About Ellen.

Tony, that was not funny. You had people believe that I called you in Ankeny?

Tony: Earlier in the blog, I talked to my triplet daughters while they were in the womb underwater, I didn't think anyone would believe that I was really hearing back from them so I didn't think anyone would believe I would hear back from you.
Ellen: Are you taking a shot at my role as Dory?
Tony: No, I thought you were great as Dory. Didn't you win an Emmy?

Dory.

Ellen: No, my thirteen Emmys are for television, I won a best supporting actress Saturn Award for that.You realize you'll never get on the show now. I would have totally flown you all down on the private jet so Brielle could have plugged in her oxygen.

What could have been.

Tony: I think you're trying to make me feel bad. It's not like I said anything about Portia or Anne!
Ellen: Are you attracted to Portia? Do I need to call Mindy about this?

Portia

Tony: I'm perfectly fine with all that.
Ellen: All what, exactly? I am having trouble hearing you, it sounds like you've dug yourself a very deep hole and you are far, far away.  Let's change the subject and talk about the kind of people that do get on my show.
Tony: It said teachers, I'm a teacher.
Ellen: It says on the website, and I quote:
Do you know an amazing person who could use Ellen's help? Maybe it's a person who always puts your needs before their own, someone who keeps a positive attitude through tough times, or a neighbor who has changed your community, or a teacher who goes above and beyond. Does this person deserve a vacation, a car, or a call from Ellen?

Ellen: Do you always put Mindy's needs ahead of yours.
Tony: Well, not exactly.

Ellen: Do you have a positive attitude through tough times like your wife Mindy?
Tony: A bit half-empty in my glass.

Ellen: Have you changed your community as a pharmacist, like Mindy? 
Tony: I don't leave the house much.

Ellen: Are you a teacher that goes above and beyond?
Tony: Yes, I try.

Ellen: What, are you Yoda? Do or do not. There is no try. So, in your expert opinion, Toe-Knee, do you deserve a vacation, a car or a call from Ellen?
Tony: Probably not, but my wife is all of those things. Can you call her?

Ellen: I might call her and tell her what I think of your shenanigans.

Tony: Well, I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I've got 4 girls mad at me now.

Daddy, I lost my lunch after I heard.

I for one am shocked. Can someone put a pillow under my feet, I can't touch the carpet.

Is Dad sleeping on the couch again?

The Girls Make it on Ellen

Thanks for our pretty hats Wendy!

This week was the girls four month developmental check.  I thought for sure they were starting to gain ground but nope they act like four month olds an a little younger in some areas.  Little Brielle is a bit behind her sisters and neurologically she has some catching up to do. 

The girls got their last Synagis shot this week so hopefully RSV cases don't arise.

Brielle had her sleep study on Friday.  The poor thing was hooked up to so much stuff and came home a gooey mess.  From what the tech told Tony she isn't ready to be off oxygen or even switch from 1/2 liter to 1/4 of a liter.  Hopefully her lungs and brain mature soon so she can be cord free when the girls start to crawl.  (I know that is a ways away but it's a worry).

Lonely at the sleep center.

All the wires Brielle is hooked up to

So we got the call from Ellen and I've got to figure out how to put it on YouTube but here's the audio transcript:

Ellen: How are you guys doing? I saw your pyramid of formula and wanted to give you a call.
Mindy: It's Ellen.
Ellen: Yes. It's Ellen. (Laughter) So tell me, how did you guys end up with triplets?
Tony: We had sex three times.
Ellen: (Laugh Track) Okay, what are the girls names?
Mindy: Rianne, Teagan and Brielle. 
Ellen: Cute. Can we see them? I understand we have one of the girls on facetime.
Tony's voice, Teagan's Picture.

 

Ellen: Hi Teagan. (Audience : Awwwwwwww)
Teagan: Hi Ellen.
Ellen: You can be honest with me, do your parents watch my show every day like they said in their letter?
Teagan: No, They have jobs. (Laughter)
Ellen: I understand you have two sisters. What are they doing?
Teagan: They are in the other chair.

Rianne shows Brielle how to read.

 Audience: Awwwww.

Ellen: Now, Mindy, I understand you are friends with Keith Urban.
Mindy: Tony!
Tony: We just have facebook pictures of her attached to his leg, she let go.
Ellen: Well, you have a cute family and I want to help in any way I can, I have a Mindy in my life and I certainly think she would enjoy hearing more about that Keith Urban story.
Ellen: Well, we're going to send you a year's supply of Similac and Molly Maids for a year, how does that sound.
Tony and Mindy: Amazing.
Ellen: Tony don't get too excited, that's kind of how we got in this situation in the first place.
Tony and Mindy: Thanks Ellen.

Now Brielle eats the book

Goodnight everyone!

The Similac Pyramid of Poverty

I never thought that feeding the girls formula would cost $500 a month.  We are hoping that this picture will land us on the Today Show or Ellen, or that we will receive shipments from Similac for helping support their product. That does not include solids which they just started this week or the diapers that catch what's coming out the other end.  So far the girls have tried rice at nighttime and will get their first experience with veggies tomorrow afternoon. 

One Month's Supply of Formula. Also, please let Ellen know we need to be on the 12 days of Christmas. All 12 days. Ellen, Please send donations to 2202 NE Bel Aire Drive, Ankeny, IA 50021.

 

Steel Drum Band

Baby Eating Can.

