A Holiday Treat

The Trif kids have prepared a special Holiday treat for their loved ones. Check it out:

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9619229231

Thankful for good eaters...

We've finally returned from a long weekend at Gram and Pape's house in Horsham. A&A celebrated their first Thanksgiving and boy did they chow down! I'm happy to report that they are great eaters! I mashed up almost everything we ate for our meal and fed it to A&A. Ava will pretty much eat anything - she proved that when we gave her a piece of Asiago cheese on Saturday! She loved it! And then there is Robert, who feasted on Cheez-its this Thanksgiving. He and Oliver were so happy to be together, they pretty much forgot to eat! The entire visit went quickly, but it was so nice to have the family together.
The kids had finally recovered from their illnesses, and now we are all getting sick again (Me and Bobby included!) Blah! I hope that this time it's just a cold.

Enjoy the updated slide show...The pictures are from September and October. I'll update with November pics too - as soon as I upload them!

The next few weeks will be busy, no doubt, but we'll keep you up to date as best as we can!


Hi Aunt Joan! :) We love you!

Sick kids...

Alex and Ava have been fighting (what I thought was) a cold since late Monday night. I decided to take them to the pediatrician today, just as a precaution since we were planning to leave tomorrow morning for Pittsburgh to visit Rob and Germaine. At first I felt silly - they have runny noses and a cough. Alex has been grabbing at his ears, and that prompted me to call Dr. Novak.
I'm so glad I did! They both are 'croupy' and have RSV. Thankfully, its not to the point that they need to be hospitalized, but Alex's breathing is very labored and Dr. Novak said he has a feeling that Ava ia headed down that same path. Both of Alex's ears are infected, and he's been put on a steroid for his breathing. Oh, and they both have pink eye.
Dr. Novak says this is a 7-10 day virus. I hope we kick it quick - I'd like to make the trip to Pittsburgh next weekend if it works for Rob and G. Fingers crossed.

A very literal 'pain in the butt'

This post is going to be all about me. I know you'd rather be reading about the kids and seeing their most recent pictures, but I just need to update everyone on my condition:

A fall down the stairs about 2 months ago has left me, well, pretty much a mess. I was seeing a new chiropractor for about a month, with very little relief. I finally decided to go back to my old chiropractor - from before we moved to Nazareth. He knows my back, and I have always responded well to his technique. After 3 visits, and just a tiny bit of relief, he sent me for an MRI with suspicion of a disc injury.
Fast forward to this week: the MRI results are in and my chiro, Dr. Ryan, wanted to see me right away. He said "it doesn't look good." I have a disc protrosion sandwiched between 2 herniated discs in my lower back. The lower herniation is so severe that it is 'hanging' into my spinal canal and pressing on a nerve, hence the pain. After a complete explanation and visual demonstration, Dr. Ryan warned me that I may need surgery. He said he'd do everything possible to help me avoid that, but I should know that its a definite possibility.
Today was my second day on the Traction Table... a device that 'pulls' and elongates the spine to help the discs shift back into place - or to at least free up some space between the herniation and the nerve. (it doesn't look like the lower herniation is going to go anywhere at this point.) I need to continue treatment on the table as often as possible for as long as it takes for me to start feeling better.
In the mean time, I've been told to handle the kids with care and be mindful of my lifting and bending - which I really shouldn't be doing at all. Unfortunatly, not doing it is not an option for me.
Dr. Ryan told me that another pregnancy will pretty much destroy my back. This information alone is enough to send me for a second opinion. But that's a bridge I'll have to cross down the road. Alot can happen between now and 'then' - whenever that may be.
Enough about me for now. I promise the next post will be all about the kids!

quick update

Finally, some down time... life as a Trif has been very hectic this fall. We've been busy with playdates, and swimming lessons, doctor's appointments, weddings, showers, christenings and birthdays.
We traveled to Boston two weeks ago for Baby Linus' christening. Robert and Oliver had a wonderful time together. They miss eachother terribly when they are apart and they're anxiously awaiting Thanksgiving so they can play again.
We'll be heading to Pittsburg in a few weeks to celebrate with Rob and Germaine for their baby shower. In the meantime, we have Halloween parades and parties to attend. We've still got some costumes to get together - and we're running out of time! We also have to get to the pumpkin patch for a photo shoot- hopefully this week.

