Crazy

I've decided that having triplets is CRAZY.  

Don't know why it took me this long to realize that but it really is just plain crazy having THREE babies!  I know that for some reason, God wanted to see if Ryan and I could handle having 3 babies at once and believe me, I am SO THANKFUL that He did bless us with our beautiful girls....but wow.  He is reminding me again and again that I can't do it all on my own.  I need His help to get me through all of this!  Since we are all sick, the girls just want to be held all of the time.  So I try sitting on the floor, with my legs spread out in front of me....one baby sitting against my left leg, another on my right leg, and then another in my arms.  That only satisfies them for a little while.  Then I set them all down (while they start screaming) as I try to make 3 bottles as fast as my little heart can.  Then I run back over to the girls, put 2 screaming ones on my lap with a pillow to feed them...prop the other one against my right leg and the side of the couch and then insert 3 bottles.  Phew - all is quiet....but then...half way through the bottle, my nose starts dripping out of control.  So I have to take the bottles out (which leads to 3 screaming babies again)...set them down, run to get a kleenex, run back to the girls, and then get situated all over again to finish their bottles.  I no more than get situated and the phone rings.  Too bad.  Finally all babies are fed and now they (I think) are asleep in their cribs for a (hopefully) super long nap. :)  I'm not a big napper but after a day like today, I just might go take one.  I guess God just wants to remind me that He is in control and that He will give me the strength that I need to get through each day.  

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."  Psalm 73:26

(one of my favorites) "Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

"For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2 Cor. 12:10

Today I am thankful for feeling weak....because in my weakness, I am reminded that He is the one that makes me strong.  He is the one that will get me through.  He is the one to be praised. 

Okay, time for my nap. :) 

Feels like summer....

Addison enjoyed a new flavor on Memorial day.  
Emily did too!
Hailey
This is how I'm able to make dinner with 3 babies.  The girls love keeping me company in the kitchen.

Me and my sista!  I LOVE having her here!!!!
Addy LOVED the swings.  

Ry and Hailey having fun on the slide.

Well, we had a COUPLE days that felt like summer this weekend.  But now it's back to feeling cold.  Speaking of cold, all of the girls in the Dooyema household have one!  We all came down with one yesterday afternoon and yucko.  I feel so bad for the girls if they feel as yucky as I do!  Luckily, I was the only one that couldn't sleep at all last night because I couldn't breathe.  The girls slept great but have had fevers and mega runny noses.  It really is amazing how much harder it is to take care of the girls when I don't feel well.  The days seem SOO long when we are all sick!  Hopefully it passes soon.  

We did have a great weekend though since it was in the 80's over here.  Made me SO READY for summer!  Lately we've been working on the girls' sitting up abilities.  :)  They are getting the hang of it!  They can do it for a couple minutes and then they forget and fall over.  It will be nice once they can sit and play because I think they are getting bored on their backs.  In fact, Emily doesn't ever even stay on her back anymore.  She rolls over in a second.  Other than that, not much else is new over here!  

Road Trip

The newlyweds!  Jody and Shane! 



4 generations!
Here is a makeshift feeding when you don't have 3 highchairs! :) 
Tulip time in Orange City, IA. The tulips were beautiful and everywhere!
Hailey, Addison, Emily - all ready for Rehearsal.
Dad and the girls wiped out on the bed.  

I'm sure some of you out there are wondering why I haven't written in here for a while.  Well, we went on the girls' first big week-long road trip to Iowa!  We left at 4 a.m. on Monday morning to head to northwest Iowa 8 hours away.  Our van was PACKED.  We had 14 cans of formula, 150 diapers, 3 Pack N Plays, 12 bottles, etc.  The girls did great though!  They slept the first part, then Ryan and I would stop and change the girls in the back of the van on top of a suitcase...and then we'd feed them in the driver and passenger seats in the parking lot.  It was pretty funny seeing people's reactions to our feeding system.  But it worked!  They really did well though.  It was KEY leaving at 4 a.m. and then I only had to hop in the back a couple times to shake a few toys around at them. :)  We went all the way to Orange City, Iowa to visit my relatives who haven't met the girls yet and to get together with some college friends.  We all experienced our first Tulip Festival which was really neat since we are Dutch.  :)  We knew we were in Iowa though when we were walking with the girls "downtown" and one older man said "Just look at that stroller!  Those girls get more attention than a John Deere tractor!"  :) Then on Thursday we headed 5 hours back to Pella, Iowa for Ryan's brother Shane's wedding!  :)  We had a blast and everything went so great!  The girls were the "flower girls" and were rolled down the aisle in their decorated stroller. Ryan and I were both standing up so the girls were on their own.  :)  They made it down the aisle though wide awake with no screaming so it was priceless! Overall though, I think we will travel with the girls again!  They did great considering their schedules were messed with and they were sleeping in new surroundings.  The first nights in new places were a little rough but not near as bad as I expected.  Sunday afternoon I had to drive home with my sister and the girls (and no Ryan! He had to leave early for a work trip) The girls slept the first 3 hours so Kara and I were so pumped!  But...then we paid for it.  For some reason the next 2 and a half hours Kara had to sit on the floor in the back of the van trying to calm the screaming girls down.  I think they were just SO sick of their carseats.  But, we made it home in one piece and now it's just getting back to their schedules and routine again.  The girls DEFINITELY got used to being held all of the time on the trip as today was a little bit of a struggle.  Even though we had a great trip, it is GOOD to be home. :)  Congrats to Shane and Jody!  

Our baby girls are 7 months old!

Addison - Emily - Hailey
Addison and Hailey chatting
Tatum "playing Shelly."

7 months old - wow - that's closer to one year old than it is to a newborn.  I can't believe how fast this is all going!  They really are feeling bigger to me now.  And their personalities are really starting to come out.  So fun!  Addy is definitely laidback and a very content baby.  Hailey has discovered her voice this week.  She opens her mouth, sticks out her tongue, and gives out random, really high pitched screams.  She's not even sad or mad - just feels like making some noise!  (This could get a little much if the other two catch on to her new trick) :)  But it's cute. :)  Hailey is seriously rolling all over the place and is never sitting still.  She could be a handful!  And then there's Emily.  She is the middle child and I think her personality reflects that too.  So far, she seems to kind of be a combination between Addison and Hailey.  She's observant, curious, a mover as well.  They are all very happy babies though so I am so thankful!  

I sit here now with the girls watching me type.  :)  All of my scheduled helpers are officially done now!  Ryan was out of town all last week so my friend from high school, Tatum, was here to help out and hang out.  It was SOO fun and the girls loved all of her energy and laughs.  We had a blast together!  But now she's gone and I'm officially on my own!  

BUUTTT....I have really exciting news that my sister Kara is MOVING HERE THIS SUMMER!!!!  I am SOOO excited about this and can't believe God's plans really WERE for HER to be here with ME this summer!!!  So exciting!  She's going to be an intern for my friend Heather :) ..and she is going to try to waitress...and help me out!  SOO fun! :)  So that is really exciting. 

And the OTHER exciting news (no - I'm not pregnant again.. :) )  But...I am going to be a first - time AUNTIE!!!!!  My brother Craig and sister in law Laura are expecting on December 3 (my original due date with the girls!) So I can't even tell you how excited I am for them to experience the joy of parenting along side of us.  It will also be so fun that the girls will have a cousin only one year apart! And,  t-minus 2 weeks until my brother in law Shane's wedding as well!  So much to praise God about lately!!! :)