Another milestone in the books....

When I woke up this past Tuesday morning, something felt different. I can't name specifically what or why, it was just different. And then it hit me, the triplets were 4 years old. You see, we had been having mini-celebrations for over a week starting with my grandparents (Mom-mom and Pop-pop) before they left for Florida, then with the grandparents (Grandma, Nana, Meme and Popi). They are currently obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles so that is the cake that we celebrated with and used for the rest of our celebrations at home. They also got to celebrate at school (doughnuts and juice boxes with their class) so this morning crept up on me.

I still try to have each of their names and the cake designed so I can cut it into 3 pieces so they can each have their own "cake" with a candle on it for singing. Here is this year's cake. MJ does an AMAZING job and it tastes even better..

The boys, however, knew it from the moment they woke up. Each had a different reaction. Anthony just grinned while I sang to him and then claimed he was 5. Graham gave me his morning look and then grinned when it was over. Jack smiled and then claimed he was still 3. Typical of my boys - so different in so many ways but still all mine.

We took Chase to school and headed home for a quick stop before starting our crazy day. During the time they were each being delivered, we were on the phone with Jason who was singing to them. We headed to the Y, then to speech for Jack and then for a special treat. You see, Jason has been working for the last 4 years on a book documenting my pregnancy and our first year with the boys. He is doing some final edits and then it will be published. We mention my Maternal-Fetal specialist, Dr. Strauss, by name multiple times in the book and we wanted to make sure he was okay with it. So Jason had sent him an electronic copy of the book and we headed to the satellite office near Rex where I had most of my appointments. We decided it would be pretty cool to let Dr. Strauss see a hard copy proof of the book and the boys 4 years later. So we stopped by his office to visit for a bit and then went to have lunch at McDonald's. Because it was a special occasion, they actually got to have their own Happy Meal - that may have been the highlight of the day in their eyes.

We came home and got Chase from school and had dinner with cake at home that night. We sang to each boy individually (other times we sing to them as a group) and they each got to blow out their own candle again. We opened up the last of their gifts and sent them off to bed. Another year in the books for all of us. So here are my notes to the boys this year.

My sweet Jack -

You came into this world and stole my heart. Over the last year, you have become a completely different little boy. You went from being unsure and quiet to a confident, chatty little boy. You have one of the most creative imaginations that I have ever seen and can happily amuse yourself for ages with your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle characters, Jake and his friends or any other figurine that you find. You are deliberate with your actions but just as deliberate with your love and affection. You hate conflict and will do anything to make it go away. You are finally standing up for yourself and I love to see that change in you as you grow. I couldn't be more proud of the boy you are becoming and want to freeze this moment in time. You are growing bigger and stronger every day and I am honored to be a part of it.

Dragon Graham -

You certainly are a piece of work. You are the strongest personality in the bunch. When you don't get your way, everyone knows it when they hear your growl. We affectionately call you Dragon because I think that fire is going to come out of you sometimes when you growl at us. The good news is that you are still an amazing boy. You are very stubborn and persistent which is a great trait to have as you navigate your way through life. You have the most focus and will color for ages. I can set you up at the kitchen table with a coloring book and box of colored pencils and you will stay there until the entire page is covered. And not just scribbled, I mean colored, in the lines, in a way that still shocks me when I see the final results. You love big and when you show your love, everyone knows you love them. I can't believe how much you have grown in the past year and I want to stop you in your tracks and not let it continue. I love being your mom.

Always Anthony -

You are the one who keeps me on my toes. You give the 'best hugs' (as stated directly by you) and everything you do is "BIG". You run, don't walk. Yell, don't talk and are constantly on the go, even in your sleep. You LOVE to spend time with Chase who is your idol and always want to do whatever he does. That means you are always throwing, kicking, shooting and playing with something. You are extremely social and tend to draw a crowd wherever you go. You light up the room and emit an energy that I wish I could bottle and use myself. You enjoy going to school but don't always want to take the time to focus on the details or sit still long enough to 'fine tune' your skills. You have the talent but not always the patience to wait for the finished product to develop. It makes me laugh to hear you tell stories and to see life from your perspective. You think outside the box which is a blessing for me. You keep things fresh and remind me that life is full of fun when you take the time to look for it. I can't wait to see what next year brings for you and am excited to be there with you.

Boys -

You are 3 of the 4 greatest accomplishments in my life. Before becoming your Mom, I never knew just how much love one heart could hold. I always feared that there wouldn't be enough to go around but somehow you showed me that there is never a lack of love, only people who hold it back. You are daily reminders of the best and worst of myself but in the end, it all comes back to love. It seems like just yesterday you were snuggled in your bassinet together in the hospital and now you need the entire couch to snuggle with each other. Your milestones and great and show just how big you are getting. Brushing your own teeth, getting yourselves dressed and undressed, showering by yourself (with a little help from Chase), putting on and zipping up your own coats, clearing your dishes from the table and helping to clean the house. You are becoming little men right in front of my eyes. Your Meme reminds me on a regular basis that the first thing I tell people about your future is that I want you to become fine, young men. Well boys, you are well on your way! Here's to many more birthdays yet to be shared.

I love you with all my heart,
Mom