Oh, the places you'll go...

They're here! Meet Sawyer Boone, Toby Ryan and Chloe Violet. We're still trying to decide which boy is who. One boy was 5lbs 10oz, the other was 5lbs 5oz, and she was 5lbs 4oz. They each came out screaming, no respirators or NICU visits required.  I'm doing good as well, still numb so we'll see how good I feel once the anesthesia wears off. A HUGE thank you to everyone who's been praying for us. We can't thank you enough.

Several of you have asked about baby names and while yes, they do have names, we decided to wait until they're born to reveal them. So I thought it might be fun to give you their initials and see if you can guess what their names will be. SB (boy) TR (boy) CV (girl) Place your bets under the "comments" tab. There's no prize except your own personal satisfaction. Good luck!

We're officially in the home stretch now. The babies still look great and have even started their "practice breathing" which prepares their lungs for delivery. No more weight checks till they come but Ryan and I are guessing five pounds each which for triplets would be amazing. Something else that's amazing? No bed rest required. Seriously, you hardly ever meet a mom of multiples, even with twins, that doesn't have to go on bed rest at some point. If that's not the hand of God, I don't know what is. The moment we found out we were having triplets, while Ryan was pacing in the corner of the room, Psalm 139:13-14 was continuously going through my mind. It says: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." This pregnancy was not a surprise to God. He planned this for me when He was creating me in my moth...

Dear Nick Saban, You don't know me, but I have been a loyal Alabama fan for as long as I can remember. I have supported the team through thick and thin and NCAA violations. I may also be the reason you won the National Championship two years ago. You see, my first child was born that same year so it would seem that my being pregnant bodes well for our team. Granted, it didn't help us much against LSU this last game, but we're still going to the big one so I think we can overlook that. I think you should also consider the fact that this year we're expecting triplets. That's three times the luck being sent your way! Now considering how much I'm helping you out, I think the least you can do is throw a little appreciation my way. I mean, sure your guys practice a lot, but have they spent the past eight months growing other people in their bodies? I doubt it. I'm not asking for much, maybe just a small percentage of the fat bonus I'm sure you're get...

I would be remiss to go this entire pregnancy without acknowledging how awesome my husband has been. While he's always been good about helping around the house and with Carson, he's taken on even more since I've become increasing limited. Here's just a peek of all he does: Grocery shopping (all of it) Carson's bath time Changing Carson's clothes and diapers Most of the cooking Most of the cleaning Picking up around the house Picking up things off the floor since it's hard for me to bend over Painting my toenails since I can hardly reach them anymore Running errands Arranging the nursery Laundry Entertaining Carson while I rest Brushing Carson's teeth and helping him get ready for bed I'm sure I'm forgetting something but needless to say, he's been quite busy and I couldn't have done this without him.

After last night's fiasco I was a little anxious about seeing our specialist today. Turns out random contractions are totally normal, especially when your expecting so many babies at once. Or as he put it "when your uterus is so distended". In other words I have a fat uterus. Otherwise everything still looks great. The triplets' heartbeats are great, they still have plenty of amniotic fluid and two of them are weighing in at 4.7 lbs. while the other is 4.8. So apparently my womanly girth is giving them plenty of room to grow without being stifled. In other news, my belly button has popped out. I'm proud to report it's never been cleaner.

I know that traditionally the seventh anniversary gift is copper or wool. Well, for us it was hospitals. And frustration. And a couple of Tums to cap off the evening. Ryan and I had planned on going out to eat this evening, hopefully to Logan's Roadhouse where you can get two three course meals for $20. If there's anything I like better than a good steak, it's a good cheap steak with free dessert. We'd already planned to take Carson with us so it wasn't going to be just terribly romantic anyway. Before we could get our grub on, we had to stop by the hospital for some routine baby monitoring and  a shot to help develop their lungs just in case they decide to come early. It was only supposed to take an hour and a half. Five and a half hours later, we got to go home. The babies all looked great but it seems I was having contractions that I didn't even know about. So they shot me up with something to stop them, gave me an IV of fluids and put me in the most un...

