My Birth Story

  With the long hospital stay and a shoddy internet connection at the hospital, I never posted my birth story so here it is.
  I was actually looking forward to March 31st, 2011.  That morning I had a routine doctor's appointment and afterwords I was meeting two of my friends at Central Market for lunch.  I had been seeing my doctor on a weekly basis at this point, so I was familiar with the routine.  They had me pee in a cup, took my blood pressure and pulse, and then they wheeled in the portable ultrasound machine.  Since I was pregnant with triplets every doctor's appointment (and there were a lot...two a month at the beginning and then at the end I saw my OB every week and my perinatalogist every other week) included an ultrasound since it was the only way to be for sure all of their little hearts were beating.   We took a look at my little babies and then the doc measured my big belly (at that point I was measuring 45 weeks...a full term pregnancy is usually 40 weeks).  She left for a little while and then came back with a skeptical look on her face.  She told, "Rachel, you're not going to like this, but I'm going to have to admit you into labor and delivery.  Your blood pressure is slightly elevated and I want to preform a 24 hour urine test.  You could usually perform this test at home, but since we're so close to the weekend it would take too long for me to get the results back.  I'm going to have you spend the night here and then you'll get to go home tomorrow."  My biggest complaint was that I didn't have an overnight bag.
  They settled me into a room and refused to even take my birth plan, since I 'wouldn't be having those babies yet'.  My first phone call was to my friends to let them know I wouldn't make lunch (they came to the hospital).  I then called my husband, Jenya, to let him know I would be in the hospital.  I told him to not even take off of work and he didn't have to even come by when he was off.  He was planning on going to San Antonio for a basketball game the next day.  I then called my mom and told her I was fine and she didn't need to drive to Austin.
  That night I asked for a second dinner and they refused to feed me.  The next morning, they refused to give me my breakfast and then at 9am, the doctor came by.  She told me that everything looked fine except for my platelet counts, which were dropping by the thousands (an indicator that my liver was failing, so I've been told).  She then told me that my babies would be born either that night or the following day.  Something a pregnant woman never wants to hear when she is 29 weeks 5 days (roughly 2 1/2 months from full term), but as soon as I found out I was having triplets I had started to prepare for this moment and this conversation.  I picked my doctor and the hospital I deliver at with the knowledge that the average triplet pregnancy is 32 weeks.  I did my research and knew that this NICU would be this best for my kiddos.
  After that I called Jenya and told him that he was not going to get to go to the game.  Can you believe his first response was, "well if their not born until tomorrow I can still go to the game"!  To that I just replied, "you're not going."  Later that day, the doctor came by to let me know she would feel better if we went ahead and delivered that day, so I spent the rest of the day talking to different doctors for both me and my litter.  Once it got close to my surgery, something crazy happened that night in labor and delivery.  After I had been scheduled a string of preterm pregnancy that were much more urgent than me showed up in the hospital.  My c-section kept getting moved back.  In all nine babies went up to the NICU that night...A record for the hospital.  Finally at around 7pm it was my turn.  I was shaking, I was terrified, but I did it and at 6:52pm I became a mother, and then again at 6:53pm, and then for a final time at 6:54pm.
  The most difficult thing was that because of my low platelet count, I had to be on magnesium or I would have seizures during the surgery.  Because of the magnesium, I absolutely could not leave my bed for anything until 9pm on April 2nd.  That means I had to go 26 hours without meeting my newly born babies.  It was tough. It's hard to believe that was a year ago.

Tali

Today's post is dedicated to my youngest (she is 2 minutes younger than Charli Kate and 1 minute younger than Adrik).  Here are pictures of my beautiful Tali from the day she was born, every month until today:

April 1st, 2011

May 1st, 2011

June 1st, 2011

July 1st, 2011

August 1st, 2011

September 1st, 2011

October 1st, 2011

November 1st, 2011

December 1st, 2011

January 1st, 2011

February 1st, 2011

March 1st, 2011

Today

Adrik

Today's post is dedicated to my handsome little man.  Below are the pictures of Adrik from the day he was born, every month to today:

April 1st, 2011

 May 1st, 2011

June 1st, 2011

July 1st, 2011

August 1st, 2011

September 1st, 2011

October 1st, 2011

November 1st, 2011

December 1st, 2011

January 1st, 2011

February 1st, 2011

March 1st, 2011

Today

Charli Kate

Today I'm going to post pictures of my sweet little Charli Kate from the day that she was born and every month until now.

