thisbeautifullife

It’s a Potty Party: How to Potty Train Your Child in 3 Days

I’ve potty trained all three of my children in three days. Yes, seriously! If you are like me you’ve probably seen things about the 3-day potty training method online and wondered if it could possibly be true. That was me about 8 years ago.

My oldest son was turning two and I had heard all kinds of horror stories about potty training. With the way some moms talked about it, I was pretty sure it was going to be a horrible experience. I read various things online about 3-day potty training and jumped right in. Guess what? It worked! Three days later I was happily reporting a completely day and night potty trained child. I tweaked a few things, but followed the same 3-day format with kid #2 and got a great result again.

Enter child #3. My adorable, passionate, strong-willed little guy. I knew he was going to be tougher than the other two. So much that I waited about 4-5 months longer to potty train him. He is two years and seven months old. Spring break was this week, so I decided to once again block off three days and go for it. I am happy to report that we were once again 100% diaper-free in three days!

It goes without saying that all children are different and respond differently to potty training. My kids all have very different personalities and of course I monitored and adjusted the process for each of them. If you are ready to be completely rid of diapers and not drag out the potty training process for weeks (or months!) then keep reading.

What you will need:

3 Days with zero activities/meetings/to-dos
Underwear
Potty chair (we used one like this and recommend getting one with a detachable seat that you can place on your toilet when your child is ready. It is also a stepstool.)
Snacks
Paper to make a sticker chart
Stickers
Lots of patience and a good attitude

What you will NOT need:

Anywhere to be for 3 days!
Pull-ups

To start getting my kiddos used to the idea of using the potty, we started talking about it a couple months ahead of time. As soon as they start waking up dry, ask about going potty, or start showing any interest in toilet training you will know you are ready to begin. Of course you need to be sensitive to any stressors, big changes (like a new sibling, etc.) that might be coming up for your child. I recommend getting a potty training book to read to your child. My little guys had this one (It’s Potty Time) and my youngest carried it around for over a month before we started potty training.

First choose a nice long weekend or take off a day of work to make sure you have at least 3 full days to potty train. I was lucky to have several days off for Spring Break, so this was perfect. Do not plan to leave the house for at least 3 days. With all of my boys we were ready to take short trips out of the house by day 2, but you may very well need all three days.

Next, set up the party! I usually blow up some balloons, decorate a little, and get something special for breakfast. This time we went with a chocolate sprinkle donut! As soon as your child is up for the day, put them in underwear and say good-bye forever to diapers. Remember, whatever happens, DO NOT put a diaper back on them. It will be tough at some points, like really tough, but do not give in. I promise you will be happy you stuck to it. This goes for nap and night time as well. I put a towel down under the bed sheet just in case there are any accidents. I feel it is important to make sure they have transitioned to a “big kid” bed as well. If they are not able to get out of their crib, they don’t have the option of going potty on their own, so the risk of an accident is higher.

Our potty party area includes lots of toys, balloons, the potty, and of course an adorable potty trainee.

The key to this method is to create an area that is fun and easy to contain your child for a few days. I just spread out blankets and towels in the living room and place fun toys like blocks, race tracks, and books to keep us busy. The potty sits on a towel right there with us! It is important to give your child snacks (salty is best) so they will keep drinking often. Ideally, you want to have them sit on the potty every 15-30 minutes. My little guy was really good at holding it, so he occasionally went 45 minutes in between, but we just kept trying. You should start noticing the signs that they need to potty. Grabbing themselves, pulling at their underwear, even funny facial expressions are clues. As the day goes on, they should become more aware of the sensation of needing to use the toilet…with your prompting of course.

All of my kids have liked using a sticker chart to celebrate their success. With my older two I made a cute potty chart with their name and decorated it. This time (because three kids) I just wrote his name on a piece of paper and picked up some fun stickers at the dollar store. He absolutely loved picking out the sticker and placing it on the paper. We are on Day 7 now, and he still occasionally asks for a sticker. My husband also picked up some M&M minis candy and we gave those as some extra motivation. No need to use candy or food as a reward, but hey whatever works!

