a little bit of this...a lot a bit of that.

:) I know, I know... I'm getting pretty bad with this whole blogging thing. I have a million things rolling around in this head of mine that I would like to get pecked out on here... but to be honest, the majority of it probably won't make it.
My "spare time" (HA!) these days is devoted to: cleaning (aka, doing NOTHING other than baby laundry, baby dishes...and well, that takes up all my time), making baby food, feeding babies...changing babies...playing with babies...holding screaming babies! Speaking of screaming babies...there are currently three non-stop screamers that reside at my house. >.< Yep...you guessed it. Three teething babies. Poor Elliana has yet to bust one out, BUT... her gums are thin and swollen...she acts hungry, but doesn't want to eat...and yeah, she's teething. Eli has two bottom teeth completely through, one top that's half way there and the other top that should break gum any given moment. :) Easton's bottom right has finally broke gum... and whew boy! Let me tell ya... he hasn't been taking it well.
Okay, I am only two paragraphs into this post and already I am bouncing around. Let's see...
Tomorrow I will be 24 years old. Wow. Not a big number...but I'm here to tell ya I feel SOOOOO much older than that. Four, almost five years of marriage and four babies later...tends to wear a young body out.
Clif and I actually were able to celebrate my birthday this past weekend. We went out by ourselves for the first time in like five and a half months. :) We left the babies with our mom's and future sis in law. Definitely on the list of the harder things that I've had to do concerning the babies.
For my birthday, Clif got me a tattoo...some cute chunky bracelets to cover said tattoo (whenever I decide to enter the dreaded working world again >.<), some new clothes (more on that in a second), and dinner at Kabuki.  We celebrated over the weekend because Clif is on night shift... and working tomorrow night. :( More on that too...
Let's go with the good first! I am really shy about talking about this, because I don't like the attention that it draws... BUT...Since July 15th,2011 I have lost 73 pounds. And since starting weight watchers I have lost 37 pounds. Very personal information here... but, I guess I can't be too embarrassed seeings as I did have THREE humans living inside me for a while ;) I started out in July in a size 14 (and it was TIGHT). Seriously, the biggest I have ever been. I didn't take it well, but it was soooo worth it. On Saturday, I slipped on my first size 8 jeans...in about 3 1/2 years. :) :) :) I'm pretty excited about seeing results! I have about twenty two pounds left to lose before I hit my "goal" weight...which will be what I weighed when Clif and I got together.
And the bad...Clif received word last week that his shift is changing. Drastically. He will be working night shift for extended periods of time. And as I'm sure most of you can imagine...we are not happy about it. To put it lightly. Not only are we "not happy" about it, but it just is not going to work for our family. Well, let me put that a different way. We know that if this is God's will...and He wants Clif to remain where he is... that the Lord will provide...and make it work. However, in my head...I don't see it working. ;) Guess that's why I'm not in control of my own life, huh? Please pray with us concerning this change. We are leaving it in the Lord's hands...with our desire being that there may be an 8-5 position open for Clif, so that he may not only be able to be at home with us every night... but also that we would be able to be in church together as a family every weekend.
Time is ticking away, and I know that I will find myself in the "job hunt" status soon. It's been wonderful staying at home with my three little blessings, but said blessings don't come cheap! We have been incredibly blessed in so many aspects, one way being that we have been financially able for me to stay at home. And while it's been amazing... Clif and I both know that it cannot be permanent. So...it looks like sometime after RSV season passes, I will be looking for a job :( Please pray with us that something may open with the company that I worked at previously when the time comes.
Speaking of RSV, Praise the Lord that our children have remained relatively healthy this winter...with the exception of a few little colds here and there. :) Clif and I are SO looking forward for the "rsv season" to be over and done with so we can get outside with these kids and breathe in some FRESH air! :) Not to mention that we've been locked up inside our house for way too long. We take the 3 E's to the doctor on Wednesday for their February Synagis shot, and then only one more for March! YAY! Soooo excited for it to be over with!
Well... I know this was a weird, all over the place post... but...that's me now-a-days! :)

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus || Spoken Word

A Cup Of Cake

In attempt to keep my sanity...I have started baking cupcakes :)

It all started when my mom moved back to her own house, and I was left to care for all three babies while Clif pulls 12 hour shifts. :) That was the plan all along, right?

