Corinne's Christening

The Proud Godparents, Frank and Jackie




Tommy and his little sweetie


Juanita and Corinne


We started out on Saturday by going to Corinne's Christening. She is so beautiful. Frank was the Godfather. We had a great time. The boys got all dressed up in their sport coats and had a blast. I have to say it is crazy how much has changed in two short years. Frank and I have three kids. Tommy and Juanita have a baby. A bunch of Tommy's friends now have babies. Our conversations have changed drastically. From beer to Colic. From falling down from being drunk to rocking a baby til it falls asleep. What a difference a few years makes.

Today, Frank and I attended a workshop at NYU for parents of children with implants. It was quite informative. I am glad we attended. I think educated parents are the best advocates for their children. Frank and I need to be Cormac's voice when it comes to his education and making sure his educators are able and willing to teach him properly.

Since the boys were sick on Easter we really didn't do anything and I forgot I took a bunch of picture of them. I thought I would share. You won't get over how big they look.

Daniel, Christopher and Devon stopped over in the morning


Cormac wearing Pop Pop's hat


Ciaran being silly


Not too sick to eat cake!


Can you belive those are my babies sitting at the table eating cake? Where has the time gone. They will be two a week from today. I want to stop the clock for a while. I don't want time to continue to pass so quickly. I want to freeze them so I can continue to have them forever! I am so happy to see them grow up and turn into little boys but man, it is also so sad. I wish I could have 10 more of them. I think our house is so full of love and laughter and more children would only add to it. Now, most people think we are crazy that we say we would have more children but Frank and I don't think that way. It is such a blessing to have these little men.

OK, This is so great I had to post again today.

The FIRST EVER DEAF PLAYER SIGNED TO THE NBA!!! HE WEARS BILATERAL COCHLEAR IMPLANTS!!!

Cavs hoping to get big help
With Ilgauskas, Wallace ailing, legally deaf player Allred signs for 10 days

By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter


Published on Friday, Mar 14, 2008

WASHINGTON: Lance Allred hopes it isn't his legacy, but he is now a part of history.

The Cavaliers signed the 6-foot-11 center to a 10-day contract Thursday as he was called up from the NBA Development League's Idaho Stampede. He will provide depth in the frontcourt with both Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace fighting back problems. But there is more to his story.

Allred is the first legally deaf player to play in the NBA. He's had about 75 percent hearing loss since birth but uses implants that allow him to be functional.

''It is an accomplishment. It's meaningful that I've made it to this stage,'' Allred said. ''I want to be known for more than that, but it is an honor.''


Allred played in college at Utah and then Weber State, where he was third in the NCAA in rebounding as a senior in 2005. He played a year in Europe and has played the last two seasons in the D-League, this year averaging 16.2 points and 10 rebounds to be named to the league's All-Star Game. He also played in summer league with the Boston Celtics last year.

''I am able to hear most things. Every now and then I will miss hearing a teammate, especially if he is behind me. I've been wiped out on some screens in my career,'' Allred said. ''But that means I have to pay extra attention and be very visually aware and sometimes that actually helps me see things before they happen.''

The Cavs allowed the 10-day contracts of Kaniel Dickens and Billy Thomas to expire. If the team wanted to keep either, they would've had to sign him for the rest of the season, under league rules.

In the locker room

• There's another magazine cover ahead for LeBron James. He's on the cover of next month's Vogue, along with supermodel Gisele Bundchen. James is one of just three men who have appeared on the cover during the magazine's 116-year history. The others were actors Richard Gere and George Clooney. He said it appealed to him because of his sense of fashion. James has been on the cover of Men's Health, Black Enterprise and Fortune over the last several months. He is also on the cover of ESPN the Magazine's 10th anniversary issue now on newsstands.

• James said Thursday he was still suffering some lingering pain and stiffness after a knee-to-knee collision with the New Jersey Nets' Vince Carter on Wednesday night. It was not enough to keep him out of the lineup.

• Delonte West is from suburban Washington, and he wanted to make sure his friends and family got to see him with his new team. He rented out a suite at the Verizon Center for his guests.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.

WASHINGTON: Lance Allred hopes it isn't his legacy, but he is now a part of history.