Pick out some fun stickers for motivation!

You have to be able to give them your undivided attention. This is the hardest, yet most rewarding part of the process. I was brought to tears several times this week, as we had so much precious one-on-one time. This is rare with three kiddos, and a full-time job, so it was really special. The one-on-one time is why potty training is actually one of my favorite milestones with my kids.

Be prepared for accidents. I had to remind myself of that even this third go-round. I was starting to get frustrated and stressed out after a few accidents. But this is part of the process! I think on Day One we had three accidents, which was pretty successful. Don’t worry if you have more than that, just keep going.

Day Two- the hardest day. You wake up hoping that they will just take to it again, but often this is the day of “I can’t” or “No, Mommy!” My son was just not having it on the morning of day two. I realize that he was wanting to stand up to pee, and so we transitioned to the big toilet. He was a little scared to pee and verbalized that he did not want to. I thought of putting Cheerios in the toilet to make a game out of it, but we were out. I sent my nine-year-old in to find something and he came back and tossed a Goldfish cracker in the toilet. My two-year-old laughed hysterically, said “I can pee on that fish,” and just like that he took care of business. I can’t believe it, but we continued to toss in Goldfish for the next two days, and he promptly peed (or pooped) on the fish. Genius! Be open to what might motivate your child, no matter how silly!

It is important to really pay attention to the amount of liquids your child it taking in during the process. We cut off drinks about 45 minutes before nap and bedtime to avoid accidents. My son sleeps anywhere from 10-12 hours without an accidents, so don’t be scared of nighttime. Even if your child has an accident, you don’t need pull-ups or nighttime diapers. Think about how confusing this would be for your child. It’s okay to pee your pants at night, but not during the day? Such a mixed message for a little person.

By Day Three you’ll be ready to venture out of the house for sure. Take walks, go to the park, or take a quick trip to another favorite place. It is intimidating to think of putting a child in the carseat with no diaper, and you have to plan ahead to stay close to a toilet. My son did have an accident at the park because we didn’t make it to the restroom in time. This will happen. Just be sure to have extra clothes and to keep your cool. It isn’t the end of the world if they pee their pants in the check-out line of the store, or as you run for the potty somewhere…I’ve experienced both and besides being a little embarrassed, no harm done.

If you follow the plan and truly put your best effort into the 3 days, you will have a potty trained child at the end of the process. If you have to leave your child to work, etc. just make sure you have carefully explained your process and expectations for your child to their daycare provider. You don’t want them to put a diaper on them or cause you any other setbacks.

Just think how freeing it will feel to be completely diaper free in 3 days! Your wallet will certainly thank you when you aren’t spending money on diapers anymore. You will feel accomplished and your child will be proud of their new “big kid” status.

It was hard to put my whole plan into words, so please message me with questions or comments. I am happy to explain in more detail! Now get busy planning your potty party! You’ve got this!

This post does contain affiliate links.

Become a Ninja Warrior at Flip Side Ninja Park

With three children under the age of 10, I am always looking for new ways to keep them entertained. When it’s too cold, too hot, or too wet to be outside a good indoor activity is a must. Unfortunately, fun, indoor activities are often hard to come by. After a few trips to indoor trampoline parks and restaurant playgrounds, I’m often left looking for something new to change it up a bit.

Enter Flip Side Ninja Park.

That’s right, a ninja park! If you are familiar with the show American Ninja Warrior, I bet things like balance beams and warped walls are coming to your mind right now. My kids love this show, and always end up wishing they could have a chance to run a ninja obstacle course themselves.

Now they can do exactly that right here in Northwest Arkansas. Flip Side Ninja Park recently opened it’s doors in Lowell, and already has people raving about all it has to offer.

