If you're new to our blog, and would like to start from the moment I learned I was having triplets, click HERE :)
Posts about Colton's Cleft Lip and Palate surgeries as well as the Triplets' Cranial Bands are along the sidebar.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Addition for Road Trippin'

Traveling with 3 babies is just, well, exhausting. Not so much the travel part, even. Just the packing and thinking about what to pack part. Whether we're going up the street to Costco, 7 hours to San Diego or 2 hours to see family, it's always an adventure. You could do well to pull up a comfy chair, have a cup of coffee and watch what goes through my head as I begin packing 3 babies for a 2 hour trip to Phoenix to see Brian's family!

Typically my thought processes begin with....

1. What to wear.... I lay out an outfit for each of them for the day-(taking into account comfiness for travel.) Then I lay out 2 more outfits for each because spills, drool, pee, etc. WILL happen to require the extra set. (So...9 outfits)

2. Pajamas...Will we be there late enough for jammies? Better take em' just in case. So I lay out 3 sets of jammies. (Then I just take one extra set and hope that all three don't spill on themselves) (So, 9 outfits + 4 jammies)

3. Bathing suits because I believe they'll be swimming...so i dig through our stuff and lay out 3 swim suits and 3 swim shirts....then I make a mental note to get the new "Sportbrella" to put on the lawn for shade. Which then reminds me I need swim diapers, and sunscreen, so I throw those in! Where are we now? (9 outfits + 4 jammies + 3 swim suits and shirts + 1 Sun Shade + 1 bottle of sunscreen + 6 swim diapers)

4. Diapers....I do the math...I just changed them at 8am. We'll probably be back at close to midnight so let's see...about 15 hours. I'll probably change them every 4 hours, so 4 diapers each? Times 3 babies? 12 diapers....So I grab 18 diapers (you know, just in case). Then I grab a new pack of wipes, and diaper creme. Still with me? (9 outfits + 4 jammies + 3 swim suits + 1 Sun Shade + 1 bottle of sunscreen + 6 swim diapers + 18 regular diapers + wipes + diaper creme)

5. Movies for travel? As much as I don't want to listen to Nemo again, I grab it anyway as well as "Over the Hedge." For some reason envisioning comfy, movie watching babies makes me think of Ethan's pacifier. So I grab just ONE of those. (9 outfits + 4 jammies + 3 swim suits + 1 Sun Shade + 1 bottle of sunscreen + 6 swim diapers + 18 regular diapers + wipes + diaper creme + 2 movies + 1 pacifier)

6. Food- This is always the most time consuming for me. There are so many categories here....SoI start with 3 snack cups and fill em with goldfish. Three sippy cups filled with water (I'd prefer they have milk but traveling, getting warm milk grosses me out, so water it is.) Then I think about lunch. I know we're going where there will be food the babies can eat, but what if we broke down and I'd had nothing for them to eat? So I prepare as if there will be no food where we're going. So I make 3 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut off the crusts, then cut each sandwich into 20 bite size pieces. Into 3 separate sandwich tupperwares they go. Fruit? Today we go with 3 3 cups of diced peaches and 3 cups of mandarin oranges. Then I fill another travel bowl with teddy grahams and another with blueberries. I grab 3 plates and our 3 tiny diner rubber dining mats and 3 spoons. Three travel bibs top of the food bag. In case Ethan gets picky or something I randomly throw in a packet of instant cream of wheat and some brown sugar, because I know he'll eat that in a pinch. So...(9 outfits + 4 jammies + 3 swim suits + 1 Sun Shade + 1 bottle of sunscreen + 6 swim diapers + 18 regular diapers + wipes + diaper creme + 2 movies + 1 pacifier + 3 sippy cups + 3 snack cups + 3 PB&Js + 6 cups of fruit + 1 cup of blueberries + 1 cup of teddy grahams + 3 plates + 3 spoons + 3 dining mats + 3 bibs + 1 packet cream of wheat)

