We started at the birthday party Saturday night. Of course I love going home and seeing family and friends and townspeople, but man is it a lot of work to bring four kids out and about. Even at these places where people are more than willing to hold a baby (and this way people don't have to take turns as much since there are three times as many), I still have to monitor each one to see if the holdee needs a bottle or something. And then when I am holding/feeding a baby, someone tells me Axel is peeking around the corner of the old well shed with his pants around his ankles and needs help pulling them back up. I've become more of a multi-tasker than I'd ever dreamed I could be - holding a baby and holding his bottle with my chin so he can keep eating while I apologize for my kid who just peed and pull up pants on said kid who is trying to run after other kids. I'm sweating just thinking about it.
Not much sleep Saturday night, as we left the party fairly late and had to awake early the next morning for church, per my grandparents' request that I and two cousins perform special music at the 8:30 service. The regular organist was not able to attend on Sunday, so I filled in there, too, which was awesome because it gave me even more of an excuse to play the piano - something I don't get to make time for anymore!
The anniversary party was a huge success, thanks to my mom and aunt and all their hard work organizing it. The weather was beautiful and many family members came to celebrate and honor Winston and Lorraine and their 60 years of marriage, retelling the stories we hear every time we celebrate their anniversary, i.e., it rained cats and dogs the day they were married. Jesse and I have been married only five years, but I hope we can sit around in our backyard 55 years from now and share stories of that day with our family and friends. I'll put it on the calendar right now for April 2066. Yikes, is that a real year?
Axel had a great time at the parties, running nonstop with the exception of peeing behind the well shed and then behind the blue spruce in his great-grandparents' backyard. More than one older relative on Sunday said he's got more energy than any kid they've ever seen. Yes, I am aware, although I feel somewhat vindicated to have that confirmed by people who have certainly seen more kids than I have over their years. He was so overtired Sunday night, and our plan to leave him at Grandma Mary's and return home didn't work out. When we tried to leave he came running out of the house sobbing uncontrollably, so we stayed one more night to calm him down. The next morning he was happy to give us hugs and wave good-bye to us with his grandma. Whew.
Before all the partying on Saturday I got a sneak preview at my cousin Jodi's garage sale items as she cleaned out totes and totes of little boy clothes to sell. Jackpot. Three shopping bags and two hours later, I'll have some well-dressed triplets for the next couple of years. I've mentioned that I love to shop, but that's not just in stores; garage sales are my friend, especially now with four kids. And occasionally I've felt bad buying Axel a new shirt he doesn't really need, but now I can reason out that three more kids will wear it after him, so what the hell. . . get it.
Eero, Rex, and Magnus do make a nice novelty show at parties, and it was nice to have an outlet to introduce them to more family members, but it takes a toll on them, too. They're finally getting back to their normal selves after all the commotion this weekend. Tonight I gave them each a bath while Jesse was off testing tools with the firemen. Typically these three hate baths, quite a change from Axel, but tonight they seemed to really relax and enjoy splashing. Usually it's a very structured assembly line of bathing where each kid just gets washed and gets out, but tonight I was in no hurry so they were maybe more at ease, too. And there was no Axel around trying to wash their feet and put M&Ms in their bathwater. Also, they hadn't had a bath for a couple days and perhaps were glad to not smell anymore.
Yesterday we brought Magnus to the Ear Nose & Throat guy to see why he is such a noisy breather. He put a scope through Mags' nose and down his throat to check this out, which of course Magnus was not wild about, but that is how he could see what was going on in there. Turns out he has some (in lay terms) floppy cartilage in his throat that hasn't fully developed. Since he is gaining weight and doing okay, the doctor prescribed some reflux medication to help with that and told us he will probably not need anything more drastic, like surgery. Well, I hope not! We'll follow up with him in a month to make sure it's progressing like it should.
This morning, per our pediatrician's suggestion but totally optional, an early childhood intervention specialist and the public health nurse came and did a screening to ensure our little ones are on track developmentally. Happy to report that they are! I wasn't sure if they needed something like this, but when the doctor pointed out that she thinks every child should have every opportunity to succeed, I thought she was right. We are not too proud to get our children help if they need it, and I wouldn't want to regret down the road not getting them help if I could have. But, right now, they're doing what they should be doing. Whew again.
Below are some pictures from the anniversary party - I'm too lazy to try to get them in the middle somewhere.
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| Winston and Lorraine and their great grandchildren - Axel, Rex, Eero, Magnus and Elle, cousin Barry's little cutie |
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| I think my brother Rusty and Axel called each other to dress alike that day. Also, Rusty is 6'6" so imagine how high Axel is here. |
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| Jesse told Axel if he is going to drink pretend tea from a tiny cup he has to stick his pinky out. |
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| The party was too much for Magnus. |
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| And Eero. |
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| And Rex. |
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