One Year Pictures

I am sorry, but if I only had one of these cuties to brag about, I would be busting at the seems. But the three of them together is just too much!

Every single one of these pictures is a miracle because we had some crabby kiddos at Sears the other night. The store itself was a good 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the mall. Entering the mall door felt like one was entering a sauna. This means that the tiny room full of bright lights for the photo shoot was practically unbearable. The kids learned quickly that the torture of the flashing lights and coerced smiles came when they were on the mat, so they fought to crawl away as quickly as possible once we tried to pose them. We only had one choice of a picture of Levi sitting. I wish it was better, but what could we do?

In the portrait of the three together, I love their individual smiles. Each is a true smile straight from their personalities. Twenty years down the road, I will look at it and say, "That is sooo Levi! (or Aria or David.)"

So, without further ado, here are our pictures:

















This won't surprise anyone, but guess who was extra photogenic? We had a couple other good ones of Aria. I love the daisies!





Oh, they just make my heart pitter-patter!

Finally... the kids have a voice!

What Is Happening At the Nebelsick House?

We know that you are wondering what keeps our mommy and daddy busy all day so we thought that maybe we could write this blog post and get some of you informed on the happenings at the Nebelsick house.

First of all, David, Aria and Levi are writing this post so that you can hear their perspective on life in this beautiful house in Iowa. Our mom and dad do a great job of keeping us safely entertained and they get quite a bit of help from a lot of outside sources, but we are really quite happy when we just get to be together as a family.

Speaking of family, did you know that we got to go to Wyoming with mommy during early June? Mommy thought that she had better get us in the car seats so we didn’t forget how to travel and off we went. Grandma and Grandpa Rigsby were SO excited to see us that Grandma and Uncle Doug drove part way into South Dakota to pick us up and get us to Wyoming. We haven’t quite figured out why they don’t just let us get all the way to Wyoming on our own, but Aria thinks it has something to do with her squawking about losing the pacifier out of her mouth while we are driving. She has kind of figured out a system... throw it over the side of the seat and then squawk and you get TONS of attention. She is the master of that between the three of us. At any rate, we had some major changes on this trip and we are still trying to figure out what is going on. Here are the changes that we noticed:

(1) Something happened to our van... there is a seat missing in the middle and now two of us sit all the way in the back and only one of us gets to ride in the middle. We rotate who gets to sit where so that everybody gets used to all of the van. Mommy seems to think it is easier to get Aria into the back seat because somebody says she is the lightest... we think it was the doctor that told us that the last time we were there.

(2) For some reason, we seem to be driving backwards now. We used to watch out the back window and see everywhere that we had been. At night when we were traveling, there would sometimes be VERY bright lights in our eyes when big trucks were following us but that all has changed. Now we seem to see them coming at us but they are a lot further away. Our Aunt Mimi says that is because we are facing forward in the van now. Crazy... it is kind of fun being able to see mom and dad drive the van though. (If we only had a DVD player we could watch Einstein DVDs while traveling across South Dakota. Our mom has figured out that her little computer does an OK job for us, but it is nowhere near the big screen that we see when we get go Grandpa Rigsby’s living room.) We do like to listen to the CDs that she plays for us while we drive down the road.

(3) We had these cool car seats that you just pulled out of the van and snapped on to our amazing stroller and now those have gone away. Momma says that she sent two of them to Aunt Jessica and Uncle James because pretty soon there will be three more little guys just like us to play with when we go to their house. At first we couldn’t figure out why she didn’t send all three of them and then we heard a rumor that we are going to have a new brother or sister right after our cousins will be born. Now we have bigger kid seats that really are pretty comfortable as we ride in the car. That must be because we are the big brothers and sister. :) We were just getting used to the last ones and then someone told our parents that we were too big for them.

We know that we are getting bigger every day for several reasons. The doctor and nurses told use we were growing at a great rate when we went to visit them last time. In fact, guess who is the tallest... it isn’t David any more. Levi and Aria are both taller than David but don’t worry... he is doing his best to keep up with us. David is so busy crawling and climbing and trying to walk that he doesn’t have time to grow taller. Levi does as well as he can to keep up with David but he always wants to do everything first. That really is okay with us because then he gets to find out what is a “no-no” and we can learn from his experiences. Our favorite time lately has been sitting out on the deck with mommy or Aunt Mimi or daddy and watching the bubble machine blow bubbles all over our back yard. It is fun to be able to crawl inside and outside on our very own. We feel so grownup. David has figured out those things called steps and he knows what everyone is saying when we hear “turn around and go backwards” when he is trying to go down the steps. Levi and Aria just find it safer to stay away from steps that are going down. Levi has figured out how to follow David up the steps but that “turn around” business is just too confusing!

