Feeling Good

I'm sitting here eating a bowl of chili, topped with buttery corn bread and slices of melted swiss cheese. Yum! I'm getting a late start on lunch today, but I guess that's my fault. But if you were in my world this morning, you would soon realize how tough it would have been to fit lunch in. Thanks to Burger King, Jakobi and Maylee ate their lunch in the stroller while I did some grocery shopping. I guess, I could have eaten something from Burger King, but their food just didn't sound good to me.

Things feel so good right now. I told Burke the other night, "I feel like we are entering a good phase in life". I'm not saying that life has been bad, but its not quite as challenging right now. I'm not running all over the place like I used to!!!! I can actually sit down and enjoy a few moments of life. I know its the fact that Jakobi and Maylee are no longer babies! This makes life a little easier on me. They no longer take a bottle, they can now feed themselves, they are learning to talk and communicate their wants and desires, they are very helpful when it is time to clean toys up, they are also very helpful when it comes time to change their clothes in the morning and also at night when it is time to get into pajamas...there's so much to add to this list. Caislyn has been awesome, as well. Now that she is 5 years old, she has decided to be Miss Independent. She does much better at keeping herself entertained, although Mommy MUST play "School" with her on a regular basis! Its a MUST! :) She really enjoys looking through library books, singing and dancing on our coffee table, making tents and playing with her stuffed animals. I love to peek in on her when she is off in "dream land"!

LIFE is GOOD!

Update on Speech Therapy

Jakobi and Maylee say "Raaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr"!

Caislyn may not like dinosaurs, but Maylee sure doesn't mind! :)

Jakobi and Maylee had Speech Therapy this morning and amazed me once again. The theme was "pumpkins and leaves". Their therapist read them a pumpkin story, let them paint a pumpkin picture, let them play in corn kernels (with hidden pumpkins, pine cones and leaves). All of these ideas are so simple, and somehow it gets these two to talk! Jakobi talks a lot more than Maylee right now, but she's not far behind. She likes to babble when she wakes from her naps. I let her lay in bed for quite awhile, just so she can get her talking time in for the day!

Caislyn loves her new harmonica! I might add, its a little annoying.

Caislyn's Speech therapy is going well. She gets therapy in Preschool. Her teacher sends notes home and tells us how well Caislyn is doing in this area. A BIG improvement from a year ago!! I'm so glad we made the decision of putting her in this Preschool program. Her teachers have taught her so much. I really think she will be one of the most confident Kindergartners next year!

Taking A Big Step

It looks like I will be sharing with the Parent Preemie Connection! AND guess what? I will not be alone! Burke is coming to and we will be sharing together. Burke and I both feel like it is time that we use Breckin's story for God's glory, for His purposes. We've shared with the blog world, now its time to share with the outside world too. Which is a little different than sharing here on the blog, because now we will not by typing, we will be talking!!! That's a little scary to me. I think for Burke too. But, we feel that we need to so we can eventually be comfortable with it. So by taking this big step, we both agreed to speak at the Preemie Connection. This is a group that meets every Wednesday evening, specifically for parents who have kids in the NICU. This takes place at Aultman Hospital, the hospital where the triplets were born. I remember attending a couple of meetings when Jakobi and Maylee were in the hospital. It was a nice feeling to know that we were not the only ones going through drama on a daily basis. We simply were not alone! I remember feeling that way at times, feeling alone, thinking that no one else would ever understand our roller coaster ride. But, talking to other parents who were going through it at the very same time is a feeling I can not describe. It was a special connection. There was no need to share your worries, because the other person already knew that feeling of "worry". It even became a time of witnessing. We did feel strong, due to so many prayers, that some parents marveled at our positive thinking and wanted to know why we were not down in the dumps. I didn't think of it at the time, but now I see where God was using us even when we were at one of the lowest times in our life.

This will all take place in January. I know, thats a few months away, but since we are new sponsors to our youth group at Church, which meets on the same evenings as the Preemie Connection. We do not feel comfy missing a Wednesday night with our teens right now, since we've only been meeting with them for a few weeks now. This will also give us plenty of time to prepare for this BIG STEP in verbalizing our story to others. So, in the meantime, we'd really appreciate your prayers. THANKS!