My kids had the awesome opportunity to visit the gym a few days ago. They attended an intro session and haven’t stopped talking about it since. I loved that the coaches were very attentive and carefully explained each obstacle to the students. Every child was encouraged to participate at the level that was appropriate and safe for them. Intro sessions are offered each week so you can try the gym with no commitment to see if it’s a good fit for your family.

Junior ninja classes are also available for children 5-15 years old and run for 12 weeks each session. These classes are appropriate for beginners to obstacle course masters. Every 4th week of the program, ninjas will perform stage challenges and be awarded for completion. This program includes one class per week, a t-shirt, a Flip Side sticker, and an awesome video of their final timed-trial run on week 12.

I was able to speak to another Mom at the gym, and she raved about how much her daughter has been loving the ninja classes. She said that the classes are great for boys and girls. Her daughter always feels challenged to do her best and doesn’t ever feel like she’s being compared to the boys or to people with other fitness levels.

One of the coolest things about Flip Side Ninja Park is that they also offer Birthday Parties! You can invite up to 15 people and the staff takes care of all the details. They even decorate and clean up! Certified ninja coaches guide the party attendees through the course for one hour. Then you get 30 minutes for presents and cake. All you need to bring is food and refreshments. Did I mention that adults can book a party too? That’s right, there are no age limitations to booking a party at Flip Side.

Speaking of adults…did you know that you can take classes at the gym too? They offer Adult classes as well as Aerial Yoga. If you are looking for a new, exciting way to stay fit, you might consider the Adult Ninja Fit course. It focuses on building strength and endurance all while enjoying the exciting obstacles. An adult ninja open gym session is also offered for those who feel they are ready to tackle the obstacles on their own.

Aerial Yoga is offered each week and is also for participants of all fitness levels. You’ll get a chance to hang from the aerial hammocks while focusing on stretching and strength. The classes have been extremely popular and fill up quickly, so grab your spot asap!

Whether you are wanting to change up your fitness routine, would like to try out aerial yoga, or have little ninja warriors that would love to try out some obstacles, Flip Side Ninja Park is what you’ve been looking for. With the nicest owners and coaches around, you will feel comfortable giving it a try. You can visit Flip Side Ninja Park’s website for all the details and to register for a class or book a birthday party.

Disclaimer: My children did receive free admission to the gym before I wrote this piece.

Ideal Health NWA: Not Another Fad Diet

If you’re like me, the new year finds you motivated and looking for new opportunities to make life a little better or easier. January is a great time to set new goals or refocus on your existing ones.

A year ago, my husband and I decided we needed to make a change in our eating habits. Being full-time working parents with three small children left us little time to plan healthy meals, and found us sitting in a fast food drive-thru more often than I’d like to admit. We knew we needed a lifestyle change, not just a fad diet. Honestly with so many opinions out there about what “healthy eating” is, it was hard to know where to start.

If you find yourself where we were last year, keep reading! I was recently contacted by the owner of Ideal Health NWA. She invited me to check out their plan for achieving weight loss through building a healthy lifestyle. I have to say, I wish this new resource was available in Northwest Arkansas last year when we were struggling to get started with our journey to a healthier life.

Ideal Health NWA is right here in Bentonville and operates under the understanding that both weight loss and weight management are key components to healthy living. They empower you with skills that will not only help you lose weight in a healthy way, but also to keep it off long term. Weekly one-on-one personalized coaching sessions include nutritional education and lifestyle support. Someone encouraging and guiding you each week sounds pretty great right? I know how important it is for me to have that accountability piece. Charting inches and pounds lost is a great way to keep yourself moving in the right direction.

The best part? No counting points, calories, or carbs! Because…ain’t nobody got time for that. Okay, well at least not this lady. If I have to stop mid toddler melt-down to log my points on an app, let’s just say that’s probably not the plan for me.

The Ideal Protein protocol has done all the thinking for you. The low carb/high protein meals are designed to keep you on track and burning fat. Since our body burns carbs first, limiting them will help us to begin using the fat that has stored up in our bodies. Having the support of Ideal Health NWA takes the guesswork out of meal preparation. For me, making sure I am eating the right calories can be exhausting. With so many different “diets” out there, it is hard to know if I am on the right track or not. Ideal Protein=no more stressful meal decisions.

