Up to no good

What? Who says this has to be just for toys?!?! We make our own games in this house...

Love,

The up-to-no-good gang

Lock Down

Yup...mom's crazy. But at least she knows it! We're on lock down for a while. No visitors and no going out in public (although she better let us choo choo around the condo complex and go out on our swings!). She said she's not taking any chances that we get the flu. We're still too little to fight off that kind of infection so she has to take extreme (yes...that's EXTREME) measures to keep us healthy. If you want to visit - please call mommy 1st. Also - we're back to a 5 minute scrub down upon entering our house...don't even try to argue this one - trust us when we tell you that it'll be a losing battle on your end.
Love,
The locked-down-hope-we-can-see-you-soon Lucco crew

Who needs a door?

This is news?

Red Sox 5, Yankees 4 - 11 innings. Are you kidding me?

Friday!

We love love love Fridays!!!! Why? UNCLE JOEY!!!!!!!!!!! Nuf said...except.... CHOOOOO CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also - mommy and daddy started another blog. It's a prayer blog. You might see some kids you already know about - and you'll also see some kids you don't. What they all have in common is that they need prayers. If you know someone you think needs prayers...let mommy know and she'll be sure to put up a post. http://angelswithbrokenwings.blogspot.com/

Have a HAPPY FRIDAY! We will.
Love,
The Chooo Choooooo Girls

Coloring Easter Eggs

Here are some late Easter Egg pics! Auntie Jenn helped us color Easter Eggs when she was here...but we just got the pics on our computer. We had fun!!!!

Love,

Hannah, Hailey & Emily

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOMMY AND DADDY!!!
8 years ago today you were in Vegas getting hitched!

What?

The one clean, spotless, organized, never to be left a mess place in the house is...the girls bedroom. They have a huge room - plenty of space for all 3 cribs, an armour, dresser & bookcase. They have a walk-in closet that we keep filled with diapers, wipes, clothes and extras. THEY have space. THEY have tranquility. Well - I needed to use some of that space this weekend. I put 4 baskets full of laundry in their room on the floor. No big deal - they don't crawl around in their room...they sleep in there and that's it. Last night Hannah is screaming at the top of her lungs. I'm thinking she's over tired due to no afternoon nap and a long day. She'll go to sleep. Still screaming. I go in to make sure there's not something horrible happening - the way she was screaming it sounded bad. I walk in, pick her up and she stops crying instantly. She looks at me then looks at the laundry, points to the baskets on the floor and proceeds to say 'Uh Oh, Uh Oh'. Are you kidding me? Do I need one more person telling me that I have failed as a mother because the laundry isn't folded once again???? OMG! She went right back into her crib where she cried herself to sleep. This morning I went to get her and she was her usual happy-go-lucky self when I picked her up. Once again she pointed and said 'Uh Oh'. Guess what's on my agenda tonight? Yeah - laundry. She's made it very clear that their room is off limits to my never ending saga of laundry proctastination.
Mom

Swim Pics

Swim Lessons

We had F U N !!! Swimming is our new favorite. When we got there all of us were in our swim suits aleady so we just had to take a quick shower before getting into the swimming pool. Then...we got in the pool and it was game on! We got to kick, splash and blow bubbles just like in the bath tub! Mommy, Daddy & Uncle Joey were in the pool with us and Kristin was on the side taking lots and lots of pictures. We can't wait to go back. We're gonna be swimming like feeeeeeeeeeeeesh before you know it!

Love,

The Little Swimmers

Climbers

Who needs a door?