April 1st, 2011

 May 1st, 2011

 June 1st, 2011

 July 1st, 2011

August 1st, 2011

September 1st, 2011

 October 1st, 2011

 November 1st, 2011

 December 1st, 2011

 January 1st, 2012

 February 1st, 2012

 March 1st, 2011

 Today

Birthday Party Information

This year we are having the triplets birthday party at Live Oak Ridge Park in Belton.  It is a beautiful RV park on the lake that my parents have been going to for quite some time now.  We've had many birthdays out there and it is always a fun time.  There is a playground for the kiddos and we have reserved an inside facility in case of inclement weather and for shelter from the heat.  The boat docks are closed, but you can swim in the lake and it is quoted that there is 'some of the best fishing in Central Texas'.  For more information click on this link.  Also, click here for a link to a map.  It takes us just under an hour to get there from Georgetown.  There is a gate attendant; just tell them you are there to visit the Burris's and they will direct you.  There will also be two Mickey Mouse signs to help guide your way.
RSVP HERE
See ya Real Soon!

Getting Birthday Ready

Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year:  The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again.  ~Menachem Mendel Schneerson 


Now that Jenya's birthday has pasted, I've been frantically getting ready for the triplets' birthday.  In fact, I didn't post last night, because I was fiendishly working on their baby books.  It would be nice to have them ready for the party, but I don't know if I ordered my prints in time...Oh, well.
Anyway, with their birthday only a week away, I'm going to take a break for my usual posts and run a week long special edition.  Here's my line-up:
Monday- Birthday Party Information
Tuesday- Charli Kate Turns One
Wednesday- Adrik Turns One
Thursday- Tali Turns One
Friday- The Triplets' Birthday Story
Saturday- The Triplets' Birthday Video (don't worry...It was moments after their birth, so its not one of those
                delivery videos you see, but, even though I think its beautiful, it can be hard to watch.  They were
                 tiny and premature)
Sunday- The Big Party

Here's a picture of my big, ugly belly taken one year ago today. :)

Happy Birthday, Jenya!

Today my husband turned 30!  He took the day off, so in the morning the kids gave him some pictures that they 'drew' and his birthday present.  Then we took him out to lunch at IHOP.  For dinner he wanted Wienerschnitzle with a brown butter lemon sauce, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and corn and broccoli. After I finish here, we will enjoy a birthday cheesecake.  Its been a great day and in honor of Jenya, below is a sports trivia quiz:

1) On this day in 1946, who wins the 8th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship?

A.  University of Texas

B. Iowa

C.  Oklahoma

D.  UCLA

2)  On this day in 1997, who wins the Bay Hill Golf Invitational?

A.  Tiger Woods

B. Phil Mickelson

C. David Duval

D.  Vijay Singh

3)  Which Dallas Mavericks guard was born on this day in 1973

A.  Jason Kidd

B. Jason Terry

C.  Rodrigue Beaubois

D. Vince Carter

Happy Birthday, Jenya

Answers: 1) C, 2) B, 3)A

Halo Heaven

All you mothers of little girls, I've stumbled upon a website called Halo Heaven and I'm now pretty addicted.  I just couldn't understand why three little hair clips should cost $6 (they'll just break in a week anyway), so I made it my mission to find a place to buy cute girl stuff and not go bankrupt.  After a bit of searching, I hit the jackpot...I was able to purchase 36 gerber daisy hair clips for $3!  There are a couple of downsides; 1) It is wholesale, so you have to purchase twelve of the same item, but I think its worth it.  Like I said they will be broken (or lost) in a week, and 2) shipping is expensive.  It cost $10, making my grand total $13.  Still a deal considering the second cheapest I could find was $22 (without shipping) for 24 pieces.  Without further ado, here is a link to the site: http://www.haloheaven.com/
*Make sure to check out the closeout section for the best deals.

Super Vinegar!