Hanging in there

Last week, was a little rough at times, but Burke and I made it through with a lot of prayer and encouragement from others. Breckin was on our minds a lot! We both deal with his loss a little different from the other, so there were times when we wondered what was going on in the other person's noggin. But, with patience and endurance, we were able to talk about Breckin and how much his little life means to us personally.

I want to thank my Sunday School class for letting me have a good cry. I had not cried much, until that moment. I felt so silly , but yet it felt so good. I am so glad you were able to see a piece of my heart as I grieve the loss of my baby boy. I know I do not verbalize enough, simply because it can be so hard to talk about at times. Your words of encouragement, emails, phone calls, prayers, kisses (ha! Carol!) and flowers made me feel so loved. I felt so much comfort last week, because of you. THANKS so much.

Where we would we be without our FAITH, FAMILY & FRIENDS?? (thanks for that reminder Dad Hummel!)

*On another note, please keep me in your prayers. I have been asked to share our story and Breckin's story to a group of parents who have little ones in the NICU right now. Part of me does not feel ready to do this, but then there is part of me saying, "try it, you may feel better by doing it". God has already brought two moms to me, I was able to help and encourage them as mush as I could, but the fact that He brought them my way, is HUGE. So, there may be a calling here. So, please pray with me, and we will see what happens here on out. Thanks so much.

Now that they are 2, they think they are BIG STUFF!

Seriously! You'd think these two grew up over night!

For example, Jakobi told me that he went poopy. He even said, "poopy". He has told us several times over the past 4-5 days. He sometimes motions for a diaper and then lays right down on the floor, ready for us to change him. He is definitely aware of the situation! On Sunday, he went to Burke and fussed that he was wet. Burke looked at Jakobi and realized that he didn't have a diaper on!! He learned a few minutes later that Jakobi took his pants and diaper off all by himself.

Maylee must be paying close attention to her brother, because she too, has been telling us when she is poopy. She also tore off her diaper, only at this particular time it was during nap time! She took her diaper off a little too early!!! Thank goodness she wasn't poopy on that occasion. :)

Okay, you have probably heard enough about poop!!! Let's move on...

More big things took place...

Maylee started saying words!! That is MAJOR! Here's a list of words that she can say: "thanks", "please", oh my!", "out", "apple", "ball", "yes" and of course the word "no"! I enjoyed listening to her when she woke from her nap yesterday. She was talking up a storm. She was also laughing at herself. I think I listened to her over the monitor for a good 20 minutes! Well, I was reading during that time too, but it was fun to just listen to her gabbing away! I'm afraid this little girl will have more than enough to say when she gets the hang of the talking!

Jakobi started counting! I usually say "1" and then he continues on with "2" and then the two of us say "3, 4, 5"!! Today, Maylee chimed in when we got to the #3. So,, maybe she'll catch on soon too. We usually hold out the 5 for a long time, so it probably feels like a game to them. Still, that's a big deal to me!

A milestone took place too: No more baby gates in the house! The gate on the steps had been up for a year. Last week, they both decided to explore and see if they could climb up and over the gate and see if they could make it up and down the steps all by themselves. Sometimes they would get stuck half way over from the gate to the steps, so I woud rescue them, but was not happy with them for disobeying by climbing on the gate. So, I'd always put them in the time out chair. This was NOT working, because they kept on doing it...over an over again! I was getting tired of it, so, this Mama gave in and took the gates down! I am so glad I did, it keeps them entertained and they love to go up and play in Jakobi's bedroom. All of a sudden our house feels much bigger!! They've been keeping themselves occupied upstairs. After awhile I begin to wonder what they are up to. It seems like a long time before I can finally get up to see what they are doing. :)


There is more to this "BIG STUFF". They've also been naughty! Jakobi opened up the dryer door and climbed in it. When I found him, he had 2 stuffed dinosaurs, his blanket and a blox inside with him. He actually peeked out of the dryer and threw me a cheesy grin. He scared me hallf to death, because I was not expecting him to be in there!

Jakobi also learned how to turn a door knob. A day later he learned how to open up a door. That meant trouble, because we kept finding him in rooms that he was not allowed to be in (our bedroom, the bathrooms, the garage!). So, I had to be a mean Mama and put up door knob covers on several of the doors!