Alex is bigger than Ava by about a pound. He is shorter than he, but rounder. He has started to get up on his knees, and can move himself backwards. He has 4 teeth, and is not much a napper. However, he continues to sleep through the night, and we have no complaints there. He is a true momma's boy.

Ava has been crawling for about a month now. She is pulling herself up wherever she can, and her crib mattress has been lowered as low as it goes. I'm betting she'll be walking by christmas. She is very nosy (hmm, wonder where she gets that from) and a true leader. It's already very apparent that she's the boss of her brothers. She has 3 teeth and loves to sleep.


Robert loves school! He goes Tuedays and Fridays from 9-12. His vocabulary is enormous these days, and he is always surprising us with new words. He is very affectionate and empathetic. He is doing great on the potty, but still needs to be reminded to go. He has been taking swimming lessons for the past 6 weeks, and he is doing fantastic. He loves his brother and sister, Alcy and Wava and they enjoy playing together - tho he needs to work on sharing - it's an age thing I guess.


Bobby has been traveling and working like crazy. This weekend is his birthday, so he'll be watching football and relaxing. My work is endless. I'm still waiting on the results of my thyroid test and I need to have my hips evaluated, as I am having awful pain that is not getting better after a month of chiropractic care. I'm positive it's related to my fall down the stairs a few months ago. It's always something.

Hopefully we won't let too much time go by before our next update... sorry for the delay!

Robert the Ring Bearer

Robert was the Ring Bearer in Kelly and Justin's wedding last night. We are so proud of him - he did a great job! He couldn't get enough of the flowergirl, Elizabeth, and we found them hugging and kissing during the cocktail hour.
He was very cooperative, and walked right up the aisle without any delay! He tried to steal the show, but Kelly looked so incredible, it was no contest!

Been so busy lately! Robert is really enjoying school. It seems like once I get him there and then go home, it's time to pick him up already! He really enjoys playing with our neighbor Nina who is just 10 days older that he is. We have been having playdates about 3 times/week. Swim lessons started this week. Robert was not scared at all, and in fact I think he was a bit bored. He is still too young for the next class, so we'll see how the next six weeks go.

Alex and Ava are getting so big! Ava is crawling everywhere! Alex isn't moving much yet - which is just fine with me! Alex is over 17 lbs already. We should probably start looking for a new stroller, since it seems they will be outgrowing their car seats soon and then it's "goodbye snap n go." (sniff sniff) We visit the pediatrician next week for their 6 month check ups. I'll update their stats then.

Little Fans

A tooth!

Who says Ava does everything first? Alex got a tooth this week! Poor little guy has been very grumpy for a few days, but this finally explains why! A second tooth is pushing through, and is almost visible, too.

The lady with the twins...

I have taken on the daunting task of creating a neighborhood directory. I made flyers and put them in every mailbox in the neighborhood. I requested names, email addresses, phone numbers and children's names and ages. My thought is that we can all get to know eachother and form a 'community' as opposed to just a 'neighborhood.' The responses keep coming in, and I am very excited about it.

Anyhow, as I was delivering these flyers, I introduced myself to the neighbors who happened to be outside. I had this exact conversation 4 times on Thursday evening:

Me: Hi.
Them: Hi.
Me: I'm Michelle. I live at xxxx road - up on the corner.
Them: Oh yeah. You're the one with the twins.
Me: Yep, that's me.
Them: You must have your hands full.

So... apparently everyone already knows who I am around here! I'm "The lady with the twins."


"Mind you, there are 3 other sets of twins in the neighborhood. Crazy, isn't it?