When I decided to cure Tali's diaper rash with apple cider vinegar, I found a site that lists all the benefits of the condiment including cure for diaper rash (which, I'm happy to say, worked).  According to this site, apple cider vinegar can be used to benefit a plethora of ailments from cancer to varicose veins.  I've already talked about its miraculous capability at fighting diaper rash, but I have been using apple cider vinegar to prevent and treat bladder infections.  This may be TMI, but I've had a problem with recurring bladder infections for many years...I'm talking, I would get one every six weeks.  In November, the familiar burn started again, but this time the medication I was prescribed did not work.  My body had become immune.  I decided to take a different approach and that's when I started taking a tablespoon of vinegar three times a day.  I hadn't had any problems until a couple of weeks ago.  At the first tingle, I took a tablespoon of vinegar.  Shortly after that, I had to go again and afterwards I took another tablespoon.  After a couple of hours of repeating this process, my symptoms completely went away and they haven't been back.  With that said, always consult your physician.  My doctor is aware of my remedy and supports it for me.
Anyway, here is the website listing the benefits of the Super Vinegar:http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/home-remedies.html.

1-2-3 Cake

 As I mentioned before, I don't feed my kids sugar, but GiGi and PopPop are already spoiling them and they brought some 1-2-3 cake over for us.  I think it was PopPop's idea.  So I had to make it for them.  I got to admit, I did only give them a little and ate the rest myself, but they did love it.
  All joking aside, every diet does need wiggle room and even Bob Greene, Oprah's health food guru, supports the idea of allowing a little bit of junk food in your daily diet.  I believe he said on the Nate Berkus Show to let junk food make up something like 10% of your daily calories.  The idea stems from the fact that you shouldn't deprive yourself of anything; deprivation will only cause you to binge.  With that in mind 1-2-3 cake is a good choice.  The fact that it is only a small single serving instead of an entire cake will help to control the craving without the damage of eating a gigantic portion.  Enough of my lecturing...Here's the recipe:

1 box Angel Food cake mix
1 box any flavor cake mix
2 T. water

Directions:

Using a large plastic bowl with a tightly fitting lid or a large zip lock bag, combine the two boxes of cake mix stirring or shaking well.

For each individual serving,  take out 3 T. of the cake mixture and mix it with 2 T. of water in a small microwave safe container.  I used a small coffee mug.  Microwave on high for 1 minute.  You now have your own instant individual cake and it is warm and inviting.  You can top with a dollop of fruit or whipped topping if you like.

Try various flavors of cake mix but it must always be combined with an Angel Food mix.

Keep the mix tightly sealed in an airtight container until used and remember:  This recipe is called 1-2-3 Cake because all you need to remember is 3 T.mix, 2 T. water, and 1 minute in the microwave. 

Somewhere Only We Know

"It's about being able to draw strength from a place or experience you've shared with someone." Tim Rice-Oxley of Keane about Somewhere Only We Know.
Keane has been one of my favorite bands since I discovered them on a CD that Jenya had made me over three years ago.   They are often heard playing in our house and Saturday we had the chance to experience them live for the second time.  They only played two songs, but, hey, it was a free show.  Here they are performing one of their biggest hits, Somewhere Only We Know.

Those You're Closest to: Jenya

Why is it that the people we are closest to are often the ones we mistreat?  Its so easy to be nice to strangers and to remember to be polite in public, but that demeanor easily melts away as soon as we pass the Welcome Home mat.  Its as if we know our family has no choice but to put up with our criticism, bad moods, and horrible attitudes.  That's such a shame since our families should be the one soft spot that we can fall when everything is tough.  Our homes are suppose to be a refuge from the cruel world; not a whirlwind of conflict.  Keeping this in mind, I'm focusing my small acts of kindness on a series called 'Those You're Closest to'.  Each week I will focus on someone close in my life and reflect upon the things they have done for me, the things that may have gone unnoticed and I will try to show them my appreciation in some thoughtful way.  This last week, it was an obvious choice to focus on my husband, Jenya.  He works so hard so that the kids and I have everything we need or want.  To show my appreciation, I gave him a day off.  I told him we will do whatever he want to do and I won't complain or nag at him the entire day.  He spent the morning watching movies and he played with us for a good chunk of the day.  It was something small I could to do to let him know that I appreciate him.  I challenge you to do something small to someone you are close to.  Lets turn the word into a better place.

