Feliz Navidad!!!

Merry Christmas everybody:) I want to share our Christmas card and Christmas letter with all of you:)
Here is our Christmas letter:
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We hope that this letter of statistics finds you and your family well. It’s no secret that this has been quite the year for us! Full of blessings and giggles x 3. As you know, our lives evolve around the number 3 and all that is entailed to take care of 3 little bundles of joy. We thought it would be fun to share with you these stats about our three peas in a pod:

10 weeks that mommy and daddy stayed on hospital bed rest (yes daddy too because he spent EVERY single night with mommy).

04/12/2008 the day the three peas in a pod made their individual appearance in the world.

6 lbs & 6oz the total combined weight of the babies at birth (Arianna 1lb & 14oz, Alea 2lbs & 1oz and Armando 2lbs & 7oz).

39lbs & 15oz the total combined weight of the babies today (Arianna 12lbs & 11oz, Alea 13lbs & 4oz and Armando 14lbs and 4oz). Not bad for 2 pound babies!

95 days until everybody was home from the NICU.

29 helpers including one grandma who stays at our home 24/7 and 7 night helpers who came to the rescue the first few months when babies weren’t sleeping through the night.

7306oz of formula not including the ounces of breast milk and formula that they drank while in the NICU.

63 meals brought in by church members, family and friends to keep us going (there was no time to cook).

10 entertainment items to keep these babies busy (3 swings, 3 bouncers, 3 floor mobiles and 1 glider).

60 cloth diapers minus 1 that Frankie (our puppy) ate.

12 loads of baby laundry per week.

2780 bottles and at least that many diaper changes! Oofta!

256 ounces of hand soap.

92 bibs for lots of spit ups and drools.

38 burp rags for all the spit ups and drools.

17 pacifiers that we can’t ever find when we need one.

93 trips that Frankie (our puppy) made to the nursery to make sure that no more babies have come home (this was very funny after the first baby came home Frankie would walk to the nursery first thing in the morning and before bed. We could tell he was in shock every time a new baby was home).

85 sleep deprived nights, yikes! (from Sept. 7 until today we’ve been sleeping through the night with very few exceptions, YAY!!).

87 written thank you cards for baby gifts.


We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and prosperous New Year. Blessings to you and your family.
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And on stat that we didn't include in our letter, but I find interesting is 133 pictures TAKEN before we got ONE photo where all babies were smiling! yikes!! that took for ever!

This year we have been VERY blessed and we thank God for all the joy:) It's exciting to reflect and celebrate the birth of our Lord Savior Jesus:) the last 3 Christmas had been very difficult for me because my Mom is no longer with us:(, but this Christmas is different because I have the opportunity to embrace my mom by loving my children and caring for them as much as she did for us :) and I believe she is in good place now and watching over us:)

Good day!

Today was a very good day despite the fact that grandma has a cold so she went home:( I thought that today was going to be very crazy with just me home, but no it was Ok and fun:) We started out the day with Armando rolling from back to tummy for the first time! he is an expert on rolling from tummy to back and finally he did back to tummy! yay Armando!!! Then when we did our one round of rice cereal Armando is going at it like he knows what he is doing:) he would open his mouth every time the spoon would come close to him and then he would eat it right away and open again! it was cute:) Arianna desired that today she was going to "blow raspberries" every time she had a mouth full of cereal, it wasn't her best cereal eating time, but it was very cute:) Alea continues to cry during the cereal eating routine, but today she would open her mouth when the spoon would come close to her, but then she would spit it all out! well at least she is opening her mouth;)
Then this afternoon, Arianna rolled on her tummy with NO help:) yay!! Alea has been rolling on her tummy with no help for about a week now:) they still need practice, but I think they finally got it down:) Then, I fed everybody at 2:00pm (one after the other of course) and put them in their cribs for a afternoon naps and they slept a little over 3 hours!! I didn't know what to do with myself! laundry was done and folded, dishes were done, formula had been mixed, messes had been picked up! soooo lucky me, I was able to watch tv for a couple hours!! yay!!! And the day end it with the girls sitting in front of each other just giggling and laughing at each other or with each other:) I got it on video, so here it is:) enjoy it:)

First solids!

