It's the little things...

Today I was busily working trying to prepare some deviled eggs for a church dinner.  I was getting frustrated as the eggs were not peeling right, and the twins had been fussing on and off.  Alaina was outside playing, waiting for her daddy to take her to work with him.  I heard her calling me and ignored it, hoping that her daddy would be able to take care of her.  But I heard her again.  Annoyed, I went into our side enclosed porch and opened the door to her.  There was my little sweetheart with hand outstretched - "I got some flowers for you, Mommy." Smiling, she held out a small cluster of little lavender and white flowers.  It brought tears to my eyes as I kissed her and thanked her.

Sometimes in life it is so easy to rush from one chore to the next, forgetting that the most precious moments of our children's childhoods will vanish so quickly.  May God help me to spend the time with my little ones so that I will have many wonderful memories with them.

A couple other sweet things Alaina has said this week:

My grandmother on my dad's side is not doing well.  I have been trying to prepare Alaina for the fact that she will pass away.  Alaina told me that I could share her grandma.

She told me that she didn't want to watch Handy Manny for a long time.  "It can make her feet all sprinkley".  I guess sitting on Mommy and Daddy's bed watching Disney Junior online made her feet fall asleep :)

Playtime

Last week I snapped some pictures of the girls while they were playing.  As the twins get older, they are playing together for longer periods of time.  I also don't have to worry about watching them with Alaina as much since they are not so "fragile".  It has been fun to see them changing and developing new skills. 

Briella loves to move.  She can stand on her own and also get up on her own.  She's taken a couple steps back to back, but doesn't seem to be in too much of a hurry to learn to walk more than that.  Maybe it's because she can crawl so fast.  She does love it when someone takes her by the hands and walks with her though.

I think Briella has found her first love.  Isn't he cute? :)

She is our active one.  It is harder to get her to smile for the camera, but she does still have her smiley/goofy times. 

Here's the little "cheeser"-Christina.  Sometimes she will bob her head around when she's crawling and it is so funny.  She is overall more social (she says "mama" "dada" and "buh-bye") but she cannot walk or even get up on her own yet.

I guess it's not really good to compare the babies all the time-I will have to be much more careful when they get older.  It's just interesting to see how different they actually are, both in personality and looks.  

And here's Alaina-the best big sister in the whole world!  She is so helpful to mommy and it amazes me over and over at how mature she is (ok-I will stop bragging :) )

Here is a picture of Alaina when she was about the age the babies are now-9 1/2 months.  This was not long before we left South Africa to come back home.

Two babies screaming for lunch=gotta go for now. :)

Monday

Poor Christina has been running a fever all weekend. I decided that I had better take her to the doctor if she wasn't better this morning, even though she has been eating and playing.  I have used the same pediatrician since Alaina was born and it's been nice having the same doctor for all three babies.  I thought about leaving Alaina with a babysitter but my sister was not able to watch her due to the timing of the appointment, so I took her with me.  It was the first time I had taken all three of them to the doctor by myself.   I usually don't endeavor to take all three girls ANYWHERE by myself (except for a little thrift store that I walk to).  But all went well, thank God.  Alaina is getting to the point where the amount she actually helps me take care of the babies outweighs any mischief on her part.  The biggest worry I have is making sure she stays near me when we are outside and I am lugging two babies in carriers around.

The doctor said that Christina's fever should not have been as high as it got up to this weekend and prescribed antibiotics for a possible sinus infection.  Bri also has a runny nose but no fever.  But Lester says he is not feeling well at all :(  It seems like sicknesses just bounce from one of us to the next at times.

A humorous thing Alaina said today:
There is a man a church who has taken a special liking to the twins and often holds them for us.  Alaina calls him "Grandpa Jerry".  She especially likes it when he gives her mints.  Anyway, we didn't make it to church yesterday but we did see him on Saturday at Winn Dixie.  Today at lunch Alaina tells me "Grandpa Jerry lives at church."  I tried to convince her otherwise but she wouldn't change her mind.  I asked her how he survives at church with no food-what does he eat?  She told me "He eats candies."  I guess in her mind all you need are sweets :)

It's Friday!

Since my husband is a teacher, I am always glad when Friday comes around.  Although he has been working Saturdays lately on a side job... hopefully there's only a couple more weeks of that.  Last Friday evening we actually got to go out on a date while a lady from our church kindly watched the girls for us.  It was really nice.  We ate a Chili's which has a good deal where you can get an appetizer and two meals for $20.  We have only been able to go out to eat by ourselves a handful of times since the twins were born.  It's funny because I mentioned to Lester how when it was just the two of us we would go out to eat at a sit-down type restaurant nearly every other week.  But times change and I can't complain, because we love our little sweeties!  Alaina feel asleep at the table before we left on our date, which hardly EVER happens.  So she slept nearly the entire time the babysitter was here.
The babies did so well sleeping one night this week, and then BAM! the next night was one of the worst!  I thought maybe they were teething since their noses were runny.  Well, last night Alaina did not sleep well and it seems that she has a bit of a cold, so who knows.  I just hope whatever it is passes soon and that Lester and I don't catch it.  When you are a mommy, being sick is so much worse as you try to take care of the kids.
Briella is so close to walking!  I saw her take one step by herself today and then later she took a little teeny step toward me.  It is so fun to see the babies growing and changing, but then I am reminded of how fleeting their infant days are and that they are 9 1/2 months already!  Alaina did not walk until she was about one year old so it's different to us to see a little nine month old standing and doing everything a few months ahead.
Well, I hope everyone has a nice weekend.  Here in Florida it is finally starting to cool down.  I can tell "fall is in the air" even though it's nothing like fall when I was a kid up "north"!  Maybe I will even get motivated to take the girls on walks since the heat is not so intense!  If you know me at all you know exercising is not my thing.  My body is showing the affects of pregnancies and it would do me much good though!!! Here's the picture of Alaina.  Love to you all.

Our sleepy little girl

It's about time...

I'm going to try to start posting to this blog so family and friends can keep updated about us, especially our little A, B, and C.  I would also like to do a better job recording what goes on in our daily lives for my own benefit.  But for now, I've got two little twinlings who need to go to bed, and a toddler who needs attention as well!  So until later... :)