Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Perfectly Coifed




"ALL that hair!" is a common comment we get about Mack's hair. His hair has been a source of controversy with friends and family. Some really think we should cut it while others say "DON"T DARE CUT HIS HAIR!" I love, love, love the baby mullet and his is extra cute because of the curls. He loves to have it brushed and will let me put it in a ponytail sometimes. I know the day will come when all those beautiful curls will have to go but for now he's my little rock star.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Greg, Murray, Jeff and Anthony



I think I've made a terrible mistake! While the kids were recovering from eye surgery I let them watch the Wiggles as much as they wanted (you would've too if you'd seen those sad eyes begging for Giggles). We have also let the kids watch them on road trips in the van. Well, Sophie and Grace are hooked. They LOVE them...in fact, they seem quite obsessed!!! Today, I brought a Wiggles book home hoping to entice them away from the TV and back to books. Grace was so excited. It was a big hit!! The Wiggles have become such a big topic of conversation in our house that even Abe, Kathryn and I have totally analyzed Greg, Murray, Jeff and Anthony's personalities and speculated about what they might be like in real life. I know...very sad! Like I said, I've made a terrible mistake :)

ps..I have modified the options so that anyone can now leave a comment even though you don't have a google account. So, comment away!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Grace's New Shoes



We picked up Grace's AFOs last Friday. She doesn't mind wearing them (thankfully) and it makes supported standing so much easier. We have ordered a gait trainer and hope to get it soon. This will help her stand and hopefully walk. We are still waiting on insurance to approve the Botox treatments but we try to be patient because I know this is only the beginning of dealing with insurance issues for expensive procedures and equipment.

It exciting to finally get them since she is so anxious to walk and needs the support but the moment was bittersweet. So many questions...WILL these help her walk? how long will she have to wear them? what is the next step in all of this? will she be made fun of? how will Abe and I deal with this? CAN I deal with this? am I special enough to deal with her special needs (don't feel like it)? Sometimes it is so hard but I know she will do well...she is an amazing little girl.

(that's Beth (Kathryn's grandmother and the trip's adopted grandmother) in the picture. We love you Beth!

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Wiggles and Pajamas



We are having a Wiggles and Pajamas day today. Mack and Grace had eye muscle surgery yesterday. For those of you that don't know, Mack and Grace both had Strabismus (big word for crossing of the eyes) which is fairly common for premies. To fix the problem the muscles that surround the eyes are cut and reattached (Yuck!) The surgeries went well but we have had a tough time last night and this morning. Grace couldn't hold down food and Mack was pretty clingy (well...wouldn't you be). Their eyes are pretty red but we are very hopeful that this will fix the problem. They seem to be feeling better this afternoon and are watching the Wiggles (or Giggles as Grace calls them) in their pajamas with their stuffed animals from the hospital. They don't typically get to watch this much TV but whatever they want they can have today. Thanks to everyone for the prayers!!

Monday, May 21, 2007

Sophie's Overnight Trip




Sophie's gone! She has only been gone a few hours but I already miss her. Oh, I know she'll be back but I really love that silly girl. We are having a long week...Grace & Mack are having eye muscle surgery on Wednesday. I know, I'm crazy to schedule them both the same day but let's just get it all over with at once. (I'd rather make it hurt really bad for a short period of time than drag it out in pieces over time :) To make things a little easier Sophie has gone to Tulsa to spend the week with my sister and sister-in-law. She didn't seem to least bit upset to be driving away in a strange car with her mother running after it. She just grabbed her backpack and off she went. Sophie's is my extrovert and I know she will have a blast with her cousins but couldn't she act like she was going to miss me. We will be picking her up on Saturday when we attend Macey and Darcey's (my nieces) birthday extravaganza. If you haven't heard about their parties well....that's a whole blog in itself :)

Sunday, May 20, 2007

We have a van full...




of kids. Attached is a photo from this morning. We are all loaded and ready for church. I love Sundays!! Abe is home and we all get to hang out together. After church I suggested we got to Gloria's for lunch. Abe didn't seem too keen on the idea but we thought we'd try it especially since it was early and we hoped to miss the crowds. The kids were really good for about 30 minutes but then everyone wanted out of their chairs. We suddenly became a big distraction for everyone. Sophie wanted to go out of the patio, Mack wanted to grab stuff off the table and see how far he could throw it, and Grace just wanted her mommy. So, we grabbed the check, paid a good tip (I hope), packed up the food to bring home and left a huge mess behind. Thank goodness Julie was there to help. Whew...everyone is napping now! Have a wonderful Sunday afternoon.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Cheerios and Kix




Last night after dinner I put the kids in the den to hang out while I cleaned up the kitchen. I kept hearing noises that didn't sound familiar but I knew that room was pretty well baby-proofed and no one was screaming. I've learned that loud bangs or screams and complete silence are the times I should get concerned. Well, you should also check if you hear unfamiliar noise...they had dumped a full container of Kix and Cheerios out all over the floor!!! They were cramming the food in their mouths like they hadn't eaten in months or maybe they knew that when Mom found them the party was over. Grace thought the whole thing was hysterically funny....me, not so much. It's a good thing they are so cute :)