Happy seven year anniversary to my knight in shining armor. I can't imagine doing life with anyone else.

This past Saturday I got to spend the morning with some of the most amazing women I've ever known when they threw a baby shower for me. Moving to Tennessee and away from all of our seminary friends was hard but since then God has surrounded me with these women through a local Bible study. I can't tell you how refreshing it's been to show up every Tuesday morning, tired and getting bigger by the minute, and have people encourage and support you and tell you how beautiful you look. So thank you ladies, not only for the shower and the awesome gifts, but for being our family while we're away from ours. "Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30   Prayer for the babies and our family .  Me with Amy and Christy, my gracious hostesses.

Since our families don't live nearby and everyone's saving their visits till the triplets come, here's a peek of Carson's second birthday. We decided on a fish theme since that's what he's into right now. Or bish, as he calls them. We had cake, whale crackers, chips with lobster dip (minus the actual lobster) and ocean water punch. And not to brag, but I'm pretty proud of how the cake turned out this year, especially considering I made this one in one try compared to three last year. Anyway, enjoy the pictorial.  Confession: Carson napped through lunch, so his meal consisted of cake and party food. Mom of the year strikes again.  Carson and his friend Liam trying out his new drum set.  

Today is Rawley's third birthday. And unfortunately he's not here to celebrate. We haven't seen or heard from him since sometime last week, which is totally unlike him. We don't know if he's hurt, lost, stolen or dead. Ryan's been everywhere looking for him, talking to the neighbors, even calling our veterinarian and the highway department. Nothing. I know to a lot of people this isn't that big a deal but he really is a member of our family. He slept in our bedroom under our bed until he grew too big to fit and even then he would sleep with his just is upper body underneath. He's been loyal and faithful and always ran to greet us when we pulled into the driveway. He's been patient beyond measure with Carson who loves to run after him and pull his tail and ears. He always made me feel safer when I've been home alone. To be honest, I really didn't want a dog to start with. I was more of a cat person. But I knew how badly Ryan wanted one ...

It's hard to believe this little guy is two already. He really is an awesome kid and I'm not just saying that because I'm his mother. He's talking up a storm now and even giving up some of the sign language he learned as a baby. He loves fish and trucks and throwing rocks. He loves to run and jump and be outside. He's definitely all boy and he never ceases to rock my world. Happy Birthday, Carson!

Woo hoo, 32! While everyday I'm able to carry these babies is a blessing, 32 weeks is apparently quite a milestone in that our chances of one or more of them having cerebral palsy and/or brain bleeds goes down by 80% . I know it's not something people like to think about, but while no pregnancy is guaranteed to go full term, it's even more so a risk for multiples. As of our last doctor's appointment everything is still looking great. The babies' heart rates are good and they have plenty of fluid to hang out in. I'm still doing good as well. I have to lay down a lot, have trouble breathing sometimes and my stomach itches so much I just want to take a grill brush to it. But I'm still healthy and able to get around, which apparently is a rarity with multiples. Most people we've heard of with triplets had delivered at this point or were on strict bed rest, so we have much to be thankful for. Anyway, here's our latest belly shot. I started not to post ...

Dear Montero, I knew this day would come at some point, but I never imagined it would be so soon. I don't know if it's right to love a vehicle or not, but I love you. You were the first car I ever bought on my own. You took me on my honeymoon, moved me all over the southeast and took me on lots of road trips, including who knows how many to Alabama and back. You brought my first child home from the hospital and if you had the car seat capacity, you would've brought home the other three. I'll miss you. Love always, Lucy

This Thanksgiving morning, along with watching the Macy's parade and dreaming of eating copious amounts of dressing, Ryan, Carson and I also got to spend some time with a reporter and cameraman from Fox 17 News. Side note: The entire time Ryan and I are talking to the reporter, Carson is just over to the side playing in a mud puddle. In his Thanksgiving attire. Attire which included a white sweater. Thankfully it doesn't show up on camera lest people think we're white trash who don't bathe the kid we already have. And in our defense, it kept him entertained and us from having to constantly chase him around. And just so we're clear, we didn't do this for attention or to take credit for anything. God just did an awesome thing in our lives and we wanted to share that with others. Anyway, click on the link below to check it out. WZTV FOX 17 :: Newsroom - Top Stories - Couple Expecting Triplets Gets Surprise