BUT....before the door knob covers were put on, Jakobi and Maylee snuck into big sis's room and tore it all up! Caislyn went hysterical! I did not blame her one bit. I think I decided right there and then that this is not a good time for Maylee to move in with Caislyn. We have been pondering that whole idea. I do not think they are ready for that yet. The big sis needs a place of her own. She needs a place to run to when she needs to get away from 2 year old toddlers!!! :)

Birthday Cake Ideas

I've received several emails regarding the caterpillars that I made for Jakobi and Maylee's birthday party, so instead emailing you all back, hopefully you can get the info here in this post.

I usually use Wilton cake pans whenever I make the kiddos birthday cakes, so when it came time to bake a cake for Maylee and Jakobi's 2nd birthday party, I decided to browse Wilton's website. I was so excited when I came across the Birthday Cake Ideas. I was a little overwhlemed with all the great ideas, so many good ideas!! You should check it out. You may be there awhile.

I like the fact that you can use the same cake pan and turn it into several different creations! For example: You can use the lady bug cake pan to make an elephant cake, a kitty cake and a bumblee cake. I almost made the bumblee cakes, but once I found the caterpillar idea, I was in love! Although, if you look on the Wilton website, you will notice I made a few changes, so these are not exactly like the creation on the their site. I wanted to make them look furry!! To give them a furry look, I used my Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator.

It was so easy to make a caterpillar out of cupcakes. I had so much fun with it. Caislyn helped me too. We also made an extra batch of cupcakes, just to make sure we had enough cake to go around. Caislyn had fun decorating the cupcakes with spice drops, m&m's and sprinkles.

I really liked the cupcake idea, simply because I didn't need to worry about cutting pieces of cake. I do not know why, but I always dread that part of it. So, at this party, I had it easy.

I am so happy that I am carrying this tradition on to my kids. As a child, I always loved the surprise of my brithday cakes! My mom made most of our birthday cakes and it always made me feel so special. Thanks mom! Hopefully our kids will get that same feeling inside. :)

Caislyn's surprise to her Daddy!!

Burke had a birthday last week and Caislyn couldn't wait to make him something! She had it all planned out and whispered all of the details into my ear. While Burke was at work, she spent most of the day making puppets and a puppet theater (I think she was inspired by a lion puppet she made at school). She did all of the work, except for cutting a window out of the box. Like always, I was quite impressed. You can not see all of the detial in this picture though. The box was all decorated with designs and glitter glue. She was so proud of her work and could not wait to surprise her Daddy!!! Her plan worked, he was very surprised!! He had fun playing puppets with her for awhile too. He told me later on, "that's all I needed for my birthday". :) Its amazing that our kids enjoy our birthdays more than we do!! Good job, Cai-Cai!

Jakobi & Maylee's 2nd Birthday Party!!!

On Monday, we celebrated Jakobi & Maylee's 2nd birthday!!! This last year flew by way too fast! That 1st year felt like forever! But, now that they are healthy and active, time just won't slow down! We had so much fun celebrating thier birthday. It was a beautiful evening to be outside. It also helped that both Jakobi and Maylee were in the BEST of moods. I think they knew all the attention was on them and they enjoyed every minute of it! Maylee wasn't really into the presents, although she never cried. She wanted the buckle off (she was in her booster chair) and she kept saying, "out". Which, by the way, is a new word for her. Atleast that is the first time I've ever heard her say it. Her Aunt Nicole would laugh at her whenever she'd say it, so it became a little game for a little while. So cute.

Jakobi enjoyed opening his presents. He knew what to do. He wanted to play with all of his new toys right away, but once we handed him a new present to open, he was fine with putting toys down and was eager to open up a new one! I think he even squealed a few times. :)

I love the picture below! You can tell Caislyn is NOT in love with Jakobi's new dinosaurs :) She better get used to seeing them in our house, because I think Jakobi is going to be a dinosaur lover! I caught him playing with one the other day and he was yelling, "Raaaarrrr"!!!

Grandpa and Grandma Hummel made vanilla homemade ice cream! Yum! I think the kiddos thought it tasted better in the ice cream maker than in a bowl. Silly kiddos. By the way the pics look, I think Papa started the mess!

Jakobi wanted his caterpillar cake!

