Glamping

All fall we had wanted to go to a climbing area a few hours away from ABQ called the Enchanted Tower. We did quite a bit of climbing there pre-babies but we hadn't been there at all since they were born as it takes over 2.5 hours to get there, so we didn't feel it was worth the drive unless we camped. We had been watching the forecast all week and the lows were predicted to be in the lower 40's, which seemed too cold for tent camping with toddlers. After discussing our options for a few days it occurred to us that there might be a small motel in the tiny town of Datil, which is the closest town to the climbing area. After a quick internet search we discovered that the gas station / convenience store / restaurant in town also had a small RV park and motel!

We decided that the motel would be a great solution as we would be able to spend two solid days hanging out at the Enchanted Tower, but we could still get a good night of sleep as we would not worrying about whether or not the babes were staying warm. I believe this fits the definition of "glamping," which is glamorous camping, as we hung out all day outside, and even pitched a tent for the babes to nap in, yet we got to enjoy the amenities of a motel room which included a warm shower!

On Saturday we left our house at 6:40 a.m., met up with our friends in Socorro for breakfast burritos and a playground break for the kids, and then drove the rest of the way. After we set up our tent so the babes could nap, the guys climbed while my friend Val and I stayed at camp with the kids. While the babes napped I headed up for one climb while Val stayed below. We made dinner at the campsite and then went to our motel for the night. We didn't expect much at the bargain price of $58 a night, but we were presently surprised to find a clean room that had enough space for three pack n plays.

Jack at the Enchanted Tower

Faith

Alexis

A view of our campsite from the base of a climbing wall

A view of the climbing area from our campsite. The "tower" is in the middle.

Alexis, Jack, and Faith running around the campsite. It definitely wasn't the most relaxing trip I've been on, but at least everyone was having fun!

Jack inspecting a leaf

Faith trying to play with the "big kids" Auggie and Eland who are 6 and 4

F, J, A enjoying all of the room to roam

Dinner F, J, A

Safe, warm, and clean in our motel room (J, A, F)

After a great night of sleep in the motel, we headed back into the climbing area early Sunday morning to meet up with our friends who had stayed there and camped. We decided to take all of the kids up to one of the climbing walls this time so that we could all spend the morning together. Dan carried up a pack n play, Micah carried our climbing gear and he had Faith on his back, and I had Alexis in a carrier on my front and Jack in a pack on my back. We put the babes in the pack n play so that they would be safe, but Jack was not content in there so he spent a lot of time being carried by me, Micah, and Dan in a backpack as it wasn't safe to let the babes walk freely due to the terrain. For the most part, everyone was happy and all four adults were able to climb...even Val who is 32 weeks pregnant with their third child!

Alexis (center), Faith, and Jack bundled up and ready for the hike up to the climbing wall

A failed family photo as Faith was on Micah's back and accidentally was cut out of the frame. Alexis was having more fun than she let on :).

The scene at the climbing wall. The older boys were playing, Micah was introducing Jack to rock climbing, and Dan was ready to climb.

Faith and Alexis hanging out in the pack n play

Val ready to climb at 32 weeks pregnant!

She made it to the top!

After lunch the guys continued to climb while the rest of us stayed at the campsite and hung out while the babes napped. We hopped in our cars around 2:30 p.m. and headed back to ABQ and got home around 5:30. Although Alexis, Jack, and Faith seemed to enjoy exploring the campsite and the great outdoors, they were super excited to be back home and all three ran around the play area yelling and playing with their toys for the rest of the evening.

F, A, and J napping in the tent

Micah climbing on the tower (look at the left side of the tower in the middle of the wall for his green shirt)

Playing in the dirt for a few more minutes before we headed for home

Alexis pointing to the doggies that were accompanying other climbers

Even "glamping" isn't easy with three toddlers, but it definitely made for a more enjoyable trip and we may have to try this again in the future!