When we first found out we were having triplets, people would ask us how we were handling the news and Ryan and I both said we were overwhelmed, which is the most accurate word we could think of. Since then, we have continued to be overwhelmed by God's provision for the babies and for us physically but never more so than last night. Ryan had been invited to speak about the camp at our town's community Thanksgiving service. When the time comes for him to give his spill, one of the local pastors calls us both up front. I hadn't planned to say anything, so I stayed in my seat. Tim and Karen, our pastor and his wife, were sitting in front of me and insisted that I go up with Ryan, even though I said it would be awkward to walk up later. And since I'm no stranger to awkwardness, I went. Once we were both on stage, the other pastor told everyone who we were and how God had blessed us with triplets. After a random gasp in the audience and some delayed applause, he said that Go...

Apparently, unbeknown to me, it's OK to say whatever you want to a pregnant woman, especially if she's having triplets. Here's just a sample of what I've been hearing the past few months. "You're getting bigger everyday." "You look great for having three babies." So...I look like crap otherwise? "How much weight have you gained?" "You have a big belly." It took all the self-control I could muster not to tell this person she had a big mouth. The fact that she's five, notwithstanding. Of course this is nothing compared to the looks of disgust I get from people who ask when my due date is but don't know I'm carrying triplets. I don't even bother to tell them. And then there are others, who upon hearing our news, offer their condolences. Big fat jerks.

Not to brag, but I made some freakin' awesome nachos for supper tonight. And since they were so good, I thought I'd share how to make them. I was trying to think of something for supper that wouldn't require me actually having to cook and I knew I had some leftover fajita steak and chicken with onions and bell peppers in the freezer. Honestly, that's really what made the difference. So I layered some tortilla chips, the fajita mix, black beans and cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses and stuck it under the broiler just till the cheese was starting to melt. Then I sprinkled some chopped fresh cilantro on top and served it with salsa and fresh homemade guacamole. The only thing missing was a few chopped jalapenos but we were out. Even still, it was a fiesta to the palate.

As of our visit today, the babies are weighing in at 3 lbs. 3 ounces, 3.5 and 3.7. According to babycenter.com, most single babies should weigh about 2 1/2 lbs. at this point. That's craziness, folks. The doctor said everything still looks great and that we seem to be having a normal pregnancy, just with three. Apparantly I come from hearty stock because the women in my family have big babies. Now if you'll excuse me, just knowing that I'm carrying over 10 lbs. of baby makes me want to lie down.

Ryan, Carson and I had dinner with a family with triplets last week and besides some really good food and helpful advice, they gave us this: We had been looking online at a stroller just like this wondering how we were going to be able to afford it 'cause if you don't know, they are wicked expensive. But, as always, God provided for us. Shout out to Mark and Karen for your hospitality and generosity. "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Another week, another doctor's visit. The triplets' heartbeats all look good and they all have plenty of fluid to swim in, which explains the acrobatics that have been taking place in my abdomen. As for me, my body is still doing exactly what it's supposed to. They measured my belly at 40 weeks which means this is as big as I was when Carson was born. I'll give Mary Anne a break and just leave it at that. I've been even more tired lately and the occasional backache has become recurring, but if that's our only issue, I'll gladly take it. I told Ryan I feel like Frodo. While I don't want to drop the babies into Mount Doom or anything, it is a load to bear and it's starting to take it's toll. I mean, just look at how big Frodo's eyes were by The Return of the King . That's my stomach. Of course in the end, I'll have a Cesarean scar as opposed to the wound of a morgal blade, but you get the idea. Thanks to everyone in our fellowship for p...