Here’s something that all of us have figured out... teeth are for biting. We use them for the most part to eat grown up food... our favorite is mandarin oranges... but there are lots of other things to chew on too. We can chew on tag blankets and plastic toys and stuffed animals AND we can also chew on our brother or sister. Yep... we have all figured that out and now we are working on that phrase that everyone keeps saying... “be nice... be gentle... no bite.”

Aria has a few space issues. When David and Levi come crawling and crashing over the top of her she has figured out that crying and whining will get a little attention. Usually we have not caused any harm to her at all but she thinks we are going to and then she gets all bent out of shape. She does like her stuffed animals and that seems to bring comfort to her along with her pacifier and blankets. As her brothers we do think she is definitely a girl and just doesn’t get us sometimes.

We have some great games that we like to play together and Levi is really good at a couple of them. He loves to start the game of “patty cake” and get us all going. He does have the cutest laugh and can really enjoy a good laugh when we are playing “peek-a-boo” too. He and Aria both love to take the Easter buckets that we got and put them over their heads and then play “peek-a-boo” with anyone who will play.

Oh yeah, you probably didn’t know that we say words that everyone else says too. We kind of have our own secret communication between the three of us but we have picked up a few words to tell mommy and daddy what we want. “Banana” means that we would like to eat and if you gave us bananas we would all think that you were about the best babysitter that we have had. Levi says “ty-ty” when he is ready to sleep and the rest of us call that “nigh-nigh”. We have mastered “mama and dada” too but try not to say it when asked just to strike out and show a little independence.

We did have a check up with the Doctor before we went to Wyoming and these were the latest statistics that they would tell us about ourselves:

David weighs 23lbs 8oz. and is 31 inches tall. (That is two feet 7 inches to those of you who convert it into adult terms.)
Aria weighs 20lbs 4oz. and is 32 inches tall. (That is two feet and 8 inches to those of you who try to compare us to adult sizes.)
Levi weighs 22lbs 11 oz. and is 32 inches tall. (That is two feet and 8 inches in adult sizing.)

We are wearing 18 to 24 month clothing although it is our understanding that we are only a little over 12 months old. Some of our clothes even say 2T. We’re wondering what the T stands for unless it means “tall” like we are when we say that we are “SO BIG!” with our hands way up in the air.

Last thing on this blog is a list of things that we have heard are “no-no’s” and we are wondering if the rest of the one year olds out there are getting the same response:

(1) Playing with the buttons on the DVD/CD players and TV.
(2) Climbing up the stairs when there aren’t any adults around.
(3) Pulling the cords out of the electrical outlets.
(4) Banging on the windows or the glass cupboards at Grandma’s house.
(5) Opening the cabinets and pulling out the Canola oil and then dumping it on Aunt Donna’s kitchen floor. (Oh man, that is so fun to play in. Well, I guess David was the only one who got to go sliding around. Mommy was way too fast getting Levi and Aria away!)
(6) Biting your brother or sister.
(7) Biting your mom or dad.
(8) Throwing your food on the floor.
(9) Throwing a fit because someone said no.
Get back to us if you have any input on these … maybe you know of some other things we should steer clear of too.

Hope you have enjoyed our chat. We have so much more to tell you and will be back with more REAL soon.

Love,
David, Aria and Levi
(as told to their Aunt Mimi)


David helping Mimi pass the time at her garage sale.


Uncle Rob and Levi coming in from the rain. It was terribly cold and rainy all week in Gillette.


We got to see the fire trucks that Uncle Doug and Uncle Rob drive!


Aria, trying on her hat. It was still way too big!



Trying Mommy's chocolate muffin. Mmmmm!





Aria's FIRST time pulling up to stand! Yay Aria! (Note the new, cute hair-do. Aria holds very still to get her hair done.)


Boys playing in/with the toy box. Watch out for the lid, Levi!



Here we are in our AWESOME new chairs from our Uncle Rob and Aunt Tina. We love them and sit in them all the time!

What does the kitty say?

Here is David being introduced to a kitty on Grandpa and Grandma's farm. He picked up very quickly what the kitty sounded like and was doing it back. He doesn't know how to be gentle yet, but the kitty survived. I am just glad the mommy cat didn't see what my baby was doing to her baby!


Happy Birthday, Grandpa Nebelsick! Thanks for taking us on the four wheeler! We had lots of fun!!

David and Grandpa David





Levi... he fell asleep the second time around. It was time to go!




Grandpa and Aria

Pregnant... with triplets

First news: Aria got her third tooth, one on top, on Memorial Day! I have to post it here so I can remember when I am filling in baby books in three years.