Stepanov Family News

  It's been a GOOD week!  Here's what's happening with the Stepanov family:

-Charli Kate:  Yesterday I blogged about the method we are trying out to get her to sleep better and today she woke up at 6:10am...YAY!  She did not cry in the middle of the night once, which is very uncommon.  Usually she'll wake up once, twice, sometimes three times to have her pacey placed back in her mouth.  Last night, we had a bit of a scare with her.  I was changing them for bed and I looked over at CK and she was eating hydrocordizone cream.  I read the label and it said in case of accidental ingestion seek immediate medical attention or call the poison control center.  That freaked me out.  I frantically placed the call only to have the operator tell me she would be perfectly fine.  She probably wouldn't have any symptoms at all.  Jenya swears that she slept so well because of the cream.

-Adrik:  Adrik is getting into EVERYTHING.  He has learned how to push his walker into the kitchen, the entryway, and Jenya's man cave.  He can even go over carpet now, so he's getting into the playroom as well. We have to tell him 'no,no' so often that now when he hears no he grins and shakes his little head at you.  It's so cute, but you have to try not to laugh, because you want him to get the point.

-Tali:  This week we learned we have to watch out for Tali.  On Sunday we went shopping at Walmart and then went to eat at Chipotle.  When we took the stroller out to bring them into the restaurant, I found a new stuffed animal, in the packaging in Tali's seat.  Apparently, she found something she liked at Walmart.  Funny thing is, she had almost the same exact animal attached to her stroller for her to play with.

-Jenya:  Jenya's been on spring break this week, so its been nice having him around Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  Also, with South by Southwest going on in town, he got to go see his favorite band (Keane) on Thursday night for free.  They're playing again tomorrow at 11am and  we're both going to head into Austin to check out this free concert.  GiGi and PopPop will be watching the kids.

-Rachel: Same old, same old for me.  Just hobbling around, trying to stay in shape with a broken toe.  We found a babysitter and she will be starting next week...I can't wait.  Maybe now I can finally get the kids' baby books caught up, sort the old clothes for the garage sale, clean out the fridge, tidy the playroom, sweep and mop the floors, clean the master bedroom closet.....The list goes on and on, but you've got the point.

That's what's going on here.  I was going to  leave you with a video of Tali doing her 'Tali Face', but the network's not working so I can't upload it.  Some other time.

Controlled Crying Technique

   Charli Kate started waking up in the middle of the night by gradually waking up earlier and earlier each morning.  This happened before the time change, so their scheduled morning feeding was anytime after 5am.  I would wake up twenty minutes beforehand to get their bottles ready and have a cup of coffee.  CK would start waking up five minutes after I woke up and I would think that since it was only 15 minutes before 5am, I would start feeding her.  And then she started waking up at 4:30am and then 3:00am and even 12:30am.  We went back to two formula feedings and one solid feeding at night and she started sleeping through the night again.  With the time change, we decided to keep their same schedule, but they would just be starting at 6am instead of 5am.  Well, earlier this week, Charli Kate started it again.  She started waking up at 5:30am and so I thought, 'well, I'm just going to feed her'.  The next night, she woke up at 5:18am.  Then I thought, 'alright, I'm going to have to pull up my britches and start the tough parenting.'  That night, I left her in her crib.  I would go and check on her, but I would not feed her until after 6am.  Of coarse, by the time 6 rolled around all three were screaming in their cribs.
  Not wanting a repeat of that night, but also not wanting to wake up in the middle of the night to feed CK, I turned to the Supernanny.  Awhile ago (I mean before the triplets, when were still planning to adopt) I bought the Supernanny book (loved the show) and it was the first place I looked for a solution.  Jo Frost suggested the 'Controlled Crying Technique' (instructions below) and I figured I would give it a spin with one twist.  When Charli Kate woke up, I would put her in the play pen in the living room so she wouldn't wake up her siblings.  I basically tried this method the previous night only with a lot more talking.  Anyway, I've been practicing this technique for the past two nights and I've been pretty pleased with the results.  The first night, CK woke up at 5:30am, I carried her to the play pen and stayed with her since I was getting up in 10 minutes anyway.  She continued to cry, but I was just glad that she slept in later than the previous night.  Last night, she woke up at 5:15am, but this time when I put her in the play pen, she went back to sleep (as did I). :)  Every once in awhile she would give a little cry, but she would immediately stop without me having to intervene.  The only snag, now I can't have my cup of coffee and prepare their bottles.  I don't want to risk waking her up before I'm ready to feed her.  After all, the whole point is getting her to sleep past 6am.  Anyway, I'm happy with the results thus far.  Jo says it will take about a week to correct the problem, so it looks like I'm in for early mornings...at least for a little while.