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3

I think I may have found my ideal nanny. My niece Allison came to visit this past weekend and she was some kind of whirlwind of productivity. Here are a few highlights to add to her resume: Helped finish moving Carson into his new room. Helped arrange furniture in the nursery. Helped rearrange furniture in the nursery. Went through all of Carson's baby clothes plus some girl clothes we'd received and sorted them by type and size. The photo below is actually our organized pile. Helped rearrange furniture in the nursery. Cooked breakfast while I took a shower. Bathed Carson. Chased him around outside while I took a break. Made some awesome fried cornbread for lunch. Treated us all to some yummy Pizza Hut for supper. And best of all, she's family so there was no formality. We napped in the afternoons and I didn't have to play hostess because she made herself at home. She is currently on speed dial for when the triplets arrive. Thanks Allison for all your help. You rock!

...you turn on the washer and dryer then come back a few minutes later to discover the dryer is completely empty and the washer is full of already-clean clothes. At this rate I will be wearing my underwear on the outside of my clothes sometime next month.

...you go outside, barefoot and pregnant, and shoot the neighbor's dog with a BB gun because he's making too much noise during your nap time. By the way, I hit him with one shot. And no, he wasn't injured.

1997-2011 Thanks for letting Carson chase you every time we came to Alabama. You will be missed.

We had another appointment with our specialist today. All three babies look great and are weighing in at two pounds each with one of the boys topping out at 2.4 lbs. Heartbeats are good as well and they each have plenty of amniotic fluid to swim in. As for me, everything still looks great. My blood pressure has been excellent and we still have lots of cervix. I realize that may be a little too personal for some of you and I apologize. But for the rest who know how important a good cervix is to avoid preterm labor, this is a major praise. God had this planned for me and Ryan before we were born and He's totally prepared my body for it. The only issues I've had so far is some back pain, shortness of breath and just feeling tired but none of it has been extreme. Again, thank you to everyone who's been praying for us. We greatly appreciate it and ask that you keep it up. We still have a long way to go.

Since Carson has started talking more and even putting a few words together, I've noticed that he's come up with his own little vocabulary. And while sometimes even I don't know what he's saying, I thought I'd put together a list of his most commonly used words/phrases. "Bee"- the movie A Bug's Life "Stick"- the movie Prince of Egypt "Mao"- cat "Poof"- elephant "Bish eat"- the book Cat Traps "More tee"- I want to use the potty "Joose"- juice, goose, cheers or Cheerios "Memen"- Amen "Bees"- babies or blueberries "Ra Ra"- Rawley "Ce Ce"- our neighbor's dog, Sandy "Shwee"- smoothie

The new Footloose comes out Friday and while surely there's no way it's as good as the original, I'm curious to see it. But considering that Ryan and I try to be careful about what we watch, I may have to wait for an edited TV version. Carson has tee-teed in the potty the past three nights in a row. Ryan refuses to use the word "tee-tee". I refuse to use the the word "pee-pee". It just sounds vulgar. When we tell people we're expecting triplets, they seem relieved it's us and not them. A friend of my sister's gave us her old breast pump. We tested it by filling a water balloon and trying to pump it. It worked, but looked awfully painful. Joke of the day, courtesy of David Letterman: "What's the difference between Obama's dog and the economy? Obama fixed his dog."

Last month Ryan and Carson and I set out on our last vacation as a threesome. And probably the last big outing we'll have for a while. We had to take it pretty easy because not only were we traveling with a toddler, but with the triplets, I have about as much energy as a 60 year old. Our first full day we spent in Illinois, first in Springfield where we visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and grave site. It was surreal to stand so close to the remains of such an historical figure. Later that afternoon we made our way to Chicago and to the Sears Tower, or Willis Tower as it's now known. This may have been the exact spot where Carson entered his terrible twos because he whined and cried his way around the observation deck. After that we went in search of some Chicago-style pizza for supper. What we found was some stale food court pizza. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

After our little jaunt in the Land of Lincoln, we headed over to Wisconsin. Honestly, I didn't know what, if anything, there was to do there but this actually ended up being the state where we spent the most time. We started out in Pleasant Prairie where we took a tour of the Jelly Belly factory. Yum. Then we stopped at a natural history museum in Kenosha. The next day we went to a children's museum in Milwaukee before heading over to Wisconsin Dells, which Ryan referred to as Gatlinburg on acid. Very touristy but very fun. We ate at Buffalo Phils, a kid-friendly restaurant that brought our food to us via train. After our meal we went to the arcade/fair around back and spent the next hour and a half playing in one of those giant ball/bounce houses. Or at least Ryan and Carson did. I watched from the comfort of a bench off the to the side and tried to imagine what this will be like with four kids instead of just one. We spent the next morning at a science center before moving on...