The Cavaliers signed the 6-foot-11 center to a 10-day contract Thursday as he was called up from the NBA Development League's Idaho Stampede. He will provide depth in the frontcourt with both Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace fighting back problems. But there is more to his story.

Allred is the first legally deaf player to play in the NBA. He's had about 75 percent hearing loss since birth but uses implants that allow him to be functional.

''It is an accomplishment. It's meaningful that I've made it to this stage,'' Allred said. ''I want to be known for more than that, but it is an honor.''

Allred played in college at Utah and then Weber State, where he was third in the NCAA in rebounding as a senior in 2005. He played a year in Europe and has played the last two seasons in the D-League, this year averaging 16.2 points and 10 rebounds to be named to the league's All-Star Game. He also played in summer league with the Boston Celtics last year.

''I am able to hear most things. Every now and then I will miss hearing a teammate, especially if he is behind me. I've been wiped out on some screens in my career,'' Allred said. ''But that means I have to pay extra attention and be very visually aware and sometimes that actually helps me see things before they happen.''

The Cavs allowed the 10-day contracts of Kaniel Dickens and Billy Thomas to expire. If the team wanted to keep either, they would've had to sign him for the rest of the season, under league rules.

My Lil Tees is Open for Business

Myliltees.com is officially open! Nadine and I have been working for months to get the business up and running. I am so proud of our final product. If you saw where we started you would get a chuckle out of it! If you are reading this please visit our website and pass it along to EVERYONE you know. We need to get the word out.

As for the boys, they are on the mend. Colin still says he has "owies" in his ears. Gotta love sign language! I am praying this illness passes quickly. They slept until almost 8:30 this morning.

The van is once again in the shop. The brakes are shot (I am hoping that is the only issue) I hate not having a car and hope to be back in it tomorrow.

Easter Weekend

Pics from the Easter Egg Hunt



Ciaran


Colin


Cormac



After meeting the bunny on Friday we thought we would continue with the Easter festivites. We attended an Easter Egg Hunt at the park by our house. It was a lot of fun. Ciaran really was on a mission and found more eggs than his bag could hold. I think he realized quickly candy was inside and he didn't want to waste any time!

Saturday evening we went over Aunt Mary's house for a little get together with The Lawrence Family. We always love seeing them and wish we saw them more often. The boys got some unexpected presents and were thrilled. Colin fell and hit his head and became so upset he puked. But he is fine. They were so wound up they didn't even fall asleep on the car ride home. I think they finally were in their cribs close to 9pm. That is UNHEARD of in this house. It's usually lights out by 7:30.

Easter morning when we went to get the boys to show them the Easter Bunny had visited and left some presents and his a bunch of eggs I noticed Cormac was very red. Well, poor little bugger had a fever of about 102. Colin wasn't looking to good either but only had a slight fever. What did this mean for the Lawrence family? It meant after breakfast I had to go food shopping and come up with an Easter dinner for our family. We couldn't take the boys out sick and we really didn't want Corinne to get sick from being around them. I managed to whip up a pretty decent meal and my Dad joined us and it was a nice relaxing holiday. (Considering I went to Shoprite and it was closed. I was very lucky to find another grocery store open) Even though the boys are sick they aren't cranky and seem fine.

Last night Colin was crying most of the night. He was not awake but crying in his sleep. By this morning he had a fever of almost 103. When I asked him what was wrong he signed he had an "owie" in his ear. Off to the Dr with all three. I only had two looked at because Ciaran seems fine. (for now) Colin has a double ear infection (his first ever) and Cormac has a really red throat. They tested both of them for Strep but I won't know until tomorrow. They all hate going to the Dr. I swear as soon as we walk in to the back they start to cry. They never did this until about 18 months old.

I am hoping they get well quickly. I hate to see them sick and unhappy.

We met the Easter Bunny

Today I we met Robin, Cailan and Michael along with my cousin Kristine and her daughters Olivia and Chloe at the mall to meet the Easter Bunny. The boys were so excited all morning as we were getting ready. They were even more excited when they finally saw the rabbit! No one was afraid. They were all signing rabbit and saying "hop" "hop". Ciaran and Colin jumped right on his lap. Cormac, who kept jumping into other familes pictures wanted to lay on the ground when it was actually our turn. But we did get a shot of all three looking at the camera. No one cried. We were quite a sight at the mall. Me pushing the triple stroller, Robin pushing the double.

