Visiting Georgia

Ella rolled herself off of our comfy new foam floor (yes, our house now looks like a daycare but it sure is more comfortable!) and could not figure out how to get back on it

This weekend we went up to Georgia to see Cecil's mom's side of the family. It was a wonderful weekend in many respects. First, I managed to pack up and drive three hours by myself with the kids. They did great in the car - slept or looked out the window. No crying! And it was also wonderful to see all of our family. I think the whole town turned out at one or point or another to see "The Triplets" :) Here is Alex playing with Uncle Earl's beard.

Ella and Uncle Buddy quickly took to each other

Alex and Aunt Laurice had a great time

Helen still loves sucking those two fingers

Ella quickly had Uncle Buddy wrapped around her finger

For some fun, we went "swimming" in an old wash tub. The bugs got so bad we had to move the "pool" inside though

Ella and Alex were more fascinated with the cherries on Helen's swimsuit than with anything else

Where have you all been hiding this toy? This is awesome!! (Ella sucking on Helen's foot)

Other than Helen's cherries, the cup was the next most popular toy

April holding Alex while he waits in line for his Saturday night bath

Grandmother reading "Good Night Moon" to Helen

Alex is practicing holding his own bottle now (and mommy loves him for it!!!)

Grandmother with her three miracles - Ella, Alex, and Helen - before church on Sunday

The Georgia Crew

We had a great time in Georgia seeing everyone. I'm not sure who had more fun - the babies or the adults. I was a little nervous about how the babies would do on the trip and how they would do with so many new faces. But they did great. We left right after a feeding and got there in time for the next feeding. They slept or played in the car and did not get fussy at all. Helen was a little scared when we first got there but then quickly warmed up and smiled at everyone who came by. It was a nice break for me to have plenty of other people around to play with them and hold them. And we all know how much Ella loves to be held and be the center of attention. She was in seventh heaven. She never wanted for an audience. We are paying for it today though - she is in "detox" getting used to not being held all the time. She should be fine in a few days when she realizes that I cannot give her MY undivided attention. It's a rough lesson for her :)

Ella is getting her second tooth! Alex is still working on his first and Helen is still holding out. But more exciting than the teeth, at least for mommy, is that Alex can now hold his own bottle!! Oh my, how this changes everything. We might actually be able to start eating in our high chairs instead of on the floor if at least one of them can hold their own bottle. I dare to dream....

Cecil is doing OK - still safe but counting down the days until he comes home. We think he has about 45 more days in Afghanistan before he starts the trek home. If all goes well, he'll be home by the end of September. The time is going excrutiatingly slow for him so please pray for patience and for the time to go quickly!

Finding our Florida Groove

On the day we got to Florida, we quickly set up our play blanket (Helen and Ella still need to work on their skirt ettiquette)

Helen is enjoying the new jumpy

Ella on the floor with all her familiar old toys

Grandma and Ella in Florida

My first Saturday back in Florida and what else would I be doing but a triathlon??? Freddy, Kim, and I did a sprint as a relay team. I did the swim - a very quick 1/4 mile in the ocean. Here's Kim and I after the swim while Freddy is out on the bike.

Team "Three's Company" - we got second place!

Later that afternoon we had the Cauley Family Reunion. Here's Aunt Cathy (an honorary Cauley for the day) with Alex (even though Alex is a spitting image of my dad, the Cauleys still insisted that he looks just like a Cauley :)

Victoria and Helen (not the best picture of Helen)

Our new feeding stations - on the floor since everyone can now roll off the couch

We are definitely finding our groove now being back in Florida. There are some modifications to the schedule but for the most part everything is the same. The babies are all getting over their colds - Helen had it worst and that was not fun. I've been on my own for a week and it is going fine. Only two more months until daddy comes home!!!!

Goodbye Ohio, Hello Florida!

We made it home! It has been a long and busy week but I think we are finally settled down and back in the usual groove. The plane ride was thankfully uneventful. I did not get any pictures of the travelling event because (a) I had my hands pretty full and (b) it was one more thing to think about that I could not juggle. The kids did fine on the plane. Instead of the passengers looking horrified that they would be on a plane with 3 babies, several of them came up to us just to coo and talk to the babies. When we got on the plane, it was their feeding time. After a short delay of getting warm water to make bottles, we had food for them and they were happy. They were all very tired too and kept falling asleep while they were eating so I was hoping that they would just sleep through the flight. No such luck - once we finished the bottles, they were in exploration mode. Thankfully my mom and I each had an empty seat next to us (thanks to a very sympathetic flight attendant who has kids so she knows how it goes) so we could spread out a little. I put Helen on the seat next to me and let her roll around a little (and frantically tried to keep her from touching everything). I don't know if it is true, but I've heard that the tray tables on airplanes are the dirtiest places you can touch?? Who knows but I at least succeeded in preventing her from chewing on it. She finally started to doze off as we landed.