Yesterday was the day that we started the babies on rice cereal! and What a mess!! but before I tell you how things went, I'll give you a little background on our previous routine. Every morning we would mix one can of Alecare formula into a pitcher! yes! we mix a pitcher everyday! that's a great time saving:) it will be crazy to mix formula for 3 babies every time you have to feed them! so we found this gallon size pitcher at the Pampered Chef web site and ordered one:) I already had a 1/2 a gallon pitcher for juice before babies were around and one day we thought "hey this could be a great way to mix formula" and that's how we got started:) but very soon we realized that we needed something bigger than a 1/2 gallon! so we got the 1 gallon and it works great! the best thing about this pitcher is the plunger! so we just made a mark on how many ounces of water we need for one can of formula, dump the whole can and then mix with the nice plunger! and we're all done for a 24 hours period! yay!!
Here is the proud mommy mixing formula;)

Well Ok, enough about the pitcher. We got ready right before their second feeding and place them in their chairs, mix 3 bowls of cereal and 3 spoons one for each one. Then we fed them all at the same time, keeping track of the bowls and spoons, what a mess!! first of all , I made too much for each baby! that I ended up dumping the left over in their bottle, Oopsis! and 3 bowls and 3 spoons?! forget about that! that was crazy too! it's too much to keep tack so today I only mix one bowl and one spoon! you are probably thinking gross! but hey, they chew and drool on the same toys so what's the difference? Yesterday went well for the most part, but it was too much mess and confusion! so today I tried less food for each and as I said just one bowl and one spoon! things went at lot better!!! and there was no leftover to feed through the bottle:) I attached some pictures:)

Here is Arianna, she loved it!! she did the best!! and ate the most!!! way to go Ariannita!!

Alea well does a VERY different story! she hated it!! not interested! disgusted as soon as the spoon gets close to her! but we'll keep trying!!

Armando I don't know what to tell you there, he didn't have much of any expressions to give away weather he liked it! but he ate it so I'm assuming it's ok.

Grandma has been making baby food like a mad woman ha ha ha ha ha ha ha so our freezer is getting full:) we have butter nut squash, 2 types of squash that I have no clue on the named and carrots:) I'll post some pictures of our baby food later, I hear some babies waking up from their naps!

Mensaje para mi papi! querido abuelito mire como estamos aqui comiendo y creciendo! gracias por todas sus oraciones y estamos muy contentos de sabes que por fin nos conoceremos el verano que viene si nuestro Dios nos lo permite:) le daremos muchos besitos, abrazos y apretones, besos! sus nietesitos que los adoran mucho;)

Christmas pictures:)

Today we spend the WHOLE day (yes, it took the whole day with all the melt downs, feedings and changes in between;)) taking Christmas pictures of the babies. So by now I'm very tired and the babies are crabby, Oopsis! Oh well, it was worth it, after seeing the results! we a few good ones and many cute ones:) So here are some of my favorite ones:) The babies wearing their Christmas sleepers:) Arianna in red, Alea white and Armando green:)

Just a little smile from Mr. Camera shy Armando:)

The girls had fun with their dresses and cute socks! this is the first time they wear such fancy dresses and they were very curious about the whole thing:) Arianna on the left, Alea on the right.

Beautiful smile from Arianna:)

Cute smile from Alea

Arianna with her beautiful smile:)

Alea showing off her dress

Finally! one good picture of Armando with a little smile:)

I better go, crabby kids are calling!

Creciendo mucho!

These babies are growing more and more everyday! today the nurse came to give them their RSV shot:( Armando and Alea had to get 2! because they are too big that the amount they need doesn't fit in one syringe!!!!

Soooo here are their weights!
Arianna 14lbs!
Alea 14lbs & 12oz!!
Armando 15lbs & 12oz!!!

Oh, and Armando's SECOND tooth is coming in as well! it's already through!!! shocking! the girls are chewing and drooling like CrAzY! so I won't be surprised if we have more teeth in the next weeks!!

We are all doing well and having a wonderful time with our babies! I think things are getting easier everyday (I hope I don't jinx things!)! but now that they can sit, they entertain each other better, you know it's fun to steal toys and grab each other bobos (pacifiers). We feel so blessed this Christmas and we couldn't be happier!! Gracias mi Divino Niño por tantas bendiciones:)

Also, I'm SOOO happy that THANK YOU cards are out the door (long time ago, I just forgot to post about it) that was a relieve!! And last Saturday we sent our precious Christmas cards!!! that was nice too!! does off my to do list now! yay!!!! (I'll be posting our Christmas card and letter soon).

And I CAN'T post without pictures! so here are some of my favorite photos:)
Miss Arianna giving us her big smile that we LOVE so much:)
Alea being Alea:) ha ha ha I tell you she is trouble! (or look like trouble).