I usually don't let the boys out of the stroller when I am alone since I am outnumbered but with all the help today I let them out. They were playing like crazy and it TIRED them out. They were asleep in less than ten minutes in the car and I transferred them all to their cribs and the are OUT! Gotta love letting them lose.

Tomorrow we are going to an Easter Egg Hunt in town. I can't wait. I am not sure if the boys will get it but it will be fun to try.

Cormac's new class

He started his new class today. He is now one of the youngest if not the youngest in the group. In his old group he was one of the oldest. The teacher told me today he was "full of energy". Another way of saying he won't sit down for a second. My mom watched Ciaran and Colin and they were fine when I left. Cormac actually wanted to go to school and for the first time when we pulled up outside he said "school".

Here's a cute story about Colin I wanted to jot down. On the way home from Maggie's on Sunday I thought they were all asleep in the car. It was nearly 9pm and they are NEVER up that late. We get off 280 and are driving past the K Mart. From the darkness in the backseat all Frank and I heard was Colin saying "Ka, Ka" (the K sound). We started cracking up. I guess you can't really miss the gian K at Kmart!

Not much to report since yesterday

Cormac had a dermatologist appointment today. His pediatrician wanted me to have his head checked out to make sure his hair pulling was simply hair pulling and not related to a dermatology issue. I was pretty confident it was just a habit and I was correct. She did comment on how fair his skin was and stronly urged me to keep him covered so he doesn't get sun damage. (also known as freckles she pointed out while looking at my face)

While we were at the office a couple was there. They asked about Cormac's implants. They have two grandchildren who both have implants. One is 5 years old and in mainstream kindergarten and the other is 3 years old and in preschool. It is alwasys nice to meet other people with cochlear implant stories to tell. I was just sent an article stating a fully implantable cochlear implant could be ready for studies in as little as 2 years. I think in Cormac's lifetime he will see some major changes in technology. The decision will then have to made if we think he will benefit and the surgery is worth it.

The new habit of standing on the window ledge to look out the bay window has proven to be as dangerous as I thought. I told them numerous times not to do it. Ciaran has a heck of a black eye to prove how dangerous it is. He fell and hit his eye on the bench. You would think this would discourage him from climbing there again. Not so much. He went right there this morning and he went directly to time out.

Colin has been crying on and off all day because he wants to wear Frank's baseball cap. I could care less if he wears the hat. But it is big on him and if it is not exactly how he wants it he gets upset. He wanted to sleep in it but kept freaking out everytime he rolled over and the hat fell off.

Cormac starts his new class tomorrow. It is most of the same kids with a few new ones. All the kids are older now so they divided them up from the smaller kids since their skill levels are so different. We haven't had class in two weeks so I am looking forward to getting him back to school. He seems to really enjoy it.

My new business I have been working on for months is about to become a reality. I think the website might be live by tonight. I really hope so. A lot of time, effort, thought and love have been put into nuturing this baby and I can't wait to see the rewards. I will send out an email to everyone as soon as it is ready. Hopefully, you all can send it to everyone you know and so on and so on.

Happy Birthday to US!

The boys are TWO today! I wanted to take some time to really remember what each of them is like at the moment. So, here it goes:

Ciaran Thomas exactly one year ago on his first birthday



Ciaran is a cuddler. He is the first to want to sit on your lap and snuggle. He is determined and head strong. He has a little bit of the devil in him. He may be small but he is mighty. He has something about his face that just makes me smile. When he smiles his eyes disappear. When he laughs it sounds nasally. He loves horses and books. He is smart as a whip but will not perform if asked. He likes to do things on his terms. He likes to be wrapped like a burrito when he goes to sleep at night. He loves the bath. He talks the clearest of the three at the moment and can say anything. He understands jokes and really "gets it". I believe he will be a real ball buster when he grows up. He is the quickest to get mad and also the quickest to just give you a hug for no reason at all.


Colin Francis at his first birthday

Colin: The best word to describe Colin is Jolly. His smile and his laugh are contagious. His laugh comes from so deep in his belly and he loves to laugh. His smile takes over his entire face. He is a joker. He is the biggest but the most sensitive. He loves to figure out "how things work". He can open any door, unlock any baby lock. He loves to do things for me. He is totally into trucks right now. He also loves his books. His favorite words at the moment are Yellow and Dirty. He loves to take a bath but doesn't really like the water over his face. I believe he just might be the class clown when he grows up. Colin is kind. Colin is so smart and will gladly share his smartness with anyone who asks.