10 Days with Grandma

It's hard to believe that two weeks have gone by since my mom went back to Michigan, after spending 10 days with us in ABQ. Life is incredibly busy and somehow it seems to keep getting busier, which is why I'm just now finding the time to blog about our time with my mom. Micah went to Yosemite for a climbing trip for 8 days so my mom flew out to ABQ to help me with the babes.

We stayed so busy while she was here, both with fun things and with necessary appointments and such, that it is hard to remember the details of our time together two weeks later, but here are some of the highlights.

She arrived on a Saturday and I decided it would be fun to go into the airport with the babes and surprise her. Normally we drive through the passenger pick-up to make it quick and easy, but I thought the babes might enjoy the people watching at the airport and we didn't have much else to do that day since her arrival was the main event. Unfortunately, no one was very content waiting for Grandma to come through the gate, so I resorted to playing a toddler farm game on my phone to keep everyone quiet. Our efforts were worth it, though, as she was quite surprised and excited to see us waiting for her!

On Sunday we had a Norwex party while the babes napped in the afternoon. This was my first time hosting a party like this, and it was good that my mom was in town to help me get things ready and to help with the babes. Luckily, they napped pretty well so I was able to sit down and enjoy the party myself! 

One thing I had been concerned about for months was whether or not Alexis had a tongue tie. I knew it wasn't extreme as she could eat fine and she babbles all of the time (and now tries to say new words), but it just seemed to me like she moved her tongue differently than Faith and Jack. I made an appointment for her with a dentist that performs the tongue tie procedure, and I took her while my mom took care of the other two. Although I was worried that it would be a waste of time, I was happy to find out that my "mother's intuition" was right and she does have a Type 3 tongue tie. This is great news as 1) I wasn't making it up, and 2) we didn't have to have it clipped as this is not a severe tongue tie. We will watch it in the future, though, as if she does have problems with speech the dentist can clip it later.

Sadly, Faith's eczema was really bad while my mom was in town and I was up with her for 1-2 hours in the middle of every night until Wednesday, when I finally brought her to the doctor and got a steroid cream, which worked like magic. 

I have made it a priority to get out of the house alone every Wednesday night either for MOPS, book club, or to meet up with friends. The Wednesday while my mom was in town happened to be a MOPS week and she agreed to put the babes to bed by herself so I could go. I helped give everyone baths and got them in their PJ's before I left, and then my mom took them on a walk, fed them their snack and bottles, and put them to bed all by herself. She is Super Grandma!

My mom helped me start a new snack routine with the babes as I had only been giving them snack cups with goldfish and such to munch on while they played, but now that they are getting older they need larger snacks with more substance since they aren't drinking as much milk. We decided that snacks would be given around the table (instead of using trays on their boosters like we do at meals). Everyone seems to enjoy this new part of their day!

Bedtime snack with a bottle

Jack got a bit lazy wit his bottle drinking

Jack and Faith enjoying their Grandma time

I bought everyone new shoes while my mom was here! Since all three were just beginning to walk more consistently before my mom came, I decided it was time to move out of the crawler / early walker shoes and into something more sturdy for running around outside. All three love their new shoes! 

The first time we went to a large field to play and run was while my mom was here. We weren't sure how it would go, but we learned quickly that they can all move fast when they want to and they don't necessarily stick together. But everyone loved running around outside, so we decided it was definitely worth the effort (and the stress of trying to keep track of three toddlers).  

The first time running in the field at the park

Faith and Lexi

Jack (he still had his old shoes on in this pic as I had to order his shoes online)

Rounding up babes that had wandered too far

Grandma with Lexi, Jack, and Faith at the park

We have been going to the zoo every Thursday, but our first week was while my mom was here. We are meeting up with friends, and the group changes every week, so it's been a lot of fun. The babes definitely get excited when they see the animals and there is a nice grassy area where the babes can take a break from the stroller and run around.

This was the first time we ever let them out of their strollers to see an animal at the zoo. This is Jack and Faith with their friend Levi (far left). We've actually been asked if they are quads since Levi fits right in with his blonde hair!