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I have always wanted to write a flashback post about some of my early adventures being pregnant with the triplets. By the time I had decided to start a blog about the kiddos last year, the beginning of my pregnancy had already passed and I didn't get to share all the "fun" times we had.

I was quite ill in the first trimester. To call it morning sickness is just a terrible misconception. At LEAST 50% of the population is wildly mistaken about this thing they call "morning sickness." I always was. I think it should be called pregnancy sickness, because morning has nothing to do with it! I never understood the severity of nausea a pregnant woman could experience. If I had seen a woman acting like I did, I would have rolled my eyes and thought, "It is all in her head! Boy, is she milking this for all it's worth!" But, if I could have changed what I was feeling just to act like a normal person again, I would have.

At it's worst, my pregnancy sickness kept me from going into the kitchen. Needless to say, Dan did all of the cooking for a while there. I could not even THINK of what I wanted to eat. At random moments of the day, hunger/nausea would hit me and all I could say to Dan was, "I'm hungry!" The first few times this happened, he asked what I wanted. If I tried to think of something, or say what it was, I would start gagging. Soon, we learn that if he just brought me something it would probably work. If it wasn't something I could stomach, a bowl of cereal always worked. I was ridiculous.

The worst was late at night when Dan was already asleep. I was not one of those wives who could wake up her hubby in the middle of the night for a french fry run. First, he'd have to drive 30 minutes each way just to get some. Second, he doesn't do well with being woken up. There is a grumpy Dan that takes over once he falls asleep and I know now never to wake up grumpy Dan. Regular Dan is always back in the morning, so I wait with whatever is going on until then.

One night, around midnight, I was starving. I opened a cupboard and the first thing I saw was cream of wheat. That worked. I got it cooking and just the act of standing there stirring the pot made me get sick. I almost made it over to the trash can. The cruelty of it all is the spontaneous way the puke just surprises you and jumps out! There is hardly any warning and no control. Now, previously in life, if a potential meal had made me sick, that would have been the end of it. But no. After I got the kitchen and myself all cleaned up, I still had to eat the cream of wheat! I was even more hungry then! Oh, the madness of it all.

The worst morning came on a school day. I distinctly remember feeling so proud of myself because I had gotten up early enough to actually put some effort into my appearance that day. Sleep was a precious commodity and I did not give it up lightly. My hair was curled and make-up was on. I think was a wearing a nice skirt. Lastly, all I had to do was feed myself and the three growing babies inside me. My mistake was opening the refrigerator for the milk carton. That is all it took. I ended up having to mop up the floor, change my clothes, wash pieces of my hair, take out the trash and clean up the bathroom. I would have done better if I had contained it in one area instead of trying to make it to the toilet. It was humiliating having to call the school because I was going to be late (on a day I got up early, no less!) and had to have my principal cover my class until I got there. If I remember right, I got there just as the kids were arriving, so it could have been worse. I just couldn't leave my house like it was because that meant I would have come home to the smell after it fermented all day. Good thing my babies were worth it! ;)

My saving grace when I encounter nauseating smells during pregnancy was a handy dandy chip clip. This little item helped with many a task: taking out the trash, rinsing out a bowl of leftovers, etc. It is funny what tricks you find to help you cope with seemingly psychotic reactions to pregnancy. Every moment with the triplets has been such an adventure, from the very, very beginning. I reached the threshold of tolerance and trying tot tough it out on the day after Christmas. I had been so sick on Christmas night and the next morning that I broke tiny blood vessels all over my face. I looked horrible and could hardly function. I was about to get in to a car and make an eight hour drive to Wyoming and then vacation in Colorado for a week, and I did not want to suffer any more. I called my doctor and got a prescription for a wonderful little pill called Zofran. It did the trick! I was better within days and didn't have to deal with the nausea and vomiting again.

Aren't you glad you have just read all about me puking? Well, just for sticking it out, I will talk about something related, but soooo much better than puking. There is still nausea, Zofran, chip clips, but not puking.

See, the title is "Pregnant... with triplets." You can read it two ways. Either I am talking about being pregnant with three babies, or I am talking about being pregnant while I already have triplets at home. It happens to be the latter.

Yep, that is right. David, Aria and Levi are going to have a sibling. I am finally ready to announce that we are 15 weeks pregnant. That makes us parents to four (ONLY ONE MORE - the ultrasound tech promised!) children. For the record... we were trying one. God's blessings just came pouring down, once those floodgates opened! The new little one is due November 22, 6 days shy of the triplets being 18 months old.