If you are ready to make a change, Ideal Health NWA may be the thing you’ve been looking for. Contact them today and mention this post for $50 off your orientation fee! What have you got to lose (well except those extra pounds of course)?

https://idealhealthnwa.com/

Moving on After a Tough Year

As I sit here reflecting on 2017, I’m overwhelmed with thankfulness. I hear squeals and laughter coming from my three boys playing in the other room. I scroll through pictures from our 15th wedding anniversary trip to Costa Rica earlier this year. I stop to work a little on things for next semester with my third grade students.

As I soak in all the good in my life, I’m not quick to forget how I got to this place. My mind slips back to seven years ago when all of the above mentioned things seemed so far from reach.

My husband and I were both recovering from job loss. Dwindling enrollment at the school I worked at caused me to be working as a teacher’s assistant and dreaming of one day having my own classroom again. My husband suddenly lost the job in the field he thought would be his career.

We had just lost our precious triplet sons, and didn’t know if our oldest would ever have a sibling.

Below I share the blog post I wrote on December 31, 2010. The emotion and devastation in my “voice” is painful to hear.

“Looking back at 2010 and forward to 2011…

It was very hard to read what I wrote on New Year’s Eve last year. I wished for a sibling for Josey, more financial security, and Mike to continue to have fun with his band. Little did I know that we would be desperately close to all those things, but in the end lose them all.

2010 began just fine until May 1st. Mike left for work that morning and returned just a few short minutes later. We never saw a dime of unemployment because they blamed him for getting fired. Don’t ask me what circumstances unemployment is for because I don’t know. He did nothing wrong, they simply were done having him around and paying his high salary I guess. So there went financial security…and for five long months, no income at all. We found out 5 days after he was fired that we were pregnant. We had been through rounds of fertility and were EXTREMELY excited. Two months later we find out it was TRIPLETS! Another huge excitement, but with worry as well. Then only 3 weeks later, the morning that will haunt us forever. I lost Johnny and then 2 weeks later lost Jaxsen and Asher. I’ve already written endlessly about the loss but it was the biggest part of our 2010. Looking back it doesn’t even seem real most of the time. Seems like it happened to someone else…because things like that WOULD NEVER happen to me. Mike worked random jobs off and on and hunted endlessly for something steady. Finally in September he found a low-paying job, but a job! We are still struggling financially. Maybe struggling is an understatement.

Looking ahead to 2011, I still want the same things as last year. I hope to look back and read this next year as I hold a little baby in my arms. Yes, I do still want that, and no pain, suffering, or sacrifice will change my mind. I am still praying for a classroom job next year, but no matter what, I am doing what God intended me to do. I will continue to teach children and care for them in any position I am placed. I hope that Mike finds true friends to play music with that will stand by him and appreciate the amazing man that he is. Maybe he will find a better paying job, maybe not. I simply wish for his pain to fade. Most importantly I hope that next year finds us stronger than ever in our love for eachother. We have been through more in this one year than all 8 years of our marriage put together. I hope we continue to provide a stable, loving, life for Josey. He is our world, and remains our focus through it all. I wish the best for all our family and friends who carried us this year when we couldn’t walk on our own. My personal goal is to mold myself into the old Allison that was not angry, sad, and confused all the time. I struggle daily with wanting the memories to fade, and wanting to never forget the way my sons felt in my arms, or what their beautiful faces looked like. I simply want to be more “normal” again. I will embrace God’s plan for my life…whatever that may be.”

I share these words now, seven years later, to say that we made it. Somehow we crawled out of that dark, hopeless place and came out standing on the other side.

We have THREE beautiful little boys now. My husband has a great job. I have been back in a classroom teaching job for almost seven years. My husband did find musicians that share his passion for music. His music even lead to us finding our dearest friends.