Cormac one year ago

Cormac: I think the best word for Cormac is sweet. Everything about him is sweet. His smile, his laugh, his personality. He misses nothing. He only needs to be told something once and it is committed to memory for life. He is good for running across the room and hugging for no apparent reason. He loves airplanes and ducks. He also likes to read. Baby Signing Times is his obsession. He will watch any of the videos over and over and he can do EVERY stinkin sign in all the videos. He is like a sponge always soaking in his surrounding. He has a giant heart and you can tell already he loves deeply. He is kind and gentle. He LOVES babies. He wants to kiss and hug them. Oh, and I forgot Duke. Duke and Cormac have a special bond. None of us get it but the two of them understand each other. He is a performer and loves to peform for all. I think when Cormac is older he will be a natural leader.

None of them like when the other is upset. If one is crying the other two start saying "boo hoo" and acting upset. They love each other and it's apparent. They have different relationships with each other. It is fascinating to watch the dynamics of these relationships develop over time. Before Cormac could hear I think he was a little on the sidelines of this "triplet" dynamic. Sometimes I would get so upset because it would seem he was being left out but in actuality it was he just didn't realize Ciaran and Colin were doing something. Now they are a true threesome. A force to be reckoned with. I know they will fight and probably want to kill each other at times but I also know they will NEVER let someone else go near their brother without a fight. They are extremely loving towards each other and kiss and hug a lot. They also get mad at each other. Ciaran and Colin are the first to realize when Cormac's implant has fallen off and try their hardest to put it back on. They are and always will be his greatest teachers. He learns every day from them by having built in language models. They learn every day from him that their is nothing you can't accomplish. Some day they will understand Cormac is deaf and I know they will be his best support system. The three of them will always have each other's backs.

I marvel each day at how lucky I am in life. We may not be rich or have it all but we have a house FULL of love and laughter. I couldn't ask for more. These boys are the greatest gift I could have ever asked for and I never dreamed it could be so good. To know when I wake up each morning I go into a room of three beautiful smiling faces just waiting for their "Mama", well, that's enough to just bring me to tears. I try and not get caught up in our busy life and take time to enjoy the moments. They will not be small forever. They will not let me hug and kiss forever so I better do it while I can. But what I hope they do know is that no matter what, I will love them forever. Nothing could ever change the love I have for them.

I started this post on 3/17/08 since I knew it would take a while. In the past few weeks this boys have really started talking. They know every letter of the alphabet, numbers 1-10 and colors red, yellow, blue green and PURPLE. Purple has become a "tickle" word in our house. If you say it, you get tickled. They find this so amusing and will just run up to me and say "purple" to get it started. Cormac particularly loves this game. To our amazement he "gets it". He knows it's a joke to say the word. This is an accomplishment noticed by his teacher. Deaf children in general have a hard time learning when something is said one way and means another. They learn the words more literal meaning and it takes them sometime to pick up slang or jargon.

I think back to the day I found out about having triplets. Most people said "did you freak out?" But I really didn't. I was pretty calm and from the moment I was pregnant never had a negative thought. Not even when I went into labor more than once and they hooked me up to Magnesium causing me to feel worse than words could ever describe. I literally had no control over my eyeballs and wanted to vomit the enitre time. I just kept thinking I know these boys are going to be fine and WHATEVER is needed I will do. I also remember being about 31 weeks and going into labor again and thinking. "I don't know if I had handle Mag again for the 3rd time" But then in the next breath told the Dr. "ok, do whatever you need to" Luckily, I didn't need it because it was stopped on it's own. I never knew I could love Frank more than I already loved him. I have always known what a wonderful man he is and his love for me is unlimited. But for what he had to endure while I was pregnant and never complaining once, after watching him when each baby was delivered and him managing to not only videatape but also get a still photo! and never ever leaving my side once, my love and respect for him has only deepened. These last two years have been a lot of fun. Alot of marraiges are weakened by births of multilples. I have to say ours has only gotten stronger. He is an outstanding father. His sons love him. One of my greatest joys is to see his face and theirs each day when he comes home from work. They run and just attack him with hugs and kisses. It is a memory forever burned into my brain. Something I never want to forget.