We also tried drawing with crayons for the first time while my mom was here, and all three enjoyed this activity a lot! They occasionally put crayons in their mouth or rip the paper, but for the most part they stick to drawing and it's adorable as they are so proud of their masterpieces.

Lexi

Jack

Lexi and Faith

It was Balloon Fiesta week in ABQ while my mom was here so we attempted to go to the Glowdeo (evening balloon glow) Friday night, but got rained out. On Saturday we tried again and the weather was slightly better, so a few balloons were inflated and glowing, but the weather turned again so the Glowdeo was cut short. We hustled back to our car as it was starting to rain and the dust and dirt was blowing, but unfortunately we sat in the parking lot, unable to move due to tons of traffic leaving the park, for almost two hours! We did get to enjoy the fireworks from the parking lot, which was somewhat fun as it was the babes' first fireworks. After my mom and I did a little "oooing" when we saw the fireworks explode, the babes caught on and started making the noises themselves, which was hilarious. Overall the babes did great with sitting in the car and not moving even though it was way past their bedtime and I didn't bring any bottles of milk along (I had no idea we would run into that much traffic!). Sadly, the Balloon Fiesta ended up being a bust for us, and we learned our lesson that the morning glows are the best time to go since the weather is much more stable. 

Jack, Faith, and Lexi semi-enjoying the balloons (or lack thereof). Luckily, they are just as entertained by the people.

With Grandma at the Balloon Fiesta

At least there was a pretty sunset

The traffic on the way out of the parking lot. Welcome to the Wild West.

On Monday, my mom's last full day in ABQ, we headed to the Botanical Garden. I had been there a couple of times before (pre babes) but I never knew there were farm animals there, so when a friend told me about them I knew we had to check it out. At the very end of the botanic garden there is a farm with fields and orchards, and also two horses, a large cow, a few sheep, a goat, two turkeys, and lots of chickens. All three babes loved seeing the animals, and the most exciting part was when the cow starting mooing. All three were making noises back to the cow, but Jack especially caught onto the mooing noise and starting imitating it. It was so cute! I feel so fortunate that there is a zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden within 20 minutes of our house so that an annual membership is worth buying and we can go whenever we please!

Jack, Lexi, and Faith by the horses

Faith playing in the large grassy area at the Botanic Garden

Jack

Since Micah was in Yosemite for the majority of my mom's stay, and he got home late Sunday night, Monday evening was our only time with three adults and three babes. Earlier in the week my mom and I had attempted monitoring the babes while they played on the playground equipment near our house, but it is made for older kids and it's hard to make sure our young climbers are safe when the adults are outnumbered. So, we took advantage of the one-to-one adult to babe ratio and headed to the park. Each of us took charge of a babe and let them do as they pleased while we followed them around. They loved every minute of this time to roam the park and climb, and Grandma even took Lexi down the big, twisty, steep, tube slide! What a fun grandma our babes have!

Grandma and Lexi

It's always surprising to me how exhausting it still is to take care of the babes when I have full-time help, but I think part of the reason is that we try to cram so much more into our days when there is an extra adult around. My mom definitely left tired after her 10 days here, but that is because she doesn't rest much as she wants to make the most of the time she has with the babes, which we truly appreciate! We are looking forward to seeing both my parents in December when we go to Michigan for Christmas!

Four Years in ABQ

Four years ago we were saying goodbye to Colorado. We had lived there for eight years and so many things had happened in our lives (we held multiple jobs, we graduated from college with many degrees, we got married, we did a ton of triathlons and marathons, we bought and sold our first house, etc...read more about it here: Goodbye Colorado).

Now that we are four years into our lives in ABQ I am feeling a bit sentimental. Obviously Colorado is very special to us as we went through a lot of change while we were there, but ABQ is beginning to feel like a more permanent place. We've never had any real thoughts of leaving since Micah really enjoys his job and there aren't many places he could work instead (having a PhD limits your options), but some days it's still shocking to me that I live in New Mexico. No offense to anyone who is from New Mexico, but it's just not a place that people usually dream about living.