Proclamation of Independence

Listen up all. We're sure you've all heard of the Toddler Rules...you know "if I look at it - it's mine. If I think it's mine - it's mine" and so on. Well this is us telling you that we are no longer the dependent infants that you think we are. So here it goes:
1: We want a spoon in our hand when we eat. At times - you will be required to put some food in our mouths. Other times - you must assist us in getting food on our own spoon so we can then put the spoon in our mouths by ourselves.
2: Don't pull us apart when you see us 'fighting'. We're not fighting - we're playing...get over it!
3: By no means are you to even touch us while we are crawling up the stairs! That means don't put your hand on our back or bums...we'll do it ourselves! If we start to fall - catch us midair.
4: Don't wash our hair in the tub. Just put the soap on our head, we'll take it from there. We're practicing everyday at lunch...haven't you seen how well we spread PB&J all around our heads?
5: We can fasten our own diapers (and unfasten them just as fast)...just let us do it.
6: When we point to something we want - get it and give it to us. Don't get it and play with it and show us how it works. We KNOW how it works and what we're going to do with it...why do you think we pointed to it in the 1st place?
7: We'll pose for our own pictures. Stop trying to put us where you want us. They're OUR pictures and we'll sit or stand how we want to.
8: If we spit something out of our mouth...don't try to give us another bite. We're letting you know that the 1st bite was less than pleasant. 2nd bite will be the same.
9: We think we've made it pretty clear that will NOT wear cute bunny ears. Not this year and probably not next year either.
And finally....
10: We're close to being able to climb out of our cribs. This is a practiced skill...not an accident. When we accomplish this skill - we would appreciate if you would just let us be. Don't try to pick us up and put us back in our crib. We'll just climb out again.
Thank you for your time and understanding in this very important matter. We are hereby claiming our toddler hood independence. Don't go too far - we may need you in a moments notice. But don't remain so close either or we'll never be able to do anything on our own.
Love,
Hannah, Hailey, & Emily

Swim Lessons

Yup - mommy and daddy signed us up for swim lessons at the YMCA. Since there are 3 of us - we had to make sure Uncle Joey was gonna come help us cuz we need 1 adult each. We start this Sunday and we can't wait!!! We even have cute little bathing suits that we got from Cousin Christina. Oh yeah - Kristin is gonna come take some pictures too (she doesn't know yet but when she reads the blog today she'll find out!). Thanks Kristin!
Love,
Hannah, Hailey & Emily

Pics

How Preemie Moms Are Chosen

How Preemie Moms Are Chosen(Adapted from Erma Bombeck)
Did you ever wonder how the mothers of premature babies are chosen?
Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth, selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation.
As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger. "Beth Armstrong, son. Patron Saint, Matthew. Marjorie Forrest, daughter.Patron Saint, Celia. Carrie Rutledge, twins. Patron Saint ... give her Gerard.He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles.
"Give her a preemie."
The angel is curious.
"Why this one, God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a premature baby a mother who knows no laughter?That would be cruel."
"But does she have the patience?" asks the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.I watched her today.She has that sense of self and independence so rare and so necessary in a mother.You see, the child I'm going to give her has a world of its own.She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."
"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."
God smiles. "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect.She has just the right amount of selfishness."
The angel gasps, "Selfishness?! Is that a virtue?"
God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive.Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect.She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied.She will never take for granted a spoken word.She will never consider a step ordinary.When her child says 'mama' for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it.I will permit her to see clearly the things I see – ignorance, cruelty, prejudice – and allow her to rise above them.She will never be alone.I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."
"And what about her Patron Saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in the air.
God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

Pictures

Here are some pictures with mommy's new camera. She's not thrilled - but she'll deal. Looks like she's just going to have to read the manual to see how to take the best pictures.