Yes, we know you think we're crazy. Yep, we know how this happens. We've been asked four times so far, so I know some of you are thinking that. And we are truly excited and a little scared. I am not quite sure what all to say about it at this time except we were sure surprised! I was under the assumption that I was still "broken". Obviously, I'm not anymore! All I know is, God surely has a plan for our family because He is wondrously creating life through us. If you ask me, this kiddo was a one in a bazillion chance, and I am in awe of his/her existence. There are two things in this life I never ever question (and I am hoping God doesn't challenge me deeply on this very soon) but that is when God creates life or takes life. Only the Lord is truly omnipotent over all and I trust Him completely. I have had to say goodbye to too many people I dearly love, but have always seen His hand working. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is also our beginning and our end. I am just so enthralled that He chose Dan and I to bring another precious life in to this world.

So, if you were wondering why I was looking a little "puffy" in the pictures, now you know why. I am not just getting fat. Although I was wondering for a while there! Here is the deal... I didn't know I was pregnant until I was over 8 weeks along. I missed a whole month in there! I had not had a cycle since the last babies were born, so I had no reference point to know when ovulation was occurring. Ta da! It just picked a day and nobody told me! If you have been following, you know I got a little "sea sick" on our wonderful trip to Florida. The "sea sickness" stuck with me off and on for the rest of the trip and until we got home. I had slept the vacation away, just thinking I was recovering from mothering my triplets. I was also ravenous in the morning and made sure I got to the continental breakfasts. That's not normally like me, since I used to do without breakfast. I was also bitterly disappointed in myself for not losing five pounds before vacation when I was working out so diligently and eating better than I have in my life. In fact, I gained three pounds. Frankly, I was disgusted with myself and figured I had better be getting back to the doctor about my PCOS.

We arrived home at 4:30am the day after Easter. That Monday evening, Doug and Kara (my brother and his girlfriend, who was actually our friend before we introduced her to Doug... anyway) had stopped by and I was filling them in on all our vacation happenings. After the story of the "feeding the fishes" Doug made the comment, "You aren't pregnant are you?" I laughed... probably a little nervously since the thought had crossed my mind, and said, "No way!! Definitely not." He replies, "Wouldn't it be funny if in a couple weeks we find out you are!?" I was like, "No, that would definitely not be funny."

The next day that little pink line on the pregnancy test laughed at me. Wow. I can't describe the emotions that rushed over me. Joy! Fear... especially of my husband's reaction. Amazement. Scared. Overwhelmed. Sad for the triplets and what this might cost them from their Mommy. Disbelief. Wondering how it was possible. FEAR, of how far along I could be and what if there was two... three... YIKES! There were so many more.

I didn't know how I would tell Dan. I contemplated how I could get to the doctor to confirm, see how far along I was and tell me how many there were before telling Dan. But, that night, over a plate of french toast, I told Dan about Doug's question and that he was right. Dan just looked at me. Then he gave me the same look he gave me after a day full of practical jokes on our first April Fool's Day together. (The only one I have ever celebrated with him, by the way. I learned my lesson. He doesn't like practical jokes.) His face said, "this is a really cruel thing to joke so seriously about." But, I had to reassure him I wasn't joking and I started crying. He was taken aback but then, the clouds that had been hanging over me all day broke and he was actually pleasantly surprised and happy! I mean, how can you not be happy knowing you have a new little baby on the way? He did live with the multiples fear hanging over him until we had an ultrasound on Thursday. We made them check every nook and cranny... there is only one.

We are nervous for life with four kids under 18 months. I am very excited to experience ONE baby, but I will still have FOUR kids. I will never truly experience one baby, but that is fine. I feel like I am coming around the bend, out of the doldrums of the first trimester. I was beyond exhausted and pretty nauseous. I have gagged a ton. So, I have my handy dandy chip clip ready for any diaper change. It is clipped on the diaper basket. There is also one on the fridge for heating up questionable smelling baby food. The babies just laugh at me when I have it on and want to play with it. The laughing really starts when other adults see me use it, but I have no shame. Unfortunately for Dan, he is the primary dirty diaper changer for now.

Well, now that I feel like I can talk about EVERYTHING going on in our lives, I will save more for another day. I'll leave you with some pictures of the kids and get to sleep. I am not going to post this until tomorrow so my dear husband doesn't know how late I was up typing this. Whoops!

Oh, and no we don't know what we are having and we won't know until November when we met him or her! It is a surprise! And we won't be discussing names either. You'll have to wait. What a wonderful time of anticipation and preparation pregnancy is! I canNOT believe I am pregnant again. Here we go!


Modeling my chip clip.


Grandparents taking babies for a walk last weekend.


Daddy napping with Levi. Yes, we still wear the Christmas jammies. They still fit.


Coming soon:
~Saturday at Grandpa and Grandma Nebelsick's - riding the four-wheeler and kitties
~More party pictures
~More triplet stories of budding personalities!