Since we moved to ABQ four years ago, our lives have taken a 180 turn. We were both fortunate to have full time jobs when we moved in October 2010 and we enjoyed having two incomes immensely. We were able to pay off all of our student loans, go on vacations, and buy a new car. When we first moved we went out to dinner almost every weekend and we traveled almost every weekend (to a climbing area or someplace else fun). In August 2012 we went to South Africa to visit our friends, who have since moved back to ABQ, and then I went to Italy with my brother. Outside of work hours, our life was overall fun and carefree.

On a run in Hawaii. Micah had a conference there and I went along, and then we stayed for a few more days to enjoy the sights together. 

But the last two years could not have been any different. We wouldn't change anything, but I decided to quit my job before going to South Africa (for many reasons which I won't get into here) and a few months later we found out we were pregnant with triplets! Originally I thought I would find another job, but that plan quickly changed when we learned about the high-risk pregnancy I would endure and not wanting to send three babies to daycare at once. I had always dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom so I was thankful that the decision was an easy one for us, but obviously our financial situation changed drastically. We went from two incomes for two people to one income for five people. We are fortunate that Micah has a really good job, but it's easy to get used to a certain lifestyle.

During the first half of 2013 I only left ABQ once: to visit Micah's parents in Monte Vista in February before I was super pregnant. The rest of the time I spent preparing for the babes and resting. I hardly know what the word "resting" means now, but that was vital for healthy triplets so I spent a lot of time with my feet up on the couch reading or watching TV.

The second half of 2013 was so crazy I hardly remember it. Our babes were born on June 7, 2013, we spent the next couple of months going back and forth to the hospital to visit our babes in the NICU, and the next few months after that we had a ton of out-of-town visitors that came to help with the babes while we did our best to figure out how to take care of three babes at once. As you can imagine, there weren't a lot of trips during the second half of 2013 either (although we did make it back up to Micah's parents once in November).

Although Micah did get in some climbing trips during 2013, we didn't do as much together as we had in the past, so 2014 has been about figuring out how to go on climbing trips and do other activities that we enjoy with three babes (now toddlers) in tow. Obviously we won't be going on any two-week vacations in another country anytime soon, but we have been to Ouray, Denver, Michigan (twice), Monte Vista (twice), camping (twice), and we've gone on several climbing day trips as a family. These trips have taken a lot of planning, patience, and lowered expectations (it's simply impossible to squeeze much climbing in when taking care of three babes), but they have all been worth it.

Since moving to ABQ four years ago we've lived in three houses. One for six months, one for almost three years, and now almost eight months in our new house that we bought earlier this year. We held off on buying when we first moved as we wanted to save money and figure out exactly where we wanted to live, and I am extremely glad we made that decision as we would never have ended up with our current house since our requirements have changed so much since we moved to ABQ four years ago!

It's probably a good thing that we didn't know what the future held (and still don't!) as we may have freaked out at the thought of it, but we are so thankful for the drastic changes in our lives as, in some ways, it is even more fun than when we had our weekends to ourselves.

Now our focus is on these three cuties

About the Author

I stumbled upon the list of "25 Random Things About Me" that I posted to Facebook 5 1/2 years ago. It was one of those chains that was going around and I was tagged by someone else, so I had to post things about me and then tag others so they did the same. I find this list interesting because although I now live in a different state, I don't work outside the home, I have three kids, and I can hardly find the time to work out, so much of this list is still true! Although my priorities have changed since having my trio 16 months ago, and I don't have much free time due to caring for my babes, I really am the same person as I was in February 2009. So, if you are wondering about the author of this blog, here are some facts about me.