It made me feel good that he wanted it so bad. :)

Maylee wanted her caterpillar too! But, of course we made her wait until after we lit the candles and then she had to wait until after we sang the Happy Birthday song! Once she got her hands on it, she was in fine form! For quite awhile!

We had fun watching the cousins play in the back yard together. Bryson was so nice to teach Jakobi how to play catch. Jakobi was really into it, as you can tell in a few pics below.

I LOVE this picture! I was actually quite surprised that Jakobi was sharing his new puzzle.

Remembering Breckin

On the triplets birthday, Sept 19th, we took the family up for another balloon launch for Breckin. I hope we continue to do this year after year! This year was so different from last year. Last year, Jakobi and Maylee were content to stay in their car seats. This year, they wanted to throw pumpkins and climb all over grave stones!!! I was just happy to have them there and to be able to explain to them why we were there, even though I know Jakobi and Maylee have no idea yet. Caislyn knew what was going on though, which I think is great. She even waved to the sky and told Breckin "Happy Birthday". Yep, that was a tear jerker. But, made me so proud of my Cai-Cai! To lighten the mood, we took the fam (and the photogragher-Thanks Mom H!) out for ice cream!

WE MISS YOU, BRECKIN!

THINKING OF YOU EVERY DAY!

Here's an upclose look of the stone. Thanks Mom & Dad W!!

2 Days of Blog Posting!

Yes, you read that right! I will be posting Today and Tomorrow.

Today I posted about our trip to Vancouver, Canada! Enjoy the video in the post below.

Tomorrow I will post about Jakobi & Maylee's 2nd Birthday Party and Breckin's Balloon Launch.

See you tomorrow. 

Vancouver, Canada

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

You had no idea! 

Lastweek, Burke and I left the states and flew up to Vancouver, Canada!  Burke had a Business Convention there. We were so excited that it worked out for me to go along too! Burke attended business seminars in the morning and then the afternoons were spent doing whatever we wanted. We went shopping, walked around the big city, ate lunch by the water, relaxed with a massage at the Spa, ate chocolate, visited with Dad & Mom Hummel and also with Mike & Karlene.

We enjoyed eating on this trip!!! Ohio National made sure we had enough food to eat! The 1st night they welcomed us with a formal meal in the Fairmount, the 2nd night they sent us to Bluewater, the 3rd night they took us over to Steamworks and we had the whole restaurant to ourselves, and the last night (always the BEST night!)was a formal evening with high-class dining, a live band and a dance floor. Burke and I were honored to be there and to be able to watch Dad Hummel receive the Lifetime Achievement Award!!!!! Dad Hummel had no idea, so that made it all the more memorable! The week was full of so many memories. I always enjoy watching Burke interact with other business men, he really does a nice job at not only talking about business but also talking about life. I also met some incredible people. Women who've gone through similar situations as me. One particular lady (I will not say her name) heard about the triplets and the passing of Breckin and was so encouraging to talk to. She, too, had gone through a similar experience herself. It was so nice to have someone who understood my pain. Our pain. 

The view from our window was gorgeous. It overlooked the mountains and water and also the big city. It was hard to get a good picture of our view, seeing that we didn't have a balcony.  So, we took some good pictures from Dad and Mom Hummel's balcony. You will see those in the video. You will also see Burke at BC Place (Football) and also GM, the Home of the Conucks. He and his dad took a couple of hours to check these two places out. I think that was an afternoon that I did a bunch of nothing! I loved every minute of it. 

What a fun trip! We relaxed, met some new friends and ate yummy meals. Who could complain after all of that!?! Thank you Ohio National! (We missed you Megan & Katherine!) When the Winter Olympics takes place in 2010, it will be fun to say, "I've been there!" :)

Oh, and I can't forget to tell you that I was stuck in an elevator!! Yep, it was crammed full of people and the elevator would not move. It was hot and stuffy and it didn't help that a lady was freaking out the whole entire time. I felt bad for her, so I sucked it up and pretended to be fine. But on the inside I was having a panic attack of my own. I really thought I was going to pass out. EEEH! I was so happy when those doors opened up 15 minutes later!! I wanted to RUN!!!!!

Thanks to my parents, all three of our kiddos were taken care of while we were gone. Thanks Mom & Dad! We are so blessed to have you in our lives.  The kiddos already miss you!!!!