I had no idea how hard we would have to fight for our marriage as the grief of losing our children threatened to tear us apart. I wish I could say that we were able to quickly get back on track, but it took us years of trying to really understand each other again. Celebrating our 15th anniversary was a testament to the work we chose to put into strengthening our relationship.

I’ll never know why we were faced with the trials of 2010, but I can say that we learned a lot from that devastating year.

Most importantly, I learned that sharing the difficult stories is just as important as sharing the good ones. You never know who might be watching and might find hope in your journey. If your 2017 was like our 2010, please know that it doesn’t have to break you. No matter what trials and losses you faced, you can choose where 2018 takes you. You can choose your attitude and how you will react to challenges in the new year. It won’t be easy, but you can survive whatever has happened. Get up, put one foot in front of the other, and keep on going. 2018 just might be your year.

What ‘This is Us’ Got Right About Pregnancy Loss

I have to admit that the when I first heard about NBC’s hit show ‘This is Us’ I had no intention of watching it. When a friend told me that there were triplets involved, and one of them passed away in the first episode, I knew it would just be too close to home for me.

After all, I’ve been the woman who had three babies growing inside of her at one time. I’ve been the woman saying goodbye to one of my triplet sons all while fighting to keep the other two babies safe inside.

However, this is where my story took a different turn. In the show the family has two surviving triplets and ends up adopting a third baby as well. My husband and I walked out of the hospital with nothing but three little memory boxes. We went home with no babies to care for, no joy in our hearts, and not much to say to one another. To say we were shells of our former selves just wouldn’t do that pain the justice it deserves.

I have now watched every single episode of ‘This is Us’ and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised with the way they have portrayed pregnancy loss. This week one of the main characters suffered the loss of her baby early on in pregnancy. The episode carefully illustrated the pain of both the mother and father of the baby. Since my loss over seven years ago, I haven’t found many television shows or movies that have done a great job of even scraping the surface of the emotions and experiences surrounding pregnancy loss. I am so thankful for a hit show that is not only willing to tackle this tough topic, but one that didn’t shy away from the depth of the situation.

I firmly believe that every single pregnancy loss is different. There are no two stories that are the same. No two people feel the exact same emotions or deal with their pain in the same way. However, there are a few things that I think the show manged to portray in the most beautiful and accurate way.

Sometimes telling your family and friends is just too much. When Kate loses her baby in this week’s episode, she avoids calls from her mother. For me, the love of my family and friends became the thing that truly rescued me from the most devastating experience of my life. Seeing the pain in my family members’ eyes was at times the hardest part though. I just wasn’t strong enough to see them or help them through their pain. I was often left feeling devastated with the pain I had caused my family. They would probably tell me I’m crazy for ever thinking that, but at the time they couldn’t have convinced me otherwise.

The guilt is heavy. Kate verbalized her belief that she did something to cause her baby’s death. I too have wrestled with the responsibility of my children’s passing. I often replay the events surrounding losing my triplets. Did I walk too much at the store the day before? Was it because I was slightly overweight? Did God think I couldn’t handle three? The self-blame is a very deep and dangerous place for a mother to go after the loss of her child. The thoughts are often irrational, but grief knows no logic.

Reminders are everywhere. In the show, Kate associates the shower curtain with her baby’s passing. Her fiance throws it away hoping to avoid seeing the painful reminder every day. Sometimes the strangest things trigger these painful memories. For months I couldn’t walk into our bedroom without remembering every detail of the morning I delivered my son right there by the bed. In the months that followed there was always something to remind me of my loss. The crying baby at the store, the pregnancy announcement on my social media feed, and the empty crib sitting in the corner often made it feel like my heart was breaking in two all over again. Even though my boys have been gone for years, I still experience reminders that cause the pain to come flooding back in an instant.