1. I have been married to Micah for over three (now nine) years and we have been together for over a decade (now over half of our lives). 
2. I love driving back to MI with Micah because it gives us so much time to just sit and talk. (This would be great in theory, but when we drove to visit his parents a couple of weeks ago we spent the four hour drive either shouting over crying, singing to calm the crying babes, or in silence so we did not wake the babes. So much for quality time together!)
3. I had my “dream job” when I was in high school – working at a candy store – what could be better?? 
4. I LOVE chocolate. Seriously. I know most people like chocolate but I am addicted and I eat it every single day (see #3). 
5. I am addicted to mini Cadbury eggs - the solid chocolate eggs in the crisp shell not the ones with the gooey center (although those are very good too!). 
6. Lemon Drop Martinis are my favorite drink and we have perfected the recipe. 
7. I am also addicted to Starbucks’ Chai and their Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Maybe I just really like to eat and drink… 
8. I have arthritis in my big toe thanks to my mom’s genes and my love of running. 
9. I am the only person in my entire family, including aunts, uncles and cousins, that lives outside of West Michigan. (I do have one cousin that lives outside of West MI now and a couple of another cousin's children do too, but for the most part this is still true)
10. I have a very strong Midwestern accent which will probably never go away no matter how hard I try (apparently it is “bag” not “baaag”). 
11. I am still friends with my best friends from elementary / middle / high school even though most of us live in different states. 
12. I enjoy traveling but I hate airports! 
13. I love “To Do” lists and I enjoy working on our personal budget. 
14. I always do my taxes as soon as I get all of the forms in the mail because I love getting the refund check (although I realize I need to adjust my withholding so I don’t get a return, but it is fun to get!). In fact, I usually do them in December to estimate how much of a refund we will have. 
15. I feel most happy when I am training for something – like a triathlon or marathon. I need goals to motivate me and I love going for bike rides and running. (I wish I had time to train and that my babes were a bit more consistent with sleeping through the night so I had more energy!)
16. I really enjoy making workout / training plans. 
17. I love to get rid of things – going through the fridge and cupboards to find expired food or deciding which clothes I don’t need anymore is so much fun! Too bad Micah doesn’t like it when I go through his stuff – there is just so much I could get rid of . (Now it is even more fun as I have baby stuff to get rid of!)
18. I would much rather get paid less and be able to work fewer hours than get paid more and have to work all of the time! (And now I just work all of the time and don't get paid at all....hmmmmm)
19. I love to bake cookies – I try to bake some every week! (I need to start this again ASAP)
20. I can’t decide what I really want to do someday for a job. Right now I am between Personal Financial Planner, personal organizer (like the people on Clean Sweep on TLC that help you get rid of things), having a bakery or something fitness related. (It never crossed my mind to be a stay-at-home-mom of triplets!)
21. One day I hope to live someplace where I don’t have to drive 20 minutes or more to see a friend or go to work. I feel like I waste so much time in the car every day. (Success! We have friends that are 5-10 minutes away and I don't even have to leave the house to go to "work")
22. I have had more bad haircuts in my life than I can count (like one side being literally two inches shorter than the other!). Too bad haircuts are so darn expensive out here in CO and I want to pay MI prices… (Haircuts don't matter anymore because I wear my hair in a ponytail every day as it doesn't make since to have a cute haircut when I am busy changing diapers and just need my hair pulled back)
23. We pay $13 a month for our cable, which seems to baffle most of our friends. We just don’t watch much tv and it’s a great way to save $$$. (It's gone up but not much)
24. I wish I lived closer to my family, but I love the Colorado sunshine! (Good thing NM has sunshine too!) 
25. I can’t wait for Micah to be done with his PhD and to see where life takes us from there! (And we're here...ABQ and triplets!)

Three Different Personalities

Although Alexis, Jack, and Faith are triplets, they each have their own personality and I wanted to share a little about each one.

ALEXIS

We’ve known from the day she was born that Alexis was dramatic, but that has become even more evident recently. If a toy gets taken from her or we stop her from doing something, such as climbing up on the couch, she is hysterical. She cries so hard that she doesn’t take a breath for several seconds and it’s a little scary! I actually did this when I was a child so I know that it is somewhat “normal,” but it’s hard not to give in to a tantrum when a babe is so upset she’s not breathing!

Luckily, Alexis is also very affectionate which helps balance out the drama. When she wakes up from a nap she just wants to snuggle and I often wish I had more time do that with each of our babes. She also loves to lounge around the house, which is comical.