Harvest Parade

We always look forward to our hometown's Harvest parade! We normally sit in the sidelines and always have our hands ready for the catch (of candy that is!).  This year was different, because we participated in the parade by riding on a float for Hummel Insurance. It was going to be only Burke and Caislyn on the float, but at the last minute, I decided to take Jakobi and Maylee along for the ride too. It ended up being a wild time! Thanks to Karlene for holding Maylee. I really do not know what I would have done without an extra set of hands, because it was a lot of work for me by holding onto Jakobi! That little boy loved throwing candy! I could not believe it! He was probably throwing way too much at a time. Well, I KNOW for a fact that he was throwing way too much, because half way through the parade our bag of candy was empty! Jakobi was NOT a happy camper. He wanted more candy. He was trying his hardest to wiggle out of my arms for a search of candy. Thanks to our friend, Lillian, we were able to throw out a few more pieces of candy! :) Caislyn and Burke sat in the front of the float. They threw out little footballs, advertising for Hummel Insurance. Grandma Mary sat with them too. Grandma loved every minute of it, but she whispered in my ear, "this is the last time that I will do this". :)  Overall, it was a fun time, even though Caislyn was bummed at the end of the parade. She kept asking, "where's my candy?" She is so used to sitting with her cousins on the side of the road and catching all the candy. At the end, I would roll my eyes to the bag full of candy that she had collected. It is almost always ridiculous. You'd think she went trick-or-treating! But, she always has such a fun time. So. we'll see about next year, she may not want to sit on a float again! (Maybe I will join her on the side of the road and let Burke take Wiggle Boy and his Lil Sis!) 

To My Baby Boy

Hey little buddy, I can't believe that Friday will mark 2 years! That's just nuts. So much has taken place in the past 2 years. I wish you were here to experience all the fun times. I think I'm learning to live life now and not just sit back and be sad because you are gone from this Earth, although the pain will never leave my heart. I will always ache to have you back in my arms. But for some reason it feels different these days. A sense of relief that you are no longer suffering from the cruel Edwards Disease. I'm starting to feel more comfortable as I share about you to others. Recently I was able to comfort another Mommy with the passing of one of her triplets. A precious baby girl. I was able to tell her that she will be alright. I was able to witness to her about the love of Jesus. It was a nerve-racking experience, but a rewarding experience. Sometimes, I often think God has more for me. Its almost a tapping on the back, asking me to continue to tell your story to other hurting families out there. As time goes on, we will see what God has in store for your story. I can only imagine what your world is like right now! I often daydream of the things you are seeing, the things you are doing. I sometimes wonder if you are still a little baby. I wonder if you age in Heaven. Hmmm, I guess I will figure that out when my time here on Earth is done. So, for now I will just keep on dreaming of you and looking forward to holding you again. 

Little Mama

Here lately, Maylee has been a Little Mama! She loves to walk around the house with this baby carrier and my Cabbage Patch doll. Its fun to watch her pretend to take care of a little baby. I can't help but think that not long ago, Maylee was just as small as that little Cabbage patch doll!! 

Pretty Decoration

This girl loves to get into my bathroom drawers! She knows that my stuff is off limits, but constantly asks me, "Can I look at your stuff, Mommy?" On this particular day, I gave in and let her get my stuff out. I figured she wanted to play around and experiment. I found it funny that she wasn't interested in wearing any of it. She wanted to make a "pretty decoration", as she called it! This girl is One-of-a-Kind! I love her creative mind!!

Jakobi and his hat

I've been trying my hardest to get Jakobi to wear this Nike hat. I just think its always cute when I see my nephew in hats. Its a boy thing, right? I was happy when Jakobi gave the hat a chance. Not for long though, but atleast he put it on himself. No forcing from Mommy! I think he wanted to just make me happy for one minute! What a smart booger.

Love Bugs!

You can't read Caislyn's shirt, but you can see Maylee's. It says "Love Bug". Burke was shopping one day and found these adorable t-shirts and instantly thought of Maylee, since her nickname is Bug. Caislyn was with him at the time, so she thought she needed one too. I like this picture of the girlies cuddling up to each other. They truly are pals! 

