High Chair Clichés

While I'm on the subject of clichés, one must show ample pictures of babies in high chairs (I'll save the spaghetti pictures for later--or rather spaghetti on the floor as Tsgea prefers it).

I remember the days of new motherhood and ideas of a germ-free world when each baby got his own cute little baby bowl and separate spoon. . . now it's one big communal bowl and mama uses one spoon (although typically I use several spoons as each baby snatches one from me and will not let go again) to dish out bites for baby one, then baby two, then baby three, and back to baby one again (with mama sneaking bites in between). Oh, and don't feed baby out of turn, they know.

Ahhhh, the sweet baby (Bereket) who saved afternoon nap until dinner.

Oops, we woke him up.

The Messy Baby with a neck full of saliva (Tsega) showing me where to direct the next bite (so much saliva these days from all three!).

Another messy baby; a little lower Sira.


What's food without a little fur in it? And the cat volunteered his services, I did not put him up to it. I was wondering why it got so quiet out there while I prepared their food in the kitchen--thanks Marty.

Apparently cat doesn't taste so good.

Really, my babies do have clothes. But hot and humid days and messy eating require diapers only. Well, actually, Tsega wears bottoms again. Tsega-mega learned to open the velcro on his diapers and seems he prefers to be Au Natural.

Bereket in a Box

Does Bereket not look like a doll on display at a toy store in this picture?

Everybody's doing it, as cliché at it seems. You got to take at least one (or a dozen) box picture of your baby. Right now the diaper box is among the favorite toys. Bereket and Sira like to push it all around the house or prop it up and play "throne". Sira gives Bereket a thumb up for poise.

It looks below they are playing magic box (turn it round and around to make sure it is solid with no chance of escaping to fool your audience).




In fact they're pushing everything around the house lately; must be that push-wagon I got them. They shop around the house, pushing the wagon, box, or chair and toss items in the "basket" as they go; a block, binky, book, whatever catches their fancy.

And when they tire of pushing, climb in for a rest.

The Three Little Sickies

While everybody came home from Ethiopia with bad colds and some bronchitis, we've been healthy since. Except for now. The triplets have their first American-caught cold (actually that's not true--Tsega caught a cold a couple of months after homecoming). That's what happens when you expose your kids to every bad germ in your own home in the hopes of slowly building their immune systems--like binkies off the floor caked with days-old dried saliva--and then you get them together in a foreign place like Minnesota and surround them with little kids and strange hotel floors. Now the snot is over-flowing (mama and papa remain healthy so far).

Bereket sleeps it off.


Sira feeds his cold. Poor guy, somebody wipe his nose and chin (look at the ooze coming from his nose. . . and that's milk on the chin, not snot). I know, he's usually much cuter and not so fussy.

Tsega plays it off.

They're doing better and the mucus is drying up. Poor babies.

EKC Event in Minnesota

Yep, we packed up the trips and drove from Kansas to Minnesota to join the festivities at the Ethiopian Kids Community 2007 celebration. Brave, aren't we :)? We hooked up with a few families from our Ethiopia travel group and gushed at their beautiful, lively, and bigger babes (Lisa & Max, Susan, Brian & Jenny, Cory, and all your families. . . I love you!). New faces but old names from the forum popped up here and there (so great to meet you). I apologize if I failed to recognize your name off the bat, but I know you now. Thank you to everybody who smiled, nodded, introduced yourself, or acknowledged "The Triplets"--you made a rather shy mama feel welcomed!

One of the funniest moments. . . I ran into Emilee, whom I met in Ethiopia, exchanged excited gestures, and became slowly, too slowly, barely cognisant of my Tsega grabbing items out of a stray grocery sack and tossing them to the floor. Next instant we both witness Emilee's Josh (same age as my trio) eating powdered donuts off the floor, made available by Tsega's rummaging. Then horrified Emilee slinks off slewing apologies to the donuts' owner while her youngest daughter is pulling her shirt over her head. Tsgea has manners, he didn't eat any donuts. Great moment :).