The struggle between the couple in the show really hit home. Kate disregards her fiance’s pain in a seemingly uncaring way. I love that Toby stood up to her and expressed the depth of his grief. His words were firm, but loving. Probably one of the hardest parts of losing our boys was the fact that my husband and I processed our grief very differently. He threw himself back into work and trying to provide for our family. Often I felt as though he didn’t care or hadn’t experienced the same loss as myself. It took him actually saying the words “I know you lost your babies, but I lost my babies too” to actually make me understand that he was in just as much pain as me. I suddenly felt less alone and way more understood. A man cannot experience the physical side of losing a baby, but they very much feel every other aspect of the grief.

One of the most important parts of pregnancy loss that the show touched on was the impact of connecting with someone who has “been there.” Kate is able to talk with her mother who also lost a baby. Their conversation illustrates the importance of feeling understood. My mother also suffered pregnancy loss and I found her to be the best person to talk to about my loss. I knew that the advice and words of comfort she had to offer came from a place of experience. Somehow knowing that someone managed to survive the grief gave me hope. When I didn’t know how to put one foot in front of the other, her story reassured me that I could go on.

I applaud the writers and actors of ‘This is Us.’ They began an important conversation that will help increase the community of support for parents experiencing loss. I hope they will continue to address this topic in an open, honest way. Pregnancy loss is not something to be ashamed of or to be avoided in conversation.

If you have been affected by pregnancy loss I urge you to tell your story. It is often difficult to know what and when to share, but if your story provides comfort to even one grieving parent it’s worth it. I like to think that my babies lives, no matter how brief, will have a lasting impact in the lives of many others.

Sometimes a Biscuit Isn’t Just a Biscuit

A biscuit. Such a simple breakfast item, yet today it was so much more. A bacon biscuit allowed two very different moms to share a connection.

My five-year-old son is home sick today with a very high fever. He has been sick for over 36 hours now and the fever just won’t let up. I was going to leave him with my amazing parents again today, but my momma heart was just tugging at me to stay home with him. I was up with him most of the night so around 4 am I started making lesson plans and arranged for a substitute to teach my class today.

Of course I needed to drop the other two boys off and make sure copies and plans were ready on my desk at school, so I had to drag my sweet sick boy out as well. After everything was settled we started the 20 minute drive back home. Despite the fact that he hasn’t kept anything down in over 24 hours, he wanted to stop at a gas station for something to eat. Last year when he was in preschool, his Daddy would stop on the way to school if they needed gas and let him pick out a breakfast item. I knew this wasn’t a great idea, but I couldn’t say no to his precious little request.

Unfortunately, by the time we got to the gas station he had to rush inside to be sick again. As I ushered him back out to the car he again asked politely for a biscuit. I thought it was probably a waste of $2.50, but decided to let him pick something out anyway.

All my son wanted was a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, but there were none. I asked the cashier and she said they no longer made bacon biscuits. They only had breakfast pizza, sausage biscuits, and bacon croissants, which he wasn’t interested in eating. In his true kind, understanding fashion he reassured me it was okay and he would just eat some Jello when he got home.

As we once again started out the door a sweet voice called out to us from the deli section of the gas station. The lady behind the counter said she noticed he wasn’t feeling well and would be happy to make him a special biscuit just the way he wanted it.

I thanked her for going out of the way to show us such kindness. She said although her kids were grown, she was a mom too and understood how hard it is when your kids are sick. As she loaded up a biscuit with extra bacon for my little bacon-lover, she reminisced about when her kids were small. She said that one time a year she would let each of them stay home from school to spend some special one-on-one time with her. I could tell she was taken back to a happier time as she talked about how they lived in Seattle and would usually take a little day trip to a fun location.

I told her how much I loved that idea and that I try to spend time with each of my three boys too. She shared with me that she had two daughters and a son. I felt her body tighten as she said those words. What she said next took me by surprise. This sweet woman stood there behind the gas station deli counter and shared with a total stranger that one of her daughters had died.

My reaction might have surprised her too. I didn’t say a word at first. As she looked up, our eyes met and I could tell she knew I understood. I asked what her daughter’s name was and then shared with her that I too have three sons that are no longer in my arms.