Something is wrong

I love music. My husband loves music. And my girls love music. For this reason - I find myself defining certain situations by songs and today's lyrics that are stuck in my head are "there's something wrong with the world today and I don't know what it is". It's an Areosmith song that really has nothing to do with the sorrows of today but it's the line that's stuck in my head. It's so true. There IS something wrong with the world. I blog browse...and happened upon the Peapod Squad blog yesterday where she was talking about hugging your kids. She went on to post about Maddie. Maddie was born way too early and had some complications due to prematurity. She made it through her days at the NICU and subsequently made it through 17 more months of life. Over the weekend she got a cold/congestion. She was brought to the doctor on Monday where she was sent to the ER. She passed away on Tuesday. What?!?! Why?!?! This is what I was reading yesterday and there was so much traffic to her blog that they shut it down. It's things like this that can set me off in no time. Life simply sucks sometimes. And it's far from fair. People who know me - know that I'm not a person to come to if you want to whine about something. Yesterday - you probably should have stayed completely away from me because Maddie's story put me in a horrid mood. I thought to myself 'here is a family that truly loves their baby and she was taken away from them'. Do I leave it alone and move on with my day? What can be done? The anger that is still inside of me today is so strong. I went home last night and Pete could tell immediately that something just wasn't right. "Was it the traffic?" (I was late due to a huge accident and a normally 15 min drive took me 45 min). "No. Just a bad day for another blog family." And I let it go. My girls were all there waiting for hugs and kisses from mommy. We skipped bath night - I wanted more time to play with them and coming home late cut into my baby time. We played, got into pj's, read books, brushed teeth and went to bed. The anger in me rushes right back and I can't let it go. I decide that working out might help a bit. And it does. I worked out while Pete made dinner. While eating he starts watching Pearl Harbor. Great movie to get into if you're feeling down and depressed. Let's just watch an all out blood bath for 45 minutes. Great. We go to bed and I can't sleep. I had gotten a book in the mail that my grandmother sent me. It was one she wrote about my grandfather. I decide to read the book. That was even more depressing. It was about the 4 years my grandmother spent taking care of my grandfather while he battled Alzheimer's. Lights out. I need sleep and I need it to be tomorrow so the day is better. But today is tomorrow and I am still angry. I'm angry with the world and the fact that there shouldn't be pain and sorrow and suffering for innocent children. Brady's fight with cancer. Stellan's battle with heart problems. Maddie's lost fight. Where is the justice? Why does this happen? You know what makes it so bad? The fact that the fkn Octomom can get a reality show to find love! What???? Are you kidding me? Where are the news cameras to show Maddie's family raising over $17,000 for the March of Dimes? That's right...her blog alone made over $17,000 and it's moving up! But no worries...Octomom will make millions on the simple fact that she had 14 kids that she can't take care of. How is this remotely justified? Yes - I know I have 3 healthy babies and I'm thankful for that every minute of every day. You have no idea how much Pete and I talk about how lucky we are. But that doesn't mean I can't be angry for the families out there who have been thrown into the deepest, darkest holes of life while other people out there are allowed to have children by the masses who can't possibly take care of them. Or who don't want to take care of them. Or - yup - I'm gonna say it...I'm putting it in black and white...even the people who don't fkn deserve them. The Octomom gets a reality show to find love. Maybe I can get one to find my faith and help restore it because it's days like this that my faith is put to the ultimate test. Yes - "there's something wrong with the world today and I don't know what it is."
Madeline Alice Spohr (11/11/07-04/07/09) - You'll be missed Maddie.
Michelle

1 vs 3

I'm not talking about 'them' against 'me'...even though that's usually the way it goes. I'm talking about having 1 child vs 3 children. Having 3 at a time is much different than 1 as you can imagine. Here's a little insight to 3: While at the store I have mastered the technique of no eye contact, head down and quickly gathering everything I need while saying to all the onlookers/commenters "Thank you. Have a nice day!" We absolutely can not go anywhere without the general population rudely commenting/questioning the 'naturalness' of our crew. There is always someone ready to shout "well that one looks bigger?!?!" or "you don't look like you had triplets." Really? What is someone suppose to 'look' like? "What are their names?" "How much did they weigh?" "Oh - I bet they spent a long time in the hospital." Duh. These are just some of the most common questions/comments. Usually I'm tolerant enough to stop and answer a few questions and chat but some times I just want to get my shopping done and move on with our day. I have in fact taken 1 out and people still comment but it's completely different. "Oh - she's such a cutie!" or "how old is she?". Funny how no one asks me how I got pregnant with just 1. While out with 1...no one has ever said "is she natural?" & I can get my shopping done in 1/2 the time. Not a complaint - just a comparison. There are days when I purposely bring my girls out in public...I love to show off how beautiful and good they are! Who wouldn't? It's just that there's a big difference when traveling with 1 vs 3. There's the obvious 3x the formula, diapers, wipes and food. But also 3x the love. Hugs and kisses are plenty in our house. 1 on 1 time with them is what I miss out on the most. I don't get to just spend hours with one of them. I can't spoil them with new toys or just bring something home for them. I'm always on the hunt for used clothes, toys and looking into the future for what we'll be needing soon. For example...right now I'm currently researching potty seats, toddler beds and outdoor baby play gates. We're constantly selling and rebuying things on ebay to keep up with their growing needs. With 1 - I assume I would be buying new things. With 3 - they have become very independent. They don't need to be held or picked up constantly and they're ALWAYS playing with each other. They'll always have a friend and always have someone to talk to. When 3 get sick - 2 of us have to take time off from work...no time sharing there. We know that to leave 1 person home with 3 sick kids is recipe for disaster and mental breakdowns. When 3 wake up in the morning - they're not calling for mama or dada or even crying. They're talking to each other (planning their next attack against mommy I'm sure!). With 1 - it's hard to video tape wrestling matches in your living room...with 3 - I have filled my computers memory with videos of wrestling matches and all out laughter. With 1 - you can pack up and go go go! With 3 - there's a lot more planning before the 'go' part of the day can happen. And then there's the fact that my house is no longer the cleanest house on the block. Something I use to take pride and joy in. I loved cleaning my house. I loved having a clean house to come home to every day from work. Now...I love coming home to a toy filled, high pitched noisy home where I have to play hopscotch over cheerios and cheese to get to my 3 beautiful babies waiting to grab me and smother my face with wet kisses and trying to tell me all about their day in some baby talk that no adult human has ever mastered the technique of understanding. With that said - I wouldn't change it for the world. At the same time - I would never wish 3 babies at one time on anyone. When someone tells me they're pregnant it's usually followed up with a quick "just 1 though!". And I'm so happy for them. They will hopefully be able to hold their baby right after giving birth. They should be able to bring their baby home from the hospital with them. And they will be able to let their baby fall asleep on their chest for hours at a time because no other baby will be screaming for attention.
There you have it. 1 vs 3. It has it's benefits and it has it's disadvantages - on both sides. The best things do come in 3's. But there's no rule that says they have to come at the same time...
Michelle.