I know this post is long and sappy but hey, I think I deserve a little sappiness once in a while!

What Didn't we do this weekend.

First, I'll start with an update on the car situation. The good news (well, I guess) is it is up and running. The bad news is it is up and running. I hate that damn mini van and thought this might be my chance to upgrade. But that clunker has decided to live on.... The gas guage is apparantly not working correctly.

Friday, Frank and I had plans to go to the Newark St Patrick's Day Parade (with no kids). My mom was supposed to watch the kids but came down with Strep Throat. Maggie was kind enough to skip the parade and watch Ciaran, Colin and Cormac. We were so happy to see so many family and friends. Not to mention consume some serious beer and not have to drive a car. (Strep throat and all my mom dropped us off and picked us up). Yep, at 36 years old my my dropped me off and picked me up from a bar. I didn't even make her drop me off around the corner. Frank and I were proud drinkers and didn't care!!!

Now, Frank and I like to think we can still party with the best of them. And, jeez, we sure can. BUT what I did notice is the recovery time is much longer than years ago. No hangovers but pure exhaustion. Took me to today to finally feel rested. But it was SOOO worth it.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early with the hooligans. We went to the zoo and joined for the year. It is somewhere we spend a lot of time. After the zoo in my exhausted state I drove to Staten Island to work on the new business. Frank stayed home with the boys.

Sunday we headed down to Maggie's because Aunt Juanita and Corinne are up from Texas. We can't miss an oppurtunity to see them. We had some dinner and Juanita's family was also there. Ciaran might have a new love named Jackie. She's an older women for him (I think she's 23?) but he has good taste! Jackie is Juanita's sister. But you know men, they can be fickle. Little Maggie showed up and he fell for her also. Now she is only 2 months younger than him. Cormac calls Juanita "nita" and they all call Corinne "In".

I love to see all the cousins together. Boy, have times changed in such a short time. Yesterday, there were six kids between 3 months and not even 2.

On a more serious note, please read the blog I copied below. It really hit home for me. This young baby has had such a rough start in life. He is currently in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Please say some prayers for Jack tonight. He can really use all the prayers we have to offer.

Hello from CHOP. For the first time since we’ve starting posting updates, I’m kind of at a loss for words. Up until this point I’ve felt like I could handle anything that is thrown our way. But the past few days have been harder than ever. I miss holding Jack and hearing him babble. I miss changing his diapers and watching him grab for toys. If I can take one good thing away from Jack being on the respirator, it’s a promise to me never to take anything in life for granted. I told Chad tonight that Jack is going to have to follow one rule for the rest of his life no matter where he is. Whether on a business trip, studying for exams, drinking with his friends during spring break, or on his honeymoon he must call his mother everyday! Because after he comes off this ventilator, there will not be another day in my life where I will go without hearing his voice. So all of you reading this right now – CALL YOUR MOTHERS! They want to hear from you.

Nothing much changed this weekend. Jack is still stable. Tomorrow he’s having another bone marrow biopsy done. Hopefully there won’t be any over active histiocytes taking up space. From there we wait for his counts to fully recover so he can finish fighting off the infection. (We started to see an ANC and a slight white count this morning which is a good sign that they are beginning to recover.) And plans for a spleen embolization will probably be decided on this week sometime. We’ll keep you updated.

Thanks again for your support, love and prayers. Keep praying !

Love, Kristy, Chad, and Jack

Oh, today was BAD

It started out fine. Robin came over to watch Colin and Ciaran while I took Cormac to a special session at school. It was a great opportunity for him to be observed by The Moog School. They are leaders in the field of teaching deaf children to hear and speak. I was so excited. Cormac did wonderful as expected. Towards the end he had had enough. It was his nap time and he was exhausted. But all in all it was a success. I came home and Ciaran and Colin had a ton of fun with Aunt Robin and Cailan (she might be their favorite person on the planet besides me!!) Down for naps without a peep.