In that brief moment, we weren’t just strangers standing in a gas station making small talk. It was more. We were two moms separated by more than twenty years in age, obviously from very different walks of life, connecting over a bacon biscuit. We were moms who both carry the unimaginable pain of losing a child who were able to find comfort in a stranger’s story.

Neither of us were passing judgement of the other. She didn’t comment on the fact that my son was still in his pajamas. She didn’t seem to notice that I didn’t even bother to use make-up to cover up the tired bags under my eyes from a sleepless night. We stood there as two moms who were just doing their best on a Friday morning.

As I sit here watching my sick little guy rest on the couch, I can’t help but to be thankful for the biscuit that he only took one bite of. This story isn’t really about a biscuit at all. It’s about a random act of kindness and moms supporting other moms. The last 36 hours have been filled with worry, stress, and fatigue for me, but today the mess that is motherhood turned out to be pretty beautiful.

Jaxsen and Asher’s Story

It has been seven years since I held them in my arms and said goodbye. The pain still stings like it did that day, but our lives have continued with their memory always in our hearts. Losing our triplets fundamentally changed who I am. They taught me more in their short lives than I would have learned in a lifetime without them. I live my life trying to honor their memory by being the kind of Mom and person that they would be proud of.

I originally posted this on my family blog website on August 8, 2010.

I absolutely cannot believe I am writing about another loss. I am so hurt, confused, and devastated. Our third and fourth born sons were born on August 5th, 2010. Jaxsen Troby at around 7ish and Asher Jo somewhere around 8-8:30.
I woke up August 4th at 5 am with cramping. Throughout the day I called the Dr. and nurses several times as my contractions became closer together, about 3 minutes apart most of the day. Of course with the “nothing we can do” thing, they told me drink lots of water, absolutely flat with feet up, take tylenol to sleep. I told myself all day that the worst was not happening. At 1:30 in the morning I accepted that it was.

Mike drove me to the hospital, both of us begging God for it to be something else. We waited in the ER room for pain medicine for over an hour and then I proceeded to lay there waiting for almost three hours to be moved to OB. My contractions were less than a minute apart for over two hours. The worst pain I have ever experienced in my life. My cervix had been sewn shut and was literally ripping open with the babies trying to come out. I have no idea why they did not get me to an OR sooner to remove the stitches in the cervix. Finally we got upstairs to OB and the Dr. on call realized I was in unbearable pain and decided to take me to an OR to take out the stitches.

About that time Jaxsen decided he couldn’t wait and he was born, nothing could stop him not even “unbreakable” stitches. I was in and out of awareness for a while but still in extreme pain. I was moved to the OR and our Dr. came in to do the surgery. The last thing I heard was, because the cervix ripped we may have to do a complete hysterectomy. Terrifying. I woke up not knowing what the outcome had been. Thank God they were able to deliver Asher and get everything out and save my fertility for now. I had gotten a major uterine infection, the worst that we had prayed would not happen. The babies had to come out. I tried SO HARD for my babies. I have no idea why we were blessed with these three miracles just to have it all taken away. My heart is broken.

We were able to spend about an hour holding the babies after I recovered from surgery.

Jaxsen was beautiful, he looked a lot like Johnny. He was 5 oz. and 6 3/4 inches long. He had a perfect little face and adorable feet that looked like his Daddy’s. He reminded me a lot of Josey too. His middle name is Troby to honor my Dad and our family name. There is nothing more important than my family to me. The hospital put them in little outfits and they were just precious wrapped in their little blankets. I will miss Jaxsen forever and a part of us will always be missing. We will cherish him in our hearts.

Asher was also amazingly beautiful. He had different features than our other boys. A slighly turned up nose (so cute), and long feet like his PawPaw. He was 4 oz and 6 1/4 inches long. We had just come across the name Asher and it means happy and blessed, so I knew it was perfect. His middle name is Jo because it is mike’s mom and my sister Laura’s middle name. The two people who we felt like we couldn’t have made it through this without. Of course all of our family and friends have been amazing too. Asher will forever be loved an missed. Our fourth born son will always be in our hearts.

