Tripletville Adventures : Goodbye Girl....

My Roxy is no longer mine... she's found a new home. It's funny to think that just 5 months ago, I wrote a blog all about how inconceivable the notion of losing her was. Today, she's gone... She's gone to a wonderful home with a woman who has already fallen in love with her (how could you not?). She's got room to run (which she did tonnes of this weekend already), she's getting plenty of love and attention; all things that I could no longer provide for her. I'm beyond sad. I know she's not dead, she's just gone to a better place (isn't that what we say when people die??) but she's still gone from my life and I can't even imagine what that will be like. She was my baby girl for sooooo long. I got her before I even met my husband when I was lonely and she kept me company. We were each other's best friends and now I've given up on her... My niece (who adores Roxy) asked me this weekend if I abandoned her. That word "abandon" really struck a nerve with me (she meant nothing by it, she's 8 and very direct) but I really feel like that's what I did, like I gave her up because she was an inconvenience to me. I always considered her like one of my babies and I wouldn't just give away one of my boys, but yet I just gave her away. I know this is better for her but I'm sick with the thought that she thinks I just abandoned her because I didn't love her anymore... that is so not true! I wish dogs could understand humans because I would tell her that I did it BECAUSE I love her and I wanted her to have a better life than the one she was living. I know that most dogs are content as long as they're with their owner but she spent 90% of her day on her bed in the living room looking so sad... I didn't plan on having three babies at the same time and if I had had them at separate times, it may have been different, but taking care of three babies on top of a very demanding dog was just getting too much. Please don't judge me. She's gone to live with Gabe's boss's mother (did you follow), so at least I can get some frequent updates and I'll even get to see her every once in a while. I hear that today she went for a drive in a convertible! Living the life isn't she? Here she is after running with her new best friend in a field for two hours:

Roxy is the black and white one on the left and Serena is on the right... Don't they look happy as ever?

I just hope she misses me a little because I still hear/see her everywhere.... Her new owner wanted to come visit on Tuesday with Roxy but I told her to hold off for at least a week. I want her to get used to her new environment and I don't want her to feel confused and feel abandoned all over again. I also think that I need to get used to life without her and not lie to myself in saying that it wasn't that bad and end up keeping her just for my own selfish reasons. One day, we may have another dog when the boys are older but I think it'll be best for everyone if she remains in her new home... as sad as it makes me.

We just got back from the road trip we weren't sure to go on. I gotta say it went very well! We were scared that they would cry the whole trip or wouldn't sleep at all in the pack and plays (parks) but they did very well. They cried very seldom on both trips (there and back). Aside from some crying right before we stopped to feed them, when we stopped for lunch on the way there and again today after we stopped to grab a bit again, we hardly heard them. Here's what it looks like when you're trying to feed triplets on the road:

I sent Gabe into Tim Horton's to ask them to fill up three cups of boiling water for us to heat the bottles (our boys are particular with their bottle temperature...)

We had a few stares as you can imagine!

People in Miramichi are very nice! We had nothing but positive comments about our boys and our life with them! One young woman even left her place in line at Tim's to come talk to us and tell us how lucky we were to have been blessed with them!

It was a much smoother ride on the way home as we had my mother with me and one child per adult is much easier than being outnumbered. When we stopped for their feeding, we actually fed them in Tim's (where we had a LOT of amazing comments...). I was surprised though that there were no change table in the bathroom in the Tim's we stopped at today! There was one in the other Tim's we were at on the way there... Anyways, today I had to change my poor little buddies on the floor of the van! Oh well, you do what you gotta do! I also learned that changing tables are mostly in women's bathrooms so Gabe couldn't even help me change the babies! Gender stereotyping roles still exists in some parts of our world I guess... What would gay dads do? Ask some random lady to go change their babies?? Catch up with the times people!! Rant over...

While we were coming home, my mother tells us that there's this great little spot near Kouchibouguac where the fries are apparently the best fries ever so of course, I tell Gabe we need to stop (if you know me, you know I LOVE fries!!). So here's where we stopped:

It's called "Lafiouk"... don't even ask!

The fries were indeed very very very good but the burger wasn't that good. Next time (and there will be one), I will get fries only (maybe even a poutine... what's better than fries? Fries with gravy and cheese!!!!). This stop, however, is what prompted Zachary and Jacob's little cry fest. My mother spent about 25 minutes trying to soothe one and then the other. She calmed Jacob down but Zachary just wanted to cry so we let him until he cried himself to sleep.

