands and knees every so often but is not as persistent or determined as Mikey so he hasn't started moving yet...his preferred method of transportation or toy retreival is to scream, cry and whine until one of us does it for him. He is very silly and eager to smile and interact. He is very, very sensitive to tone and words and he loves positive praise and he gets very worried and responds very poorly to negative tone. He is a bit of a clingy monkey due to his separation anxiety issues. He is very exciteable, very ticklish, loves to laugh and he can be quite a goof ball when he wants. He is still having night terror issues and he doesn't sleep through the night, not even a little bit, like 5 or 6 screaming wake ups doesn't sleep through the night...but he really is quite charming and silly at times and when he smiles he lights up the room and makes us all laugh.

I have to admit that since winter has set in and I can't get out into the world as easily, I have been having a hard time with the boys. I am lonely for adult conversation and interaction and I definitely have a bit of cabin fever. The boys do too and they are starting to get bored very easily. They know that if only they could walk or crawl they could be independant and I think that it frustrated them. They are so smart and growing so fast, it really is quite amazing. I am so very thankful for them, I know that things could have been so different for me and for my boys. They are healthy and beautiful and they truly are my greatest accomplishment. I try to remember these things when three sets of eyes are pleading and three sets of arms are reaching and three little mouths are screaming, lol. It really is a good life, just a chaotic one.

Zachary being curious and noisey,
Mikey, sleeper extraordinaire, sleeping right through it

Making a mess and loving it!