Supermom? Maybe just for today...

So, today I ventured out with all 3 kids. It was the first time I've taken all 3 kids out alone. (well unless you count the one time we went to the doctor). It was wonderful! We went to the mall, with a mission - to return a bra to Victoria's Secret. Anything else we could accomplish was just a bonus.
We did manage to walk through the Children's Place (the setup in that store is not very friendly for strollers - and mine is a double. We also walked through Boscov's and searched for a potty since Robert decided that he had to go, and when an almost potty trained 2 year old says he has to go, you don't ignore him!
Long story short, we scoped out the bathrooms at Boscov's and shortly after that found the toy department. Alex and Ava fell asleep in the stroller and it was blissful for just a few moments. We ventured home for lunch and naps (did I mention that ALL three kids are napping from 1-4 every day???) and then mommy had an afternoon rendezvous with the treadmill.
It was an exceptional day! Oh, but I forgot to mention the way people gawked and chatted when we came strolling by - like we were some kind of freak show. Well, I guess we kind of are, huh?
This mom thing is a piece of cake. :)

Ava's First Crawling Attempts

The Trifs in Boston...

We drove up to Boston last Thursday and stayed until Sunday. It was so nice to relax and visit with the Halls. The twins were well behaved for the ride, which was a surprise. We actually managed to get a picture of all 5 grandkids... it's not the greatest, but it's sufficient.
Robert and Oliver had a blast, as always. We can't wait to see them again!

A couple of annoucements...

My sister delivered a healthy baby BOY on Friday, July 20th. Linus Hamilton Hall was 8lbs 3 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. He is beautiful, and he looks just like his big brother, Oliver! The Trifs are taking a roadtrip to Boston next weekend to meet him. We can't wait!

My brother and sister in law announced this week that there will be a new Gladu in January. Germaine is 14 weeks along, and they are thrilled! We are so excited for them, as they have wanted this for so long. They will be finding out "baby new year's" gender in August. This will be Gram and Pape's 6th grand child.

I have lost 10 lbs! I am stoked! I still have a ways to go before I am back into my pre-baby wardrobe, but hopefully that will be before the twins turn one. My tendonitis in my knees seems to be healed and I'll be getting back on the treadmill this week. yay for me!

My current favorite pic...

Took this pic early in the week... it's my current favorite.

Infant Formula...

Tomorrow is trash day (and recycling as well) Before we put our trash out tonight, we took a picture of the empty formula cans that we've used in 2 weeks.

There are 21 (empty) cans in this pyramid. One can is 32 fluid ounces and each can costs $5 (on sale). We go through about 1.5-2 cans/day depending on how many times Alex is nursed. This pyramid represents $105. That means it's costing us just over $2oo to keep these kids fed each month.

The trash men must think I am running a daycare here!

Happy 4th of July

Ava and Alex's 1st July 4th

(2007)

Robert's 1st July 4th
(2005)

17 week pictures...

Here we are... 17 weeks old! We're very animated and fun these days. Mommy just loves it!

A potty training nightmare!

We have begun the potty training process with Robert this week. Some days are better than others. He still doesn't understand that he needs to tell us when he needs to go, but we sit him on the potty many times during the day and most of the time he tinkles.

To make the process easier, I often let Robert run around without a diaper. It is a good reminder for me to get him on the potty often. Well, this morning, I left Bobby in charge while I went upstairs to do some chores. I came back downstairs about 15 minutes later and Robert greeted me by saying "poo poo mamma". There was poop painted on the family room carpet, and Robert had run his trucks through it over and over as if it were mud... really smelly mud, I guess.

Now, Bobby was sitting in the kitchen reviewing an online ad for the new Apple iPhone.. .if you know Bobby, you know he was completely tuned out to anything else around him. All the while, Robert was just 20 feet away 'silently'(so says bobby) playing in his own feces.

It is well known that when Robert is quiet, he is certainly up to no good.