One of the sweetest moments (other than Lisa's darling Christine, Ethan, & Anna loving on our babies). . . Tsega saw Lucy, Stacy's famous Ethiopian beauty, chugging down the hotel hallway for the pool (wheee!) and Tsega waddles straight for her throwing his arms out; they exchanged the biggest hug then chased, ran, and crawled together up and down the hallway. . . So charming, tears came to my eyes (awwww!).

The boys loved it all and we loved seeing the beautiful families. I've been lonely for Ethiopia so at least we had that connection.

Now I think we need some full length mirrors in our house. Look. . . it's sextuplets!


I know, no pics from the event, shame on me!!! Just imagine tons of beautiful teeny kids running around squealing (or search other's blogs). Next year we may hit the Wisconsin Ethiopian Cultural Camp. Please come, I'd love to meet you or see you again!

Magic Bags Ends with a 2-Step

Like a good mama, I let my triplets play with plastic bags. (Parents, don't let your kids try this at home.) So here I was, filming the boys playing with bags and Bereket just happens to take his first 2-step caught on video! You'll see his surprise steps at the end of the video. 'Adda boy! Although it still lacks great appeal for him and there haven't been too many repeats. That's OK Bereket, mama can wait. You too Sira. And Tsega, love your waddle. . .

Maybe if the boys stopped moving for a second I could get a non-blurry picture (BTW, has anybody noticed Tsega is usually the blurriest?)!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Baby Legs

Perhaps my favorite part of a baby's anatomy (besides those cute dimples where the sun doesn't usually shine): the fat part behind the knees. The way it bows in just above the knee. . .Epitome of baby.

Irresistible. The knee itself is pretty good too. When the boys' legs extend, I joke that I'm gonna start keeping my coins in those knee slots. (Below is Tsega's knee from April. . . )

BTW, a sure way to get baby's belly laugh: tickle his inner thigh.

Hair, No Hair

Here we are, 13 months old TODAY, and Bereket and Sira still legally bald. Just a little Sweet Pea fuzz (you know, Sweet Pea--Popeye's baby (huh?!)).

Will Sira and Bereket ever elongate or grow hair? Will they stay mama's Kewpie Dolls forever? (Stolen picture from Nancy. . . Please don't sue. . . )


Tsega's hair began as straight peach fuzz. Now little coils replace the fuzz. His hair grows thickest and softest at the top near his forehead (so nice to run your fingers through) with the back still playing catch up. A friend's 6-year-old, while loving on Tsega, remarked how his hair is like little tornadoes (a Kansan-kid of course). At first a little confused, then I realized what he meant (and he meant it kindly). All the little, seemingly individual clumps of coils springing from Tsega's head; like sweet little twisters. See. . .So pretty. . .


I cannot imagine S & B with hair. . . IF they ever get any. . . (I think my babies are the oldest baldy-babies of the adopted Ethiopian children I've seen!)

When Papa Has His Way. . .

The children do play!

Careful Tsega, I think that's Sira's head you're squashing.


See papa, you're making them all blurry!

Sippies

Sippy cups aren't just for sipping. You can blow bubbles in them or turn the floor or high chair into a water park. Watch the triplets enjoy their drinking problem. (That's Bereket with the stripes, Sira opposite, and Tsega in the middle laughing at his bros.) Towards the end, about a minute in when the camera's on Bereket (stripes), listen for the loud parrot squawk (that's no parrot, that's Sira!)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Play Hard, Play Long, Play Fast

Play play play . . . you know you're a mom when brightly colored objects litter the floors and you nearly break your ankles on them or at least leave lasting indentations on bottom of feet (can't wait for the skateboards).

Playing 'Pass the Binky' . . .

Fighting over a fly-swatter (did I already mention sterility is a dirty word in our house?) . . .

Pushing brothers in wagon (pausing to pet Tsega's curls) . . .

Bereket cried every time he reached the end of the room (mama kept turning it around for another lap). . . here the rug stopped him . . .

Color coordinated play . . .

Camera cases excite us . . .

Drop-your-pants-fun with cabinets (not as many snaps are getting snapped these days) . . . Variation of this game: swing cabinet or french door to one brother who swings it back to him from the other side . . .

Climbing couches. . .

Or yoga on couches . . . (See the red lip? Maybe mama shouldn't let him do these things . . . )

One beautiful boy, two toys . . .

Taking a sleepy milk break, play later . . .