7. Hmm...how will we eat when we get there? Ah yes...better throw in the 3 highchairs since they'll be eating at least 3 more meals while we're there. (At this point, I'd like to recommend them to anyone else with multiples especially if you might ever travel with your babies. I bought the $39.99 Cosco brand from Babies R Us or Target. They are small, compact and fold almost flat for travel!) Love em! Stay with me! We're almost done! (9 outfits + 4 jammies + 3 swim suits + 1 Sun Shade + 1 bottle of sunscreen + 6 swim diapers + 18 regular diapers + wipes + diaper creme + 2 movies + 1 pacifier + 3 sippy cups + 3 snack cups + 3 PB&Js + 6 cups of fruit + 1 cup of blueberries + 1 cup of teddy grahams + 3 plates + 3 spoons + 3 dining mats + 3 bibs + 1 packet cream of wheat + 3 highchairs)

8. Eating makes me think about sleeping....better go get the 3 pack and plays. And 3 sheets to go in them. And 3 pillows and 3 blankets AND Hunter's special "woobie". Exhausted yet? (9 outfits + 4 jammies + 3 swim suits + 1 Sun Shade + 1 bottle of sunscreen + 6 swim diapers + 18 regular diapers + wipes + diaper creme + 2 movies + 1 pacifier + 3 sippy cups + 3 snack cups + 3 PB&Js + 6 cups of fruit + 1 cup of blueberries + 1 cup of teddy grahams + 3 plates + 3 spoons + 3 dining mats + 3 bibs + 1 packet cream of wheat + 3 highchairs + 3 pack and plays + 3 sheets + 3 blankets + 3 pillows + Hunter's woobie)

9. Thinking about the pack and plays reminded me that I didn't pack bottles. The babies only get one a day, right before bed. So...I grab 3 bottles, fill em with liners, fill the liners with milk, grab caps for the bottles and then an ice pack to keep them cool while we travel. (9 outfits + 4 jammies + 3 swim suits + 1 Sun Shade + 1 bottle of sunscreen + 6 swim diapers + 18 regular diapers + wipes + diaper creme + 2 movies + 1 pacifier + 3 sippy cups + 3 snack cups + 3 PB&Js + 6 cups of fruit + 1 cup of blueberries + 1 cup of teddy grahams + 3 plates + 3 spoons + 3 dining mats + 3 bibs + 1 packet cream of wheat + 3 highchairs + 3 pack and plays + 3 sheets + 3 blankets + 3 pillows + Hunter's woobie + 3 bottles + 1 ice pack)

(OMG are we done yet???)

10. Toys? They might need something to keep them busy while we travel so I throw in about 6 smallish toys...(9 outfits + 4 jammies + 3 swim suits + 1 Sun Shade + 1 bottle of sunscreen + 6 swim diapers + 18 regular diapers + wipes + diaper creme + 2 movies + 1 pacifier + 3 sippy cups + 3 snack cups + 3 PB&Js + 6 cups of fruit + 1 cup of blueberries + 1 cup of teddy grahams + 3 plates + 3 spoons + 3 dining mats + 3 bibs + 1 packet cream of wheat + 3 highchairs + 3 pack and plays + 3 sheets + 3 blankets + 3 pillows + Hunter's woobie + 3 bottles + 1 ice pack + 6 small toys)

At some point, some point when I'm so exhausted from that packing process, I have the thought, "I'm so tired now...do we really need to go?" Which is immediately followed by my other thought, "I just packed all that, you better BELIEVE we're going somewhere!"

So we throw in the last 3 items...Colton, Hunter and Ethan and away we go!

9 outfits + 4 jammies + 3 swim suits + 1 Sun Shade + 1 bottle of sunscreen + 6 swim diapers + 18 regular diapers + wipes + diaper creme + 2 movies + 1 pacifier + 3 sippy cups + 3 snack cups + 3 PB&Js + 6 cups of fruit + 1 cup of blueberries + 1 cup of teddy grahams + 3 plates + 3 spoons + 3 dining mats + 3 bibs + 1 packet cream of wheat + 3 highchairs + 3 pack and plays + 3 sheets + 3 blankets + 3 pillows + Hunter's woobie + 3 bottles + 1 ice pack + 6 small toys + Colton + Hunter + Ethan = A FREAKIN' ROAD TRIP!

And now, for the pictures! We're at Nana and Papa Bunch's house! They are trying out their new Baby Adirondack chairs ( SOO Cute!!) And in case you're wondering, yep. They all flipped over in them. Oh well! How else will they learn, right?

Ethan has found a toy, with wheels. Heavenly.
Princess Hunter enjoys being the center of attention. Always.