Frank calls and says he needs to work late. I decide I will take the boys to the mall and we will have dinner out. Great for me, no cooking and the boys will get out of the house for a while. Things did not go as planned. I pulled out of the driveway and the car seemed a little funny. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill it was no longer running. I got thru the stop sign and managed to park it with no steering or brakes. Just lovely. I decided I didn't need a jacket since I was just running into the mall. Now sitting in a dead car with no heat is a total different story. The boys were fine at first but were getting very restless from being strapped in their carsseats. By luck my good friend, Maritza happens to call and she comes to help. I thought maybe I ran out of gas because the gas light was on but I really didn't think that was possible. But hey, a girl can dream can't she? Maritza sits in my car while I drive her car to my house to get the gas can that already had gas in it. I come back and fill up the car. At this point the kids were upset because I left and wanted to get out of the car. No such luck. The car STILL will not start. Kids getting more upset. Now I have no choice but to put the boys in Maritza's car and drive up the hill to my house. Literally, it's less than a 10th of a mile. Colin FREAKS out beyond freaks out. I don't know if he was afraid or what but he melted down. Ciaran follows suit. And Cormac decides he LOVES this car sits down and smiles and claps. UNTIL he realizes he has to get out and he starts a major melt down. In their entire TWO years of life I have never seen te three of them this upset. It was very upsetting to see. Not to mention at this point my phone is ringing off the hook and I can't exactly talk with the three of them flipping out. He comes my brilliant plan. Mini Cadbury eggs... A moment of pure genius leads to a moment of SILENCE. At this point poor Maritza's ears were probably aching. She leaves and now they start to cry because she is leaving. At least they settled down quickly. Somehow in all this mess I managed to order a pizza (who says I am not a multitasker?) since it is now close to 6pm and my plan of eating out is out the window.

Oh, I forgot to mention when I got back to the house the lovely Duchess has busted out of the kitchen and tore open a plastic bag of dirty diapers. The mess was beyond description. Remember this... you will hear more in a while.

This pizza arrive and it is GOOD! Frank arrives home shortly after. The tow truck shortly after that Frank. Somewhere in this craziness we changed the boys diapers, put them in their PJ's, brushed their teeth and put them to bed.

I follow the tow truck to the mechanic and leave the car. And here comes the topper of the night.

Remember I told you what Duchess did??? Well she decided to PUKE up all the crappy diapers she ate. Can you think of anything worse than regurgitated crap? I was not home and Frank was left to deal with it. I probably would have killed her. Now I am home and trying to relax with the lovely scent of shit covered up by cleaning products.

Ciaran got hit in the head with a wood block and has a cut. Ciaran knocked a chair over and it hit Colin on the head and he has a giant bruise on is forehead.
I will end will this.... Tomorrow has GOT to be better. But then again they will probably call me and tell me our car is shot!

Just some random thoughts for today

I think I do more before 1pm (nap time) than the average person does in a day. I am really convinced. Let's take today for example, the boys were up by about 8. Change three diapers, go downstairs and make breakfast, clean up after breakfast, go back upstairs and dress all three (3 shirts, 3 pants, 6 socks, 6 sneakers, 3 coats and 3 hats) Carry them one at a time to the car because they can't yet be trusted not to run like maniacs into the street if I let them all out and walk. Strap 3 into their carseats. Drive to Target, get them all out and find the monster sized cart that holds three children. Strap them all into the cart. Get the few things I need and keep them entertained in the Target. Today, I bought them little light up easter eggs. It worked for a while. Leave target, get them all strapped into their seats and head to Costco. Unload them and restrap them into ANOTHER cart. Get what I need at Costco while trying to keep them happy. Normally, not a problem but Ciaran was in a grumpy mood and would not stop whining. Candy or as Cairan says "nandy" will quiet him down NO MATTER WHAT. Hmmm.... I wonder where he gets a sweet tooth from???? I am forced to buy a COSTCO size bag of candy just to give him a piece. It's probably about 4 pounds. Ok, we check out at Costco with of jumbo size diapers. Oh, I forgot to add that I have to answer at least 20 times "are they triplets?" and other questions by the inquiring public. This tends to slow us down in our travels. Now I leave Costco and strap them all back into their carseats, we drive home. Everyone walks into the house because I couldn't carry them. They run wild and play while I make lunch. They eat, upstairs to change three more diapers, everyone in cribs with the book they "HAVE" to have in thier crib. Blankets on and off to sleep.

CAN YOU GUESS WHAT TIME IT IS???? It is 1pm!