Well... it has proven to be a little crazy at our house some days. It's a semi-rare thing to find three happy/content babies at one time. Though, I do have to say I think I have some of the easiest babies EVER! Actually, even our doctor said that our babies were very low maintenance.

Anyway, back to the cupcakes. When the babies were in the hospital, Clif and I stumbled upon a local cupcake shop. Gourmet cupcakes. Oh.my.goodness. SO good cupcakes. And a regular cupcake is seriously the size of two of your average-joe cupcakes put together. Mmm. Okay...anyway. So after eating these a few times (before the weight watcher days)... I got the urge to make some of my own yummy cupcakes.

I don't know if it will go anywhere... but I have ordered some business cards, and a car magnet... and I'm trying to sell some of these yummy cupcakes! I've had a few people place orders, but mainly... I'm just having fun. :)

Here is the link to my blog (for cupcakes) : http://acupocake.blogspot.com/

Below are some of the cupcakes I have created thus far:

Peanut butter cupcakes with chocolate icing, lemon with raspberry icing, chocolate with almond joy icing...peanut butter with whipped peanut butter icing.

Andes :) YUM! Chocolate cupcake with chocolate-mint filling, topped with a mint butter cream icing and andes candy!

Pumpkin cake, cream cheese filling, topped with a cinnamon butter cream and chopped pecans.

Chocolate on chocolate...and OOOOOH so yummy. :) I think I have seriously found the BEST chocolate cake recipe!!

Mmmmm...Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise. These were soooo yummy. Chocolate cake, peanut butter ball center, topped with cream cheese - peanut butter icing. The icing tastes like my mom's peanut butter pie! YUM!

Coconut cupcake, chocolate-almond filling, topped with cream cheese - coconut icing. Not as yummy as they look, but were not bad. Definitely looking for a new coconut cake recipe.

INK time :)

I know that some people don't like tattoos. Actually, I know a lot of people don't like them. And I also know that everyone has their own opinions and takes on tattoos. It is what it is. I don't debate it. And I try not to flaunt my tattoos in front of those that I know would not approve. But on the other hand, I'm not ashamed of them.
I will say that my tattoos have meaning behind them. And my newest one (pictured above) is no different. Our journey through these last few years has taken a lot of FAITH. Faith that God has always had a plan for our family. That His plan was not to harm us. Faith that His plan was perfect. We had faith that God would carry us through the darkest days of our lives. And He did. We had faith that God would give us a family, one way or another. And He did. We had faith that He would carry our babies through their time in the NICU, and He did. We continue to lean on Him, and have faith that He is in control of every aspect of our lives :)
With that being said, I've very pleased with my newest tattoo. It was my birthday gift from Clif. Faith being a picture of all the trials we have struggled through, and Heb. 11:1 saying:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

That verse alone says it all. :)

 The tattoo above was Clif's Christmas present from me. If you look closely, you will see letters in the branches that spell, "J-E-S-U-S", and you can also make out the image of Christ on the tree.

{prayer requests}

Hey Guys! I hate that my posts are few and far between, but...that's life when you've got triplets. :)
I have a few prayer requests that I'd like to share with you all. Please to take time and pray for each of these situations.

**There is a family that I have come into contact with since having the triplets. It's interesting at all the contacts you have when multiples are involved. Anyway, without going into detail...because I don't have all of them, and it's not my place... but there is a couple that had to say goodbye (too soon) to their triplet boys a few weeks ago. I am absolutely devastated for this family, as I know what loss feels like... but can't imagine having to deal with it three fold. Please be in prayer for these parents, that they may find healing and peace. And that, if possible, Clif and I might be able to be a blessing to them.