The hospital took pictures of the babies in their outfits and gave us memory boxes for the babies. They had the pictures inside along with the outfits, blankets, teddy bears they had put in their arms, and baby name bracelets. They were so kind and made one for Johnny although we do not have pictures or an outfit that he wore. Not sure why they didn’t do that when he was born. We will cherish the boxes forever. When I look at them I feel like I am still holding the boys in my arms, and my body aches for them.

I am writing this still in the hospital. We are hoping the infection is gone and we will go home today or tomorrow, so far we’ve been here 4 days this time. I don’t know why my two little boys held on for 16 more days than Johnny, but I will forever cherish that time with them. I don’t know how I will go home, except for the fact that I have a sweet little boy waiting for his Mommy to come back. One day I will tell him about his three little brothers and how hard they fought to be with him. Mommy and Daddy love our little guys so much.

Johnny’s Story

I originally posted this on July 31, 2010 on my family blog website. It is so hard to read this knowing that I would fight for our other two sweet babies for 16 days and ultimately lose them as well. Some days it feels like just yesterday that I held our sweet Johnny in my arms, and other times it feels like a lifetime ago.

At 8:39 am on July 20, 2010 our son Johnny Louis Smith was born at home. As I write this it still doesn’t seem real.
I woke up with some discomfort at 14 weeks 4 days along with our precious triplets. I called the doctor’s office and waited for a call back. I delivered Johnny at home about 30 minutes later. We were transported by ambulance to the hospital. I cannot describe the emotions I felt as I rode in the ambulance thinking I was losing all of my babies. In the ER due to a nurse’s confusion, I actually thought I lost two of them. Our Dr. met us there. He gently took care of me and the baby. He then did an ultrasound and found two heartbeats safe inside. After about an hour I was sent to an OB room to wait, not knowing if the others would be able to survive such a traumatic event. I was given lots of antibiotics and other medicine. Mike and I chose to hold our sweet little boy and spent about 30 minutes with him in my arms. So glad we chose to do that. He was perfect, yes at 14 and a half weeks…perfect. My first thought was that he had Josey’s feet.

We hadn’t really decided on any names but Johnny just seemed right. Louis was my grandfather’s name so Mike thought it would be the best middle name. Letting go of him was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I know he is in Heaven and I know God had a bigger plan for our second born son.

I spent the next 48 hours worrying and waiting to see what would happen. The placenta did not deliver with Johnny and never did. We were unsure for almost a week as to whether the babies shared a placenta or had separate ones. The Dr. is fairly confident that they each have their own, which is the best case scenario. I had severe labor pains the second night and they sedated me to calm my body. I have never prayed as I did that night. Begging God to let me keep my babies. When I woke up, we still had two little miracles safe inside.

I ended up having a procedure the following Tuesday (a week later) and surgery on Wednesday the 28th to help keep the babies inside. We had two ultrasounds a day to check on the babies and so far they seem unaffected. Very high in the uterus and strong heartbeats. I was in the hospital a total of 10 days. I am very happy to be home but we have a long road ahead. I am on complete bedrest indefinitely. Only able to get up to use the restroom and go to Dr. appointments.

We go on Aug. 9th to see how things are going. I pray for the strength to mentally and physically come through this for my babies. My heart is broken, but I must be strong. I have good moments and bad, but I know God will guide me through this. We love you baby Johnny, and you will be loved and missed forever.

A New Adventure!

I am so excited to welcome you to This Beautiful Mom Life! I have been tossing around the idea of starting an “official” blog for a while, and with the encouragement of many friends and family members I have decided to go for it.

I hope this will be a page that encourages women to support one another as we navigate the good, the bad, and the beautiful aspects of Mom Life. In my experience, parenting is often exciting, scary, exhausting, messy, and pretty awesome all at the same time. The journey is a little bit easier when you surround yourself with a group supportive people who just “get it.”

Thank you so much for joining me on this new adventure!