Monday, May 14, 2007

Triplets Times Two



Today we went on a play date with another set of triplets! Angela is part of a web group for triplet moms that I belong to and lives in Highland Village. We had communicated via email for some time but have never meet so we decided to get together at her house. We had briefly discussed an outing but decided we should meet someplace we could keep them contained. Her trio, Aiden, Ethan, and Patrick, are 1 month older than our three. They are adorable and were so nice to share their toys and snacks with us. Angela also has another son who is about 4 months old. She is my hero!!! We had a great time and hope to have them over to play with us soon.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Handling Complaints






I have some complaints from my readers. Not enough pictures!! I don't think anyone cares for my ramblings :( Please feel free to leave any comments or complaints on my blog. They will be read.

Friday we spent most of the afternoon in the backyard. I have a new fence (cage) for the kids. This allows me to get a few things done in the yard. I planted flowers and pulled weeds while they snacked in the cage. Eventually I let them out to go crazy. Here are some pictures of our afternoon!!!

Mother's Day




I have had a wonderful day. After running out to grab my morning coffee I arrived home to flowers and gifts from my husband and children. Although Mack and I had to go through 2 changes of clothes this morning, due to a HUGE blowout in his diaper, we all made it to church on time. This morning we didn't use any strollers. This probably doesn't seem like a big deal to most of you but it is a challenge getting everyone and everything in the building. Today Mack and Sophie walked in on their own. Such big kids!! Our church had Baby Dedications today. It brought back memories of Mother's Day last year when we had our babies dedicated to God. Has it really been a year already? Am I really a mother of triplets? Am I raising them the way God wants me to? Mack says Naymen (Amen) a lot so maybe I'm doing something right :) The first picture above is from Mother's Day last year and the second one was taken today. Whew, we have made it another year!

Friday, May 11, 2007

Animal Crackers and Peanut Butter

I've discovered a yummy new snack. Yesterday was "one of those days". It just seemed like nothing was going right. Mack has now decided that when he has a poopy diaper he will just take it off and throw it in the floor and run from mommy when she tries to put a new one on. Grace was extra fussy...she hasn't been feeling well. Sophie, well she wasn't that bad. She actually helped me clean up the magazine they had torn into shreds as well as the blocks Mack had thrown all over the room.

So, rather than having a glass of wine at 2:00 in the afternoon I opted for animal crackers. If you've ever had them, you know you can't eat just one. Thank goodness we had the extra huge container from Sam's :) Yesterday, I decided to dip them in peanut butter. All I can say is....yummmmmm!!!

Have a great animal crackers and peanut butter day!

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

We don't need no stinkin' baby-proofing...

or so I thought! As the babies began moving around the house Abe (or Mr. Safety as I call him) decided we need to baby-proof. He put in a few things he considered necessities...electrical outlet covers, etc. My response to all of this was..."Baby-proof, are you kidding me!! If we just to tell them what they can and cannot play with there will be no problem." Boy am I S-T-U-P-I-D!! (we spell this around our house so that the kids don't pick it up) Have you ever heard the saying, 'It's like herding cats'? (If not then you're probably not from Oklahoma :) Well, it's like herding cats around our house right now. Everyone is always going a different direction, climbing on things that shouldn't be climbed on and pulling things down that should stay where they are and no one seems to listen to mommy as she explains the dos and don'ts. They are no pictures today because I've been busy herding kids and trying to keep them from hurting themselves. I think we need to baby-proof!

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Princess Grace



Grace: Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion. A characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement. A sense of fitness or propriety. A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill.Mercy; clemency.
Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people. The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God. An excellence or power granted by God.

Because I was put in the hospital so early (21 wks) and we weren't sure what would happen with the babies, I was very hesitant to talk about names until we reached a "safe point". The only name we had been sure about, the few times we discussed names, was Grace. So, our first-born daughter became Grace Elaine. Elaine is my mother's middle name.

I now know what people mean when they say there is nothing like the love for a child. It feels as if your heart is now outside your body... the most wonderful and most painful kind of love. You feel so much joy and then so much sadness when something happens to them that you cannot control...a true sense of helplessness.

Grace seemed to always be a little behind her brother and sister. She was the last to come home from the hospital and had the most problems in the NICU. As the kids begin to get bigger and reach small milestones we noticed she continued to remain behind and did not roll over or move around like Mack and Sophie did. We worked with an OT (occupational therapist) and PT (physical therapist) to learn exercises we could do to strengthen and stretch her muscles. October 2006 we decided to have an MRI conducted to maybe shed some light on her difficulties. The MRI revealed that she has Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL). In the simplest terms this basically means that the white matter in the brain, that affects the messages from the brain to the muscles, was damaged due to lack of oxygen. We chose not to tell anyone at that time as we didn't (and still don't) know exactly what we are dealing with. We do not have an exact diagnoses as far as the extent of CP she will have because she is continuing to progress physically.