Brielle went to see a GI specialist and a pulmonologist last week to see what we can do to make her more comfortable.  I took her in for a swallow study today and we are just waiting for the results to come back.  If everything comes back normal the doctor wants to see her back in four months and try to wean her off her high dose of Prevacid.  If it comes back abnormal or she is still symptomatic and uncomfortable they will do a GI scope.  We are hoping for good news.  She seems to be getting happier now and loves to smile and jabber at us.  For her lung issue she has to do an overnight sleep study so they can determine how much oxygen she needs and if she needs it all the time or just when sleeping.  It would be so nice to be able to be cord free.  The doctor also put her on a steroid nebulizer treatment twice a day to hopefully beef up her lungs a bit. We might do a video to help parents who have never used a nebulizer, it was new to us, as pharmacists. Brielle's last weight was 12 pounds 2 ounces.

Rianne loves to jump in her bouncer which is good and bad.  She now thinks it is boring to lay on the floor and play.  She sometimes insists on being held so she can jump in your lap.  It's pretty cute but hard to do with three babies.  Rianne's last weight was 13 pounds 3 ounces.

Teagan is as smiley as ever, but she now has stranger danger.  She screams bloody murder when someone comes over that she isn't familiar with (manly men).  Tony  has been reassured that he is a good dad because she just smiles when he comes home. Teagan's last weight was 13 pounds 6 ounces but will be packing on the pounds I'm sure as she is the best solid food eater.

I'm a cowgirl, on the plastic horse I ride, I'm wanted...wanted...

Guys. Um. Guys...little help. Guys.

Teagan doing the moonwalk.

Teagan (Left): Rianne, I don't know if I would...

Fiddlesticks.

The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves

Before you go calling child protective services, you might want to call parent protective services, the girls combined 38 pounds has been beating us into the ground, especially Mindy. She works in retail, so often she'll come home after a customer has beaten her up to babies who are not yet able to be empathetic. So, if you are a HyVee Drugstore customer, please be nice to the Pharmacy Manager, she's had a tough day before she even arrived at work!

Again, we really had some great help this weekend cleaning up the house and keeping the kids busy while we got some stress relieving activities in. I ran for the first time since last May when I was diagnosed with a stress fracture in my left leg. My time wasn't very good 22:27 in the 3 mile run, about 7:29 pace coming in 51st out of 961 runners which seems good, but my last half marathon at Drake relays I ran 13.1 miles at 7:52 pace. I think they said the temperature was somewhere between 9 and 15 degrees, though, so it was a bit hard to breathe.

Red Flannel Run. Red. Gosh.

The girls watching The Ankeny Girls play Southeast Polk. The Hawkettes will do better in the state tournament!

Rianne on the bouncey chair on a pillow until Megan comes over and says, "you know, this is adjustable."

In other news, I'll be doing a Poetry reading, seriously, at Beaverdale Books on Monday April 2nd at 6:30 PM, I came in 4th place in DMACC's Creative Writing Contest, but they call it Honorable Mention. Mindy caught me rapping to the girls this morning practicing my literary craft...it was really bad...not what I placed in the contest with for sure...it went something like this to the beat of Cuz the Boyz in the Hood:

'Cause the tripletz on Bel-Aire are always hard
Keep screamin' like that, lettin' out fartz
Knowin' nothin' in life but havin' a fit
Don't quote me girl, I'm can't say, "Words that rhymes with fit"

Teagan's bored as heck and wants to get ill
So she grabs her frog, and on the playmat chillz
Rianne's out there tryin' to pass a stool
Brielle turns away, she ain't no fool

Now Rianne says, "where's my binkie?"
Teagers says, "get it yourself stinky."
Brielle falls asleep with her thumb in place
Now daddy comes in with milk by the case

Cuz feedin' these triplets, cost more than a dolla'
Try five-hundred for just a month's fodder
Mom and Dad go outside, get a tent to sleep in
Oh, man, some quiet, we're not going back in.

'Cause the tripletz on Bel-Aire are always hard
Keep screamin' like that, lettin' out fartz
Knowin' nothin' in life but havin' a fit
Don't quote me girl, I can't say, "Words that rhymes with fit"

So here's Rianne in the Bouncer...

You see a kid in a bouncer. This is what a parent sees. (The girl in the middle)

 Here are some other random pics.

Pick me up first!

Hands up high!

Friday sleepovers -- every Friday?

Tony and I have had a chance to see what it is like with only one baby a couple of times thanks to my parents, and boy is it easy!  Sorry for all of you who struggle, but one is a breeze, here's an excerpt from our Friday night conversation.

"Darling, the baby is stirring, should I get it?"
"Oh, no, you had to get up last night, I'll get up tonight."
"No, I insist, you have to get up early tomorrow."
"No, I insist, you have to get up early tomorrow, too"
"Gosh, I love you."
"I love you, too."

 Here's Thursday.

"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to get some covers, I've been up all night"
"I know, you throw the sheets every time you get up"
"Well, maybe you can get up."
"I would, I just didn't hear them."
"Well, you hear them now don't you."
"Fine."
"Fine."


Rianne had a sleep over at my dad and step-mom's house and Teagan got to stay with my mom.  Brielle must have known that her mom and dad needed a break because she slept all night long.  We are still waiting for the day they all sleep through the night or only get up once.  Whenever we think we have reached that blissful place one or more of them have a bad night.


This week is a promising week for us in sorts.  Brielle goes to a pulmonologist and GI specialist to see what we can do to help her be more comfortable.  We switched to Dr. Brown bottles and they have seemed to help her reflux.  Her speech therapist (used to help babies with feeding difficulties) also gave us other helpful hints which have made Brielle seem less uncomfortable and a happier baby.

Rianne (Right): You stink. Teagan (Left): I know, but I can't change my own diaper.

Daddy's dancing to Footloose again. Is that the Roger Rabbit?

Large, Small, Medium. Head size chart.

This is the picture that most families put up with everyone smiling.

Baby Bicep Curls.

My grandmom did this to me. Corn Fed.

 I did turn into a leopard!

This is my Pujols left sad face, I'm still wearing St. Louis though

Rianne eats my nose. Awww...