As for the nights, they also went quite well. After we let them cry it out (they cried on and off for about an hour) the first night, they fell asleep and slept all night. Last night, we put them to bed and we didn't hear more than a few little cries. They did have a very long day and they weren't feeling well but they slept all night both nights! This is more than I can say than for me and Gabe! Sleeping in a queen bed when you are used to an individually coiled king bed is quite the wake up call. We aren't used to touching each other when we sleep and we were practically on top of one another in that bed! haha... I slept better the second night (I find it always takes the first night to get used to a new sleeping environment anyway). We went up for my cousin's wedding and to visit with family. My aunt very graciously took us in as they had a room in their basement with a living room and our own bathroom which made getting away much easier with three babies! We tried to stick to their schedule as much as possible and I think we did a very good job. They ate at their regular times (we even had to skip the wedding), they went to bed regardless of who was visiting and they didn't partake in the evening portion of the wedding celebrations. My aunt had organized a meal at her house between the wedding and reception as the wedding was at 2 and the reception was around 8 so there was a lot of time to kill in between. We brought the babies there after their afternoon cat naps and everyone got to see them there which was great. As soon as we got there, it was pandemonium (there must have been about 60 people there and they all seemed to want to see the babies)! I even yelled "Welcome to the Triplet Show" at one point because I honestly felt like that's what it was. I let "the show" go on for a little while until I felt it was enough and I looked at my sister and silently mouthed "HELP!!" at which point I gave her and my mother a baby and stopped the show! I didn't even know who was holding my babies half the time as I spent most of my time there with Zachary who wasn't feeling well at all. Gabe had him for the first little while and then I took over and he slept in my arms for the better part of an hour poor little buddy. Jacob and Samuel had a grand time! I guess they spent most of their time in either my sister's arms or my brother in law's which is good. Jacob just kept looking around in his ever present amazed look and Samuel was just his content self. At one point, some lady I didn't even know walks in to the kitchen with Samuel in her arms. I look at her and I'm like "I don't even know this lady who's holding my child!" and she's like "I just wanted to change him, he's full of pee..." at which point I see my husband come in with the diaper bag. He assumed it was one of my aunts or something (I literally have like 12 aunts at that party) but she wasn't. After she left with a diaper and wipes, one of my actual aunts is like "oh, she's a baby nurse and a friend of your aunt France". I STILL DON'T KNOW HER!!!! haha.... it's a good thing I'm not paranoid or overly protective of my kids!! I don't get to see my family all that much as they live far so it was really great to see them. This was my dad's side and since he's passed, spending time with them always make me feel close to him. I got to go to the reception for a little bit and get my dancin' on as my babies are great night sleepers and my husband loves me. I had a really good time and I could've danced all night! I love wedding receptions!! I didn't get to dance much at my own wedding as I was 18 weeks pregnant with the boys and I was already feeling the pain so being able to shake my groove thang was quite enjoyable!

I was also able to surprise my grand-mother on my mother's side at her nursing home. She had yet to meet the babies and was super happy when she saw us walk in. Here is a picture of us with her:

That's four generations right there peeps!!

And take a look at her nursing home, it's like a very fancy hotel!!

How nice is this?? AND outside the window, you can just see the edge of the Sugarloaf, a huge mountain, right outside her window. So happy for her, they are treated like people who still matter and that's great!

Jacob left his mark in that beautiful lobby... Gabe was holding him and we really don't know what happened but Jacob spit up so Gabe bent down to pick it up and then we noticed that Jacob was still leaking... but it was pee!! Gabe must have been holding him in such a way that his little penis was exposed to the air and bam, pee came out, all over the floor! haha... we laughed so hard!! We were quite a sight there too as many of the old ladies wanted to see, touch and hold (which I didn't let happen) the babies. Gabe said it looked like a zombie apocalypse with all these little old ladies surrounding us slowly with their walkers... haha... poor little old ladies! They were all so nice though!

So all in all, the trip was worth it. We debated all week about whether or not we would go and came very close to not going at all but I'm glad we decided to go. This trip showed us that the boys are good travellers (even when sick) and that we can handle it. It was our first trip but I'm sure it won't be our last!

This week we went to the park and Zachary and Samuel tried the swings for the first time (I still think Jacob is still too little), went for a walk (my last one with Rox) and I even got an afternoon off courtesy of my mother in law and her sister. I really didn't do much that afternoon, but I had lunch with wine and relaxed. I even ran into a few friends along the way. It's nice to be baby free sometimes and I hope I get to do it again! This week the boys are seeing my family doctor for their 6 month visit, the birth of their step-cousin should happen (she's already 10 days overdue!!!!) and they're getting a visit from the home health nurse. All this sprinkled with visits from Mamie (my mom) and outings. Gabe is home tomorrow for the holiday and I'm glad because it'll be a re-adjusting day for the babies and they're still feeling sick so I'd be nervous to be alone. Should be a good week, as always. Hopefully, I'll keep myself busy enough that I won't miss Roxy too too much...

Here are some pics of the week:

Spending time with Mamie before she leaves us for the week (we met up with her in Campbellton)

Sportin' his cute Cat in the Hat shirt

On showing off the back of it...

We are liking the exercausers more and more which is great because it's making it easier to entertain them!

Even my serious little dude kind of likes it!!

So the toy he's got his hand on turns and has little beads inside. When he turns it, he scares himself...haha

First time in the Jolly Jumper... not too sure but he didn't hate it

They were all fussy so I propped them all in their Bumbos and put on Bubble Guppies and it calmed them down for a bit. I think I'm in love with the show!

Front view... you can tell they'd all just been crying!

Hanging out on the back deck at my aunt's house. I need to get them summer hats... I can't have them hang out with facecloths on their heads all summer...haha