Caislyn's 5th Birthday Party

Her birthday is really tomorrow! But with everyone's crazy schedules, we ended up celebrating a few days early! We had fun getting ready for her party. She even helped me make a sign that said, "Caislyn Is 5!" The plan was to be outside but the rain canceled that, so we moved to Plan B and set up in the living room. She was giddy all day as we were getting things ready for her party that evening. What a fun age for a birthday. At 5:00, her G'pa and G'ma H came over for supper and then at 6:00 her Uncle Beau, Aunt Nicole and her cousins Bryson, Reagan and Kennedy and then her Great G'pa and G'ma B...they all came over for presents and cake. And yes, the Hannah Montanna cake was a big hit! She loved it. When Burke brought it out to her, her face was priceless! :) Overall, it was a fun evening with family. After everyone left and went home, Caislyn took all her new treasures up to her room and shut the door. We didn't hear from her for an hour. It was hilarious when I went up to check on her. Her room was decorated and organized in Caislyn's own creative way! She was one happy camper, who slept really good that night! :) 

Happy Birthday, sweet girl! You amaze us everyday! 

Mommy & Daddy

Burke and a Hannah Montanna Cake!

Believe it or not, but my hubby decorated Caislyn's birthday cake. I was very impressed with him. Here's pics to prove it. He was sneaking around during his lunch break. He didn't want Caislyn to see him in the laundry room as he decorated away! We always keep the birthday cake a secret. And since Caislyn has been begging for a Hannah Montanna cake, we knew this surprise needed to be a big hit! (and it was!!) I will be honest and say that I was a little nervous. I am sort of a control freak when it comes to my kiddos birthday cakes. I should not worry with him though, he has a very creative mind. He did a great job, as you can tell in the pics. How many kids can say "My daddy made my birthday cake?" :) 

Gymnastics Again!

Gymnastics is back!!! Caislyn was so excited! She took a break from them over the summer, but she so desperately wanted to keep going. She would ask us every week, "Can I go to gymnastics?" So, you can just imagine her squealing and hopping around last week when I told her to get her leotard on. Here's a few pics before we headed out the door. I drop her off at Burke's office and then he takes her. Its a good 20-25 minutes away, so this is gives them some good quality time together. Rumor has it, the girl was a rock star!!! She didn't forget the skills, in fact it was like she gained a few new skills. Maybe it paid off to have her watch the Olympics this summer.

Maylee loves to swing

I love to watch my kiddos play in the back yard. It almost always takes me back to my own childhood. I smile as I watch them run around and play like I used to. On this particular morning, Maylee wanted to swing so badly, so I told Caislyn to lift her up and see if she'd sit there by herself. SHE DID! Caislyn pushed her for quite awhile. Maylee smiled and laughed and squealed with delight. Its moments like these that really take me back to childhood, because I would spend hours swinging!!! Maylee and Jakobi now have a new swing, its a bucket swing from G'pa and G'ma W. Maylee has already tried that out and I think this is going to be one of her favorite activities this Fall. 

Oh, and yes my girlies are wearing their pajamas! They were having a "Pajama" day! We love "Pajama" Day!

Look What I Found

Look what I found in Mommy's kitchen drawer! She doesn't realize how smart I am. She let me play in a utensil drawer, not realizing I'd sneak into the other drawers! I was so excited when I saw my big sister's secret stash of Dum-Dum suckers! Mommy gave in and let me try it out. I liked it for about 2 minutes and then I was done....I didn't like the sticky mess!  Thanks for letting me have a "sugar" experience!

40 Years Together

I am so proud to say that my parents celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary! 

To celebrate this big day, we set up a tent in my brother and sis-n-law's back yard and decorated the place with red roses. It was a beautiful time. We are so blessed to have parents who love each other and who are committed to sharing a life together, who stay together when life throws curve balls. They are an example to us as they live their life with Christ at the center of their marriage. We love you, Mom and Dad!!!

Caislyn's 1st Day of School

Here's Caislyn on her 1st day of school. She entered her 2nd year of Preschool! Her class moved from the Training Center to the Elementary School, which is only a few minutes from our house. She was really excited for school, but very nervous to ride the school bus.This was the 1st year for her to do this. Burke came home and helped her through the nerves.
(Be sure to look at the very LAST picture!)