Cognitively Grace appears to be fine (praise God!). She is happy and loves books. She is starting to get a bit frustrated because she can't do all the things her siblings can do...I think this is a good thing...she is determined to not be left behind. Last week she was casted for AFOs (ankle/foot orthodics) which will slip into her shoes. The orthodist feels very good about her ability to walk once we get her feet aligned. We saw a new doctor today that specializes in rehabilitation for CP and we will begin botox injections soon in her heal chords and thighs. This will loosen the high tone she has and hopefully help her to walk. It has been and will be a long journey for her but I feel like we are seeing some great strides and are hopeful and prayerful that the progress will continue and she will walk. We continue to do PT twice a week and OT 6 times a month.

This has been a difficult message for me to post. It is difficult to express the frustrations and helplessness Abe and I feel at times. We are optimistic but sometimes wonder if we are in denial. Whatever the case may be we will not give up on our precious girl. There are, however, times when I feel like crying out to God "Why is my daughter not normal. Why did you let this happen! Why can't she be like here brother and sister!" But then I look at my blessed daughter and I know she is perfect and I thank God for loving me enough to give her to me.
Jacolyn

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Lieck Triplets - The Movie

Our life has become a movie! We didn't want everyone to know until it was finalized. Enjoy⁄!

http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20037361,00.html

Friday, May 4, 2007

Kathryn




We are in mourning at the Lieck household. Kathryn is graduating from college and started a full-time job this week. We really are happy for her on both occasions but selfishly we are sad for us. It's just that our time with her is now limited...no more afternoon snacks at Gloria's.

We first met Kathryn in November 2005. The triplets had just come home after a 3 month stay in the NICU and I was FREAKING out!!! Mack came home on oxygen and we had been and were going to deal with so many medical issues with all three. My good friend Jackie calls one afternoon to check in and I begin to melt-down on the phone. Jackie, the Fixer as we like to call her, tells me about her daughter Kathryn. A few days later, there she is on our front porch...our angel. Before you begin to think I'm being overly dramatic, Kathryn has been with us at least 3 days a week, every week, for the past year and a half. We were recently talking about those first 6 months where we sat on the sofa all day feeding babies. They ate every 3 hours. They ate so slowly that by the time we were finished it was time to get ready to fed again (or at least it felt like it).
She knows my babies better than anyone other than Abe and me. She loves Mack, Grace and Sophie so much and they love her. She was also someone for me to talk with during the long days. She was not only our baby sitter but also became my friend and has kept me out of the loony bin :)

The first photo above was taken the first day we met her in November 2005. Every few months we would take a picture of her and the trio on our sofa with each baby in the same spot. The second photo was take May 3, 2007 and the last photo just shows how it has become more difficult to get good photos :)

We are so thankful that God has put Kathryn in our lives and she will always be part of our family. We love you Kathryn!!

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Green Eggs and Ham



"I do not like that Sam-I-Am. I do not like green eggs and ham." How many times can you read Green Eggs and Ham quickly through before you are severely tongue tied? I challenge you to give it a try. This book has become Mack's new favorite. He LOVES it and insists we read it multiple times before he is satisfied. There is nothing cuter than Mack crawling up in your lap demanding "I Do I Do"...his name for the book. He, as well as the girls, loves books. This is wonderful and I only want to encourage it but let's try to mix it up a bit with something new every now and then. Tonight before bedtime Sophie walks over to Mack to give him his favorite book. It was the sweetest thing but I could only think "Not Again!" Thank goodness Kathryn came by for a visit and had a "chance" :) to read it to him. (She's read it to him even more than I have) Thanks Kat...you're the best!

oh and btw...if you're wondering...yes, Mack has a mullet and no, I'm not cutting it just yet. I love it!!!

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Caffeine!!!





Yesterday afternoon the four of us walked to Starbucks. Walks have become part of our daily routine (weather permitting). Sometimes we take walks in the morning and afternoon. The kids love it and it gives us a good chance to practice our animal sounds. Often we will walk to Starbucks for mommy's daily caffeine or sometimes her second cup of coffee. I really need to work on my addiction to Starbucks coffee but it keeps calling me back. (Abe says we could probably buy a new house if I would quit going to Starbucks...one battle at a time Honey :) I'm not sure my true addiction is the coffee...I like the whole Starbucks experience. I think it has become my Cheers. I always see people I know and the baristas call me by name (ok, sometimes it's Jackie but it makes me feel special :) I don't get the regular coffee...Grande Vanilla Non-Fat Latte please. (My Aunt Glenda calls it my "treat") I've even gotten some good info on Mother's Day Out programs from other moms. Today I was brave and let Mack and Sophie out of the stroller. They were great!! Dr. Sophie took important phone calls while wearing her 1/2 stethoscope (btw...who IS she always talking to) and Mack ran around (run Mack run...let's get all the energy out) and Grace and I talked with the regulars. As you can imagine we get a lot of attention with the Runabout stroller. We are ROCK STARS!!!