Even in Target she is determined to lounge. I put her legs back through the seat 100 times but she kept doing this so I gave up. Silly girl!

Alexis loves to laugh. If we do anything like tickle her or chase her around the room she laughs and laughs and we can see that she wants us to keep doing it. She is full of joy, which is fitting since that’s her middle name!

Happy, cozy girl on the floor (eating).

Happy Lexi, snack cup in hand.

Although our babes are very close in weight, Alexis has been the heaviest for several months, which makes sense as she seems to enjoy eating the most. We give the babes snack cups with cheerios or goldfish throughout the day and Alexis seems to eat out of everyone’s cup! 

One snack cup per hand is actually less efficient since your hands get stuck!

I promise she acts like she is finished eating, but as soon as we put her down she wants to eat off of everyone else's tray.

JACK

Jack is our sensitive babe. He is quick to cry if someone uses a stern voice with him, such as when we tell him “no” when he’s doing something he shouldn’t be doing. He’s easily overwhelmed by loud personalities, which will set him off crying as well. When I walk in the room after being gone or even just coming down from upstairs, he cries the moment he realizes that I was gone! He will be perfectly fine playing when he doesn’t know I’m missing, but when I reappear it sets him off.

Jack has been interested in details since he was super young. He loves to sit quietly and look at books, especially when his sisters aren't bugging him. He traces things with his fingers and is intrigued by little things.

Looking intently at the pics of his cousins in the family photo album that I made for them.

This apple is so interesting!

Jack loves to snuggle, especially when he’s sleepy. He has this way of curling up that makes him fit perfectly in our laps. He also is the easiest to carry as he hangs on tightly and wraps his little legs around our bodies. 

Jack is a thumb sucker and although we can take the pacifiers away from the girls (we only let them use them when their in bed, in the car, or at doctor’s appointments), we can’t take the thumb away! When he feels insecure, when he’s upset, or when he decides he’s done eating, the thumb goes straight in the mouth. Although it is really cute, I also worry as I was a thumb sucker myself and it was a really hard habit for me to break! 

Even when he's happy he sucks his thumb. He also uses his thumb as his teether and there is no good substitute no matter what we give him.

Cutie!

Sometimes Jack gets a bit crazy. It seems like he gets a burst of energy in the evening and he suddenly starts going around the room and screeching like he’s having so much fun! He’ll chase after his sisters or just go in circles. It is hilarious to see him in action!

He goes crazy when the camera comes out!

FAITH

I know we always say that Alexis is the dramatic one, but Faith could win an award for her acting! She has a fake little laugh that she does throughout the day, which is funny to hear. She also knows how to turn on the tears in an instant if she feels strongly about something (such as not wanting me to take the Butt Paste away from her since that little tube is a prized possession these days). We literally remember the first time that she laid flat on the ground in reaction to us taking something away from her, and we thought she was just doing that because it worked for Alexis. But now we see that she is actually quite the actress and that was just the beginning! It’s funny when we step back and think about her exaggerated emotions, but in the moment Faith’s theatrics can be quite frustrating.

Faith is extremely determined. She was the first to accomplish every gross motor skill out of our trio and she will soon be running. She has fallen a million times walking, but that has not slowed down her progress. 

She made it to the top of the kitchen!

Everyone had a bad cold a few weeks ago and Faith was having trouble sleeping. At 1:00 a.m. we finally gave up and brought her downstairs as she did not want to sleep or be held. Although we didn't take off her sleep sack, she had no trouble walking around the house!

I do believe that Daddy is Faith’s favorite person. Her first phrase was, "Hi Dada" and I rarely, if ever, hear her say mama. 

Faith is probably the most social of the three, although she can be quite skeptical of people when she firsts sees them. After she warms up, though, she smiles, babbles, and interacts with people and she seems to enjoy the attention (which we get a lot of when we're out).

Happily walking around the house

She is a serious babe at times!

It's amazing to watch their personalities develop as the months go by and to see how they interact with us and each other. They definitely keep our days interesting!