"Hey Look! My feet can touch the floor!"
Love it!!
My crazy girl
Puzzles with mom
Time to eat! (Good thing we packed those highchairs!)
Trying to help Papa pick out a movie to watch! (As you can imagine, the babies were SOOoooo helpful in this department). On a totally side note, The ad on the TV makes me think how disappointed my brother in law would be to see this. You see, he is an Insurance Agent for American Family Insurance so I feel like I should do a little plug for him....If you're like everyone else right now who would love to see your monthly bills decreased, then you need to call Emilio. He will totally save you money! Honestly, he saved us on ours and pretty much everyone else we know! Here's the thing...it can't hurt to call and get a free quote. Tell him the Bunch Babies sent you! I promise he'll take good care of you! Emilio Montes is his name...call him or email if you just want a free quote! emontes@amfam.com or (520) 319-7076

They are picking Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to watch
And yes, I always let them watch the TV this close. :)

Naptime! (Which can be confused with playtime for the first 25 minutes or so!)
BUT- After naptime was SWIM time! (Ok, well not so much actual swimming as splashing, but so much fun, nonetheless!)



Hmm...what's this?
"Oh! Hello Mr. Sun!"





And then, brave Aunt Kristen (left) and "Aunt Audrey" attempt to give the little lady some piggy tails for the first time!
"Hey! What's with all the hair pulling?"
Ta Da! Is that the face of contentment or what?
Cousin Chloe comes to visit and has her lunch!
Then it was time for the girls to swim! Hunter, Chloe and Alexa


While the boys play with the dog door. Typical.


I LOVE her little antennae!

Play time! There's cousin Bethany too!

Aunt Phyllis and Alexa reading
Ethan the puzzle master
And that my friends is our trip to Phoenix! As always, it was such a fun day! Just as planned, we drove back in to Tucson right at 11:00. Just. In. Time. For. Bed. ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Beachkins Take San Diego Part 2



Okay, I know I promised Sea World next, but these pictures were already ready...I do hope you enjoy!

If you hadn't gathered it yet, the babies were obsessed with this "just their size" gate

Really? Is there anything better than a lawn chair?

One of our San Diego Traditions is trekking down the boardwalk to the Promenade Shopping Center where we have breakfast at the Eggery! Colton is explaining the wonders of a fork to grammy.
Clearly, Hunter finds her menu hysterical!
And Ethan is tasting jelly. Er, no, he's tasting the plastic container the jelly is in.

Mike Morrison, if you're reading this, know that I took great pride in cutting my kids' food for them :)
Say, "CHEESE"


Making funny faces with mom
Uncle Emilio and Gary Busey...er...Colton

Surfing? Not yet...Just practicing standing on his own!



My boys
Ethan's sandcastle pile



Of course the camera snapped the second he looked away, but Ethan was so mesmerized every time these junior lifeguards in training would run by!

My sandy boy



Learning how to clap!



Our little sand crab, Hunter

The Beachfront Beauty...this is where we stayed the past 2 trips. Last time we were on the middle floor, this year we had the bottom floor and thus, the PATIO!!

Sand Yoga
Peekaboo!







Ethan had a blast throwing the ball with Uncle Emilio. He is the only one who can actually catch the ball as well as throw it! Go Ethan!

Aunt Mary and Hunter
Uncle Emilio and "Snoop Ethan E"


Hunter found it fascinating just to touch Ava.
Ethan Bear and his Dad
The competition increases...coolest feature of the beachouse...the gate, the lawnchair or the dishwasher??
Pictionary...a fun game for non-competitive people.

There's that gate again
Hey! Am I lookin' in the mirror?

Ethan, Daddy, Colton

Hold on to mommy's leg and you won't get washed away!
My family

Hawaiian Butts





He kneeled on this chair and watched the little girls beside us for about 30 minutes. They finally came over and said, "is he mad at us?" And sure enough, Colton had the most stone cold expression on his face. It was so funny!



Ava's first time in the ocean with her daddy, Nate
Jen, Nate and Ava
Grammy and Colton
Hunter Olivia: Queen of the Beach
Colton and Uncle E

Mary and Emilio
My Mom
Colton, Brian, Hunter, Ami, Ethan


Mi Familia
Nate, Ethan, Jen, Ava, Brian, Colton, Ami, Hunter
The Whole Gang








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