ANother little tidbit. Colin has mastered opening the baby gates. I swear most adults cannot open these gates. That little bugger can do it one handed. We have the same gates at the top of the stairs going into the basement and going from the upstairs to the main floor. I am not too worried about them falling down the stairs because they have been going up and down the stairs for over 6 months and at this point they walk down holding the banister BUT this is my only source of confinement. Now I can' keep them trapped in the family room or play room. You know, once one sees the gate open it is a mad scramble to see who can get down the stairs first.

Cormac is graduating to the big class at Summit Speech School. We will now be attending on Wednesdays. He is really progessing so quickly. He tries to say every word he hears and I swear he understands every word you say to him. I realize this will always be a learning process for Cormac and us. Each day is a new opportunity and presents its own challenges. So far, he has met each challenge head on and I know he will continue to do so. I know life will not be as easy for Cormac. He will always have to make adjustments in certain situations. He will always be deaf which is a hard thing to accept as a parent. Not because it makes him any less perfect but because no one wants their child's life to be any more difficult than it already can be. I wonder what the future holds for him. I know anything is possible for him. If he was born years ago i believe his future would be a different future. We as parents try and make the best choices for our children. I strongly believe we made the right choice to implant Cormac and give him the opportunity to live in the hearing world. I know so much controversy exists between the deaf community and parents choosing implants for their children. I think it is sad the two sides can't work together for the greater good of these children who are being born in a time where technology exists to help our children hear. These children and parents put in a lot of hard work. It is not easy for any of them. They need to work harder to "listen" and it get tiring for their little brains. I wish more people understood how a Cochlear Implant works and not just think he gets it and it's over. It is years of daily hard work by both parents and the children. The results speak for themselves (literally).

All this said, I wouldn't want my life to change one bit. I love what I do every day. Some days, yes, it is exhausting and I wonder why I left the house. But most days it is so rewarding. The smiles and hugs and kisses well they make up for all the work. Hearing "mama, wuv you". What more could you ask for???

A busy weekend

We started out Saturday morning with Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. We joined Robin, Mike, Cailan and Michael. Everyone enjoyed it. My kids love the Bunny. I thought they might be afraid but not these three. Ciaran literally jumped out of my arms onto his lap. He is usually the last to go to anyone and prefers to be held my me and only me but the Easter Bunny outranks Mommy. Colin and Cormac wanted to shake his hand (I guess paw?)since we have been working on shaking people's hands when we meet them and saying "nice to meet you".

I am lucky they are not afraid. Since they were born they were never afraid of Santa or the Easter Bunny.

Sunday was Michael's Christening and I was the lucky Godmother. He is so cute and couldn't have looked more adorable in his bowtie. I left the boys at home during the church because did we really need the three of them at church??? They joined us for the party after and had a BLAST. They love playing with all their cousins. It was probably one of the first times where we were able to just let all three down and not really watch them like hawks. I think since it was less people it was easier. They are so lucky to have such great cousins (Daniel, Christopher, Devon, Cailan and Michael) who entertained them the entire time. I think only once did I have to replace Cormac's magnets. And I knew it fell off because Cailan was such a smartie and came and told me. I realized Daniel and Christopher can do it for themselves and don't need to ask me. They are so big now.

The boys were so tired from our weekend they didn't wake up until 8:45am. I actually slept until 8:30. It's been a long time since I slept that late.

Let March Begin!

I started this post days ago and haven't had time to finish it. Nothing too earth shattering.

Anyone who knows our family knows that we start celebrating St Patrick's Day the first weekend of March. Nutley hosts its parade the first Saturday of March followed by Belmar the next day. Frank and I met for the first time at the Nutley Parade. I think it was about 10 years ago at this point. Lots of beer was involved but it all worked out for the best considering where we ended up!

Last year we took the boys to both parades and it was really the first time we had ever seen the parade even though we have been going for so many years. We would normally just go directly to the bar. It's always fun because we see lots of friends we only see at this time of year.

Maggie hosts a party for the Belmar parade and we went yesterday. We watched the parade for over an hour. Ciaran, Colin and Cormac had so much fun. They loved the bagpipers, the fire trucks and all the people. These babies are troopers. They were awake from 7am to 8pm with no nap. I am usually a stickler for their nap time but I let it go for the day. They were so happy and never complained.