Armando our camera shy baby, looking very cute and innocent:)

We got on the Christmas spirit and started taking pictures of the babies on their Christmas sleepers (even though Arianna doesn't have hers on, so I'll have to retake these pictures) anywhoo, I love this one:)

Armando playing with his blocks:)

The girls having a good time looking a mommy make all kind of faces to make them smile! Arinna on pink is not too sure and Alea is having a ball:)

"Baby C"

Baby C now known as Mr. Armando:) our little boy is the lay back one! even in utero he was the one that would be relaxing every time I had an u/s and trust me after having an u/s EVERYDAY while on bed rest for 10 weeks, you start getting to know your babies before they are born:) Armando is VERY easy going so he ends up being the last one to get fed (he usually waits so patiently for his turn). Armando's hobby is to kick his left leg up and down all day long!! and YES, he can also sit as well!! Armando is our camera shy baby, but in person he is a big flirt and charming little boy:) He loves to giggle and play with his sisters, although he tent to get to rough and the girls always end up crying (I get the feeling this won't change anytime soon). He has become an expert at toy stealing, kicking and scratching his fellow sisters ha ha ha but we know that he is just trying to play:) He also loves to "talk", I used to think that he was the talker of the three, but after Alea started talking is a competition between the two.
And gets what?!!!!!!!!!! Armando has ONE tooth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's the left bottom one:) YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Grandma found it last night (Dec. 15)!! I couldn't believe it!! He has been drooling for a long time, but he never cry more than usual or anything! yay!! does nice:)
Here is Armando sitting chewing on toys:) Trying to get him to smile at the camera, but nope! that won't happen with him!

Ohhh! Armando has many other talents like chewing on his toes!! look at him! Does it taste good Amandito?

And yes, Armando is our BEST roller! he has been rolling from tummy to back for a long time with no help! on this video you might be able to see my foot where I'm trying to hold him up so that he wouldn't roll before I have the camera ready. Now he has been trying to roll from back to tummy, hopefully soon:)

Armando is SO special! he makes us laugh all the time!! and when there is only 2 of us we can count on him to have smooth feeding times (with no crying babies). We are very lucky to have a little boy in the bunch:) But he is the one that loves to pull mommy's hair, but that's ok:) Armando mi niño querido te amo muchisimo, llenas nuestros dias de tanto amor, carcajadas y felicidad! continuo orandole a Nuestro Dios para que sigas creciendo fuerte y sano:) que Dios continue bendiciendote mi amorcito:)

"Baby B"

"Baby B" now known as Miss Alea:) but many times has earned the title of cranky pants :) don't get me wrong, she is a delightful little girl that tends to be the most demanding of the three. She was the first one to come home and from then on, she thinks she owns this place ha ha ha ha don't think that she is crabby all the time, she is a very very happy muñequita, but when she needs/wants something then she can be demanding. Our little 2pound and 1 ounce peanut is growing (she is over 13 pounds now) and developing her pesonality:) And we knew from utero that she was going to be trouble ha ha ha ha ha she would be the one that we'll see in the u/s kicking and/or punching one or both siblings! It's surprising to me that she let's Arianna steal all her toys. Alea's hobby is to suck on her paci ribbon! ha ha ha (see picture below). Also, she loves to stick out her tongue when she smiles! she is starting to be interested in her feet. So anytime she can see them, she grabs them! like when we are changing her diaper, she always goes for her feet. She is rolling like her sister with little help. She is sitting really really good! See picture:) Now that she can sit and have a different view, she is learning to steal toys from her siblings as well (I think Arianna is teaching her those tricks). I think Alea is daddy's little girl, for some reason (maybe I haven't been taking pictures with the other 2 and daddy, but I'm trying to do better at that) I have a lot of pictures of daddy and Alea either sleeping, laughing or just hanging out. Here they are, just hanging out! Don't mind the blue bib! In this house we don't distinguish between blue and pink bibs to put on babies, just what ever we grab first goes;) (no time to be picky about those things).

Here is Alea laughing and sticking her tongue out:)



Even though, Alea was the last one to "talk" now we can't keep her quiet!! and sometimes she can wake up everybody! It can be cute at times because she is so funny. In this video, I'm trying to put her down for her afternoon nap, but she is more interested in "talking" and playing and waking everybody up!

Alea brings so much joy to our home! For the night she puts herself to sleep by rubbing her bunny (you can see her pink bunny in the video) on her face and cuddling with it! It's so cute! She makes us laugh all the time! with her big eyes! She always looks surprised! ha ha ha ha

Alea mi amor te amo muchisimo y cada dia me traes tanta felicidad! no te pongas guapa por haver dicho que a veces tienes mal genio, lo puse poque pienso que es muy gracioso a tu edad y quiero recordar todos estos detallitos cuando estes grandota y fuerte! Que el Señor Dios continue bendiciendote mi princesita:)