**Another family we learned of through friends of ours, had to say goodbye to their baby on the 13th of this month. The precious baby was just short of two days old when she passed away. Again... I know of loss, but this is completely different. I can't imagine getting to say hello, only to say goodbye so soon after. Please pray for this couple as they journey through their grief.

**A family just moved to our area, from out of state. The husband taking a job at a local Christian radio station (the only contemporary radio station I know of, around here). When they arrived to their destination (I'm assuming new home?) they realized that their two week old baby was not breathing. He was revived and rushed to the local hospital, and later was transferred to the hospital our 3 E's were in. This little baby has been in the PICU for 18 days now, and is on a ventilator. I just read an update that his dad posted on FB that says this little baby, "C",  has a severe case of RSV & Pneumonia. :( I have only heard horror stories of RSV, especially for preemies. Please pray for this little boy, and his family.

Six Months :)

Wow. Our babies are SIX MONTHS old...today. :) On one hand, I feel like it's been soooo much longer than six months since I had these little cuties swimming around in my belly. On the other hand... I feel like it was just yesterday. **sigh** Where does the time go? Seriously.
Here is a little update on the babies, and their 6 month pictures from their photo shoot with Mommy. :) I made them the little "6 month" onesies, and crocheted Elliana's hat.

Eli Zayne : Eli was the first born of our triplets. And is definitely our most "needy" baby. At birth Eli weighed 4 pounds .06 ounces, and was 16 3/4 inches long. Today, at six months old - Eli weighs 15 pounds 11ounces, and is 25 1/4 inches long. He cut his first two teeth nearly two weeks ago, and is currently working on cutting his top, middle-right tooth. Teething has been an adventure thus far, as Eli cries most of the time (when not being held), with a few happy times in between. Eli is his daddy made over. No denying this boy! Clif calls him "Catfish", because there is no mistaking his long Huntley mouth, and big rosy Watt's lips. He has massive hands, and cute little-big ears. :) He is a hand FULL (and then some), but his big open-mouth, toothy grin will melt your heart every single time. Eli loves to eat, suck his thumb, and his food of choice is anything that is not nailed down. Though, at the moment he is VERY fond of bananas.

Easton Layne: Easton is our middle child, and was the first to come home from the hospital. He is extremely sensitive, and doesn't care for strangers. Easton is the odd man out...where his brother and sister are darker complected with dark hair & eyes, Easton is pale, has blond hair, and beautiful blue eyes (perhaps, from his Great Grandma Holt?). At birth, Easton weighed 3 pounds 13 ounces, and was 15 3/4 inches long.3 oucnes, and is 25 1/2 inches long. He is n over achiever if you've ever seen one! He was rolling over at two months while the doctors told us not to expect it until at least four months. Easton has a HOT temper, contributed from all sides of the families, we are sure. Easton is built like a Smith, no doubt about it! Long torso, broad chest...but has Great Grandpa Watt's ears. He has his Mommy's nose, nd looks like a combination of his daddy & Clif III (as a baby). His smile will light up the room. Easton is a snuggler, loves to sleep through the night, and is partial to his bottle (not baby food!)... though I am sure that "real" food will appeal to him as time passes.

Elliana Rayne: Spoiled Princess does not even begin to describe this precious baby girl. Elliana is our easy going child (most days). She loves to smile, and give her daddy kisses. At birth, Elliana weighed a whopping 2 pounds 15 ounces and was 15 inches long. Today, at six months old, she weighs 12 pounds 10 ounces, and is 24 inches long. Though dainty and much smaller than Desiree was as a baby, she looks very much like her Mommy (as a baby)...right down to her chubby cheeks and dark brown eyes. You can normally find Elliana in a good mood, entertaining herself. She loves to giggle, and be mean to her brothers. Don't let those cute looks fool you though...she is super feisty! Elliana not only smiles with her mouth (wide open!), but she smiles with her eyes. Definitely brings a smile to the face of anyone that crosses her path. She had her set backs with her heart, but God is the Great Physician and saw fit to heal her little heart. Elliana loves to sleep in her crib, eats almost as much as her brother and loves peaches.