Controlled Crying Technique (from http://www.askamum.co.uk/Baby/Search-Results/Sleep/Sanity-Savers-8-ways-to-apply-the-controlled-crying-technique/):

1. Settle your babyGet him ready for bed in a calm environment, give him his bottle (if he still has one), read a story and settle him into his cot. Give him a hug and kiss and say goodnight.

2. Leave the roomWhether he has started to cry or call for you, say your goodnights and calmly and confidently leave the room. Leave a light on if it helps, but don’t get drawn into conversation.

3. Wait a few minutesDo not rush straight in when you hear him cry. Stand outside the door and listen to hear whether his cry is becoming more distressed or if it is getting less.

4. Go in, settle him, leaveIf his cry is becoming more distressed, after a couple of minutes go into his room, lay him back down in his cot, comfort him but do not get drawn into conversation. Then confidently leave the room again.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4Repeat these steps if his cry continues, but leave a minute or two longer between going back in. This will help him to learn that you are never far away but help him grow in confidence that he is OK on his own.

6. Stay calm and confidentIf you get distressed in front of him, he will pick up on this and get more upset. If he sees you are clam and reassuring, it will help him feel calmer.

7. Be firmIf he reaches his arms up to you to pick him up, don’t. It will undermine all the work you have done and teach him that all he has to do is cry if he doesn’t want to go to bed.

8. Be ready for the long haulIt may take more than one night to achieve results from the controlled crying technique. Often it can take up to 3 nights to see a difference. Persevere. Repeating the pattern for 3 nights should yield results with him going longer and longer between cries.

Better Than Botox

  Okay, so the title is a bit of a misnamer, but 'Better Than Reconstructive Surgery' didn't sound as good.  Anyway, as you can imagine, carrying triplets did quite a number on my skin.  My stomach, hips, and thighs are paved with winding roads of angry purple stretch marks and the skin around my stomach sags like a droopy, rotten peach.  I was always under the impression that the skin would tighten and heal, and then I accidentally tuned into Dr. Drew.  If you are unfamiliar with Dr. Drew, he is (now) a talk show host and the father of triplets. Even though I hadn't meant to watch the show my interest was piqued because he was talking with Kate Goslin (Kate Plus Eight).  They began to discuss staying in shape and the body of a mother of higher order multiples.  To my great disappointment, Dr. Drew proceeded to comment that, "the body is just not designed to carry so many children and the only way to restore the brutality of the birth of multiples is by reconstructive surgery.  That's what my wife had to get done.  It just tares up your body." (paraphrased)
   This was depressing to me.  There is no way that I am going to have reconstructive surgery and I just don't feel confident about the way I look.  I understand that beauty is only skin deep, but I do not feel good about myself or confident about the way I look.  Our appearance on the outside can effect us emotionally and after I had the kids I have not had the same confident body image that I once had.  So, I've set out to prove Dr. Drew wrong.  I am going to change the appearance of my skin naturally.  Here is how:

-In the morning and at night, I'm going to hydrate my skin with pure vitamin E oil and Aloe (Vitamin E helps to tighten loose skin and aloe restores damage)
-Every other day I will scrub my skin with a mixture of olive oil and coffee grinds (Olive oil helps to hydrate and the caffeine in the coffee helps to smooth skin while the grinds scrub away dead skin)
-Every other day (after I use my scrub) I apply self-tanner.  I apply a coat just over the stretch marks and, after drying, a coat over the rest of my skin.  This will help to cover the appearance of the stretch marks
-Stay hydrated every day

  So I'm going to be brave and post a picture of me in a bikini and without any make-up.  Hopefully in a few months (years) I can post another one with beautiful, purple road and rotten peach free skin.  Maybe by then everyone will be using my skin tightening formula.