Minnesota was the next stop on our magical mystery tour. We spent the first afternoon at the Como Zoo in St. Paul. I don't know if we just came at a good time or what but the animals were particularly active that day, including a pair of lions who started mating while we were observing them. You don't see that everyday. The next morning we went to Minneapolis to the Mall of America. Wow. We were on a pretty tight budget so we didn't buy anything but we did play at the Lego store and Ryan and Carson got to ride a few rides at Nickelodeon Universe.

"Is this heaven?" "No. It's Iowa." Yes, Iowa does sound like a thrilling place to visit, especially if you like corn. We did get to see the movie site for Field of Dreams, though. It was just a field and a house, but it was pretty stinkin' awesome. Yes, we saw Lincoln's tomb, but here we got to stand where Kevin Costner and Darth Vader's voice once stood. Next we drove to Iowa City where we visited the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, birthplace and grave site. It turns out Hoover wasn't to blame for the Great Depression like I'd previously heard. After that we met up with one of our summer camp staffers who's going to school at Iowa State for supper before driving five hours to our next state.

Our last stop was Missouri to see the Welkers and it was definitely the most relaxing. We hung out, ate some great food and even got to hang out with Amy's parents for the Arkansas/Alabama game. Carson had a blast playing with Vivi and I had fun getting showered with all kinds of girly baby stuff from Amy and her mom. The only problem is that they don't live closer. Thanks Welkers, for your awesome hospitality. We heart you.

We had another appointment with our specialist the other day and came back with all kinds of great news. The triplets are all growing about the same rate. They weigh 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8 pounds respectively and their heartbeats all sounded good. As for me, the doctor says I've got enough cervix to sell to sell to other women. I hope that wasn't too much information. I tend to lose all shame when I'm pregnant. I'm also feeling really good. I get tired pretty easy and my feet and ankles are puffier than I'd like but that's pretty much it. Oh, and I have trouble rolling over from side to side at night but I don't think there's much you can do about that. Thank you to everyone who's been praying for us and please keep it up.

...your child hands you a booger at the dinner table and you put it on your plate and keep eating anyway. Precious moments, folks.

Here's a little update on what we've been up to lately: We saw our specialist yesterday and so far the babies and I are doing great. My main duties at this stage in the game are to take it pretty easy and eat. Can do. As a result, I gained three pounds over the course of the weekend. Not sure how I feel about that. Nap time has almost become a necessity. And now that I know we're having triplets, I no longer feel guilty about it. Ryan has been a busy bee around the house, relocating our office material to the upstairs and painting the old office so we can move Carson into it when the babies come. I can only hold Carson for a short time and can only pick him up if I'm sitting down or he's standing on something. We've also had to move story time to the couch because it's hard to keep him in my lap for long in the rocking chair. I've definitely been spending more time reading God's word and in prayer. Having triplets is beyond my own abilities, so I...

So I realize I dropped a bomb in my last post and didn't give any details, though I think I had a pretty good excuse. So for those of you I haven't spoken to personally, here's the back story : Ryan and I went for our first sonogram Thursday. We'd been there a few minutes and I was all laid out on the table with that ultrasound goo on my belly when the sonographer started doing her thing. As she was looking for the baby, I noticed three circles on the screen that looked like little heads. But most of those ultrasound pictures look like hurricane tracking maps to me, so what do I know? Five seconds later she asks: "Have you been taking fertility drugs?" Me: "No, I don't take any drugs." Sonographer : "Have you not been scanned before?" Me: "I don't know what that means." Sonographer : "Have you not had an ultrasound already?" Me: "No. Why?" Sonographer : "'Cause I think I see one, t...