All three babies are very active, rolling in all directions. Their new found favorite thing to do is sleep on their bellies. We are experimenting with "baby food". I plan to make the majority of their food. All three babies are beginning to try their hand at crawling, and they all "talk" NON stop. It's a constant debate in our house...what will be their first words? Mama? Dada? NO? Or maybe their siblings name?

Ahhhh...we love our precious babies so very much. As always, we continue to find ourselves thanking God for blessing us with these beautiful gifts!



Moving up in the world...

Just a short post to say that Clif and I have finally caught up with time!I am writing this post from my new smart phone.Scary, huh? Keep an
eye out tomorrow for our six month update :)

Glock in Hand :)

Geez! So Clif is working night shift this week (bleh!) <---- please pray with us concerning this! We are so very blessed that he has been provided with a job, BUT... these shifts are killing us!
Anyway, back to the story...Clif is on night shift this week. The last few nights that he has worked have been REALLY stressful for me (not to mention the babies!). They are finally over their colds, but the boys are teething... AND we have been trying to switch their schedules (more on that later). So, tonight... my mommy came over to help me feed them their last bottles of the night, and put them down for the night.
Needless to say, the babies weren't having it...and it took us longer than expected. We were finally able to get everyone fed, asleep, and in their cribs by 9ish.
So I'm sitting on the couch, trying to teach myself how to crochet and I hear a vehicle coming up our driveway. My first thought was, "Did they let Clif come home for some reason?" I peek out the window to see a big (loud!) pick up truck, complete with redneck looking lights all the way across the front of the truck. Oh, did I mention that it was 10:30pm?
My first thought was, "We live out in the boonies...and I am home with three infants". What did I do? Went and grabbed the GLOCK! :) I looked out the window, hoping to see a familiar face or vehicle, but found neither. It was dark and all  I heard was two truck doors open and close. By this time, adrenaline was GUSHING through my veins. I high tale it to the kitchen, which is where our back door is. Before I even reach the door, there banging on the door. Gun in hand, I went to the door...refused to open it... but did pull down the blinds and yell, "can I help you?" There were two massive men standing on my back porch...in the dark, and do you know what they asked me??? They wanted to know if I had seen their HOUND DOGS! Really? Are you serious? It's 10:30 at night, and you're going to bang on my door because you can't find your dogs?
They left after I told them that I had not seen their dogs *rolling eyes*, but continued driving up and down our road...and I would assume knocking on everyone else's doors. Too bad they didn't know that we have some "not so nice" neighbors. :) So I email Clif at work, just to let him know what was going on. He called almost immediately, and told me to call my dad and have him come drive up and down the road - and see if he could find the truck. Next thing I know, Clif is coming home on his lunch break. :) In the five minutes that Clif was home, he ensured that all the doors were locked, peeked in on the babies sleeping away in their cribs, and taught me how to use our 12 guage shot gun (as if the Glock wouldn't be enough...).
As I type, I have the glock by my side...and the shot gun is sitting in the corner of our bedroom.
:) Okay, done with my little rant/story. It's midnight and I am wide awake from all the happenings of tonight.
Keep your eyes out for a SIX MONTH update on the babies! I cannot believe that our Precious Little Ones are six months old. Seriously, it seems like yesterday that Dr.Slackman looked at me and explained that they had missed one, and that we were having triplets. I am so thankful for how far we have come! My Mom and I are headed to take the kids for their check up/shots on Wednesday. Look forward to posting about their accomplishments since the last check up! Annnnnd, our six month photo shoot will be taking place sometime this week as well. Yay! OH, and on the agenda for next weekend? Elliana and I are going to the mall to get her ears pierced! SO excited!! Stay tuned...