When we landed, my dear friends Freddy and Andi were waiting for us - we needed two cars to fit us, 3 car seats, and our luggage. We went home, fed the kids again, and put them to bed in their very own cribs. The next few days were a blur with unpacking, running errands, seeing friends, and getting settled. But, before we left Ohio, we took the kids to church for one last time in Ohio. Here's a picture of them in their Sunday best:

Ella, Alex, and Helen

(yes, Cecil, Alex is wearing plaid shorts AND a sweater vest :)

On Sunday before we left, we had a big Fourth of July/ Thank You party. Here's one of our dear Grandmother/Nannies that helped out so much - Kathy holding Helen, Ella, and Alex:

Terry, Ella, Helen, and Alex

Mommy, Grandma, Helen, Ella, and Alex

Aunt Alison and Helen (that bow is staying in Helen's hair through sheer willpower)

Grandma and Grandpa with all of their grandchildren

The party meant they missed one of their naps - even Ella could not stay awake while eating her last bottle
Alex was definitely out of it and ready for bed

Ella had a sleepover in her crib - Helen, Alex, and Ella

Just in case they did not know it, Alex and Helen reassure everyone that "My Mommy Rocks" and "My Daddy Rocks"

A new acquisition - an exersaucer that is a jumpy too (Alex is still figuring out that it will bounce if he jumps in it)

Leave Alex alone for a few minutes, and he rolls himself off the blanket and onto the cold hard tile - and all the way under the coffee table

"Hmmm....I don't think I've had this before. It is kind of like prunes but seasoned just a little differently...." - Helen

A huge thank you to my mom and my Aunt Cathy who spent the week with me and helped us all get settled. I cannot imagine trying to do this alone. I think we are all settled now. Just a little over two months until Cecil comes home. We cannot wait!!

Happy 4th of July / Ella eats!

In an attempt to get Ella used to tastes other than her bottle, we gave her a teething biscuit. While she looked at us like she suspected we were pulling one over on her, she still ate it -- and made a royal mess.

"Hi Mom, just checking to see if you are still there!" - Helen

"Ella! Did you see this big black chew toy??" -- Alex

Grandma manning a feeding

Grandma getting Ella to laugh

My Fourth of July babies - Ella and Helen

Mommy and Ella

Mommy and Helen

Mommy, Helen, and Ella

"Ow, I was just chewing on my hand and something bit me!" -- Alex discovering the ramifications of his new tooth

Mommy and Alex

Sue's Fourth of July cherry pie (yummy!)

"Hey Alex, do you wanna play? Huh? Do you? Do you?" -- Ella

It has been a big week for the Cauleys. We were busy planning, organizing and packing for our trip home. While we did not have big plans for the Fourth, we did have one exciting event. Ella decided to eat solids! For months I have been trying and for some reason, she decided the Fourth of July was a sufficiently momentous occassion to allow solid foods to enter her body. And she has continued to eat solids since then too. I would have gotten a picture of it but I did not want to stop feeding her for fear she would realize what she was doing. Surprisingly enough, she has eaten everything I've given to her. I guess she just was not ready - but she is now. It was funny to watch Alex's face as I fed her the first time. He started getting this panicky cry as if to say "Hey! That's mine! And she's eating it all!!" We had to open an extra container of food for that feeding just to calm Alex down.

Cecil is doing well. I was very relieved to hear from him on the Fourth. Major holidays make me nervous for fear that some fanatics think an American holiday is a great reason to launch an attack. He promised me that he did not see any fireworks - either planned or surprise - so I was happy. Less than three months until he is home.

We leave Ohio tomorrow. I have spent a crazy day packing and stuffing all of our stuff into my dad's pick up truck and my van. I was confident that everything would fit - until I started to put it in the truck. Then I realized that the truck in my mind was much bigger than the truck in reality. Everything fit except for one nonessential box so I'm happy. Now I just have to unpack it all when it gets there....

I think we are ready for our first plane trip. I have everything organized and three diaper bags full of everything they could possibly need - or at least everything I could think of that they would possibly need. I'm trying to figure out how to discreetly take a picture of the passengers' faces when they realize that they get three babies on their very small plane. Let's hope the kids are so stimulated from the airport and the plane that they sleep once they get in the air. Maybe I should run out and buy ear plugs for everyone just in case....

It is going to be a crazy week but I'll do my best to have updates on our trip as soon as I can. The fun never stops in triplet land!!!