Video

Don't forget about the video link to the right on this page. We have a new video of us fighting. It's what we do when we're not sleeping or eating. More videos will be posted soon...again - most of them are us fighting. It's a sign of affection though!

Sunday

On Sunday we went for a walk in our choo choo and a bunch of people came over to visit us. Auntie Lucy, Alex and Bri Bri came. Uncle Pete and Melissa were here. And of course - Uncle Joey and Kristin. When we came back from our walk - there was a SNAKE hanging out in our little garden area. A SNAKE! We let mommy take pictures while we watched to make sure the snake didn't try to bite her. We had a plan that if it tried anything - we would tell Uncle Joey to save mommy. It was a good plan - but luckily we didn't have to put it in play.

Camera update: mommy isn't thrilled with the new camera but daddy put his foot down and said we're keeping this one.

Brady update: He made it through his surgery and is in recovery. Thanks for all the prayers for him. He's a special little boy that needs as many people praying for him as posible.

Enoy the snake pics!

Love,

Hannah, Hailey & Emily

Pray for Brady today

Don't forget to say a prayer for Brady today. He's headed into surgery to have a tumor removed. Head over to their blog for the full story. http://stepsforbrady.blogspot.com/

Easter Apple Hunt

Yesterday we went to an Easter Apple Hunt. Uncle Joey and Kristin came along. But...we were late getting there and missed the 'apple hunt' part of the trip. We had a great time though and we got the added bonus of meeting the Easter Bunny. Not sure who he is yet but we were ok with him standing close by. We also saw some horses! It was windy and chilly so we didn't stay too long. After that we went to the mall to hang out and say hi to Carl cuz he was having his bday party at Rainforest Cafe. They have really cool animals in that place - and the BEST fish tanks ever. Then we came home and mommy took outside to play. We played on the sidewalk and in the grass with nothing in our way. Just crawling around and feeling the difference between the hard sidewalks and soft grass under our knees! After a day like this you shouldn't be surprised to know that we slept from 5:00 last night until 6:30 this morning. We were tired.

Pictures

Rather...the lack of. As you can see we haven't been great about putting up new pictures lately. Why? Well - mommy seems to think that she needs to have a better camera. So instead of finding a new camera and buying it - she SOLD our camera on eBay. Then bought a new on at Best Buy. But...she didn't like the one at Best Buy so she made daddy return it (which cost $ because there's a 15% restocking fee). Then she bought one on Amazon.com. Guess what? She's not thrilled with that one either. So the search goes on. We have some pictures but we'll have to pry the camera out of mommy's hands to put them on the computer. She wants to return this one now but really...we need a camera! We keep telling her we're perfect anyway so no matter what she uses to take our picture - it will be just fine.
Have a good weekend!
Love,
Hannah, Hailey & Emily

Just kidding...

Happy April Fools Day! Hope you all had a fun one!!!!

Have you heard?

We're gonna be big sisters......