The Truth In Pictures

Everyone always posts the good pictures from a photo shoot. Here is a peek inside a real photo shoot involving three Tolle boys.

Caleb, I know it's naptime, but work with me here please...

Feet down Corban

Sit down Corban

Why the photographer kept asking two toddlers "Where's my nose?" is beyond me, of course they are going to point! And do you really think I'm gonna trust my two year old to hold my two month old? I don't think so!

Everyone is in their own private dream land apparently.


We settled on this one

Let's just say, we all needed a nap afterward.


More posts to come... I lost the cable for my camera (AGAIN!) but have a new one so hopefully we'll be back in business. A garage sale this weekend, and then a vacation to Colorado next week means busy times here, but I'll try my best to catch you up on the past month!

For the Grandparents

Here's Canaan loving his mobile... he starts screaming the second it turns off, but I spared you that part. :)

Randomness

One month old!!

I'm going to stop apologizing for not blogging often, because it will probably be hit and miss for awhile. Life is so busy in the throws of motherhood. When there is actually a 15 minute slot where everyone is content and happy, call me crazy, but little things like showering and eating and Facebook draw my attention much more than blogging, though I do miss writing and reading other people's blogs.

Canaan turned one month old this week. I think we are all pretty well adjusting to the new kid on the block. I even get out of the house with all three of them several times a week. However, this is not an easy feat...I love and adore my children but everywhere I go, I'm usually struggling to juggle keeping all of them within arm's reach. People give me looks of pity and usually say something like, "Wow, honey, you sure got your hands full!" (Duh!), "Wow, I'm gonna pray for you, cuz you are sure gonna need it!" (Thank you very much, I'll take all the prayer I can get!) and "Wow, your kids are really close in age." I don't mind the looks, the well meaning comments, and all the stories complete strangers love to tell about how many kids they had and how they managed to live through it.

I do mind the fact that people would pity me though. It makes me soooo sad that in general people view children as burdens instead of blessings. I hate that I would look frazzled and unorganized enough for people to feel sorry for me. It kind of makes me not want to go out in public, not because it's hard with three under three, but because I don't want to give the world a negative view of having more than 2.3 children, let alone having them in two and a half years.

But I digress...

All in all we are making it, and for the most part, just loving life. We've been in Altus for a year this past week and there was something about the one year mark that made this place feel more like "home".

Here are some pics of life the past couple of weeks... Enjoy!!

Canaan Tripp, four weeks old

Our squadron picnic

How could you say "no" to this puppy dog face?

Why, yes, those are buffalo in the background!

After literally 30 picture takes, this is the best one we got. :/

Corban prayed for outdoor toys and boy did God answer his little prayers. We literally went from having no outdoor toys to looking like we run a daycare in less than three weeks...I love garage sales and hand me downs. :)

And a rainbow after the storm always reminds us that God keeps His covenant with us. And their pretty!

Adjusting to Three under Three...

Well, Canaan is two and a half weeks now. Nate went back to work last Thursday and Nate's mom ("Abuela" as she is affectionately called by my boys) left last Saturday. And as life would have it, Corban's Mother's Day Out program ended last week as well for the summer. So, I've been on my own during the dayshift all of this week with the children (read: monsters).

Abuela and the boys

Three under three is a breeze. I don't know what people were worried about... HA! Just kidding!! Three has been an adjustment for sure. Nate and I had to go to Dallas over the weekend to get Canaan circumcized by a Rabbi (no offense to my medical friends...we just prefer the 10 second procedure over the 30 minute one...) and that was the first time we ventured out with all three of them by ourselves. We took up two carts at Toys R Us. TWO CARTS! Let me just remind you I can't push two carts by myself, so the chances of me leaving the house with all three of them by myself will be minimal for awhile.

The boys are all adjusting well for the most part. Canaan is settling in for the long haul in the Tolle house. All of our boys have had colic to a degree, and he carries on that tradition. Caleb and Corban love kissing him and Caleb does get jealous of him and we are trying to teach him to be gentle.

I am healing up slowly but surely. I'm sooooo tired all the time and am getting tired of feeling homebound, but all in all things are going well. Thankfully, the weather has been beautiful and we have spent a lot of time in the backyard. And we are not living in complete filth yet, which is always a bonus. :)

Corban has such an imagination and pretends to be a different cartoon character every day. Mostly he says that he is "Boots", Caleb is "Dora", Daddy is "Diego", Canaan is "Benny the Bull" and guess who Mommy gets to be?...the "Grumpy old Troll." Nice. Nate told him that he and Caleb are "two peas in a pod" and Corban said, "Yeah, we are two pees in the potty."

I love my boys!! Well, that's the update for now...I need to get some rest.

In Case You Haven't Heard...

Canaan Tripp Tolle was born on Monday, May 4th at 12:56 p.m. He weighed 8 lbs, 7 oz., and was 20 inches long.

I had a Muppet Head for an anesthesiologist. First he tried a spinal block which only served to shoot stinging sharp pains down my left leg, to which I screamed and cried (bawled, actually) until they decided that it wasn't working and they decided to do an epidural (which I was much more comfortable with, since I've had three in my past). But the Muppet only was able to numb my right side this time. The doctor started to cut into me and I said "I can feel that!" and they told me that they were only through the second layer and so they would have to knock me completely out. They next thing I said was "can someone let my husband know..." and then I blacked out completely.

The next thing I remember is waking up (barely) and there is stone silence as I'm being rolled down the hall. I asked through my grogginess, "Do I have a baby?" but was so scared that something went wrong during the delivery. The nurse replied, "Yes, he's with his daddy" and I was so relieved that I blacked out again.

When I woke up in the recovery room, I was so loopy and out of it that I don't remember much, but I met my beautiful baby boy who sported a full head of brown hair, and resembled his brothers in many ways.

I must say that this has been my hardest recovery yet. Note: 3 cesarean sections in two and a half years is NOT recommended. I'm just now starting to be able to get out of bed without excruciating pain. But of course it's all worth it...

In case you are wondering about Canaan's name... "Canaan" was the Promised Land in the Bible, and literally means "Humble". "Tripp" means "the third" and is also the namesake of one of our favorite authors...we thought it appropriate since he is our third son.

Both boys are adjusting well to their new baby brother. Caleb is so curious about his baby and Corban is eager to try and help.

Nate's mom is here to help with the transition, which has been a blessing. I'm dreading next Monday when I am all on my own with this three active boys.

We've been sooooo blessed by our military family here and our church family in Lawton. My friends here threw me a shower where they showered us with tons of diapers and frozen meals (which was a GREAT idea!) and our church gave us a shower with sweet handmade gifts and a generous cash gift that helped us get some much needed outdoor toys that all the boys will enjoy. We were again humbled by how God has greatly provided us all of our needs and even some of our wants!

Thank you all for sharing in our joy. I am so blessed to be the mother of these sweet boys. I'm just sad it all goes so fast. Here is a little part of one of Nate and I's favorite poems:

"Settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,

I'm rocking my baby, 'cause babies don't keep"

Nate and I often remind each other that "Babies don't keep" as we truely try to enjoy each moment with our boys. I know that the next few years are going to be crazy, busy, and chaotic with three under three, but I don't want to wish this season away, I want to cherish each moment, because it goes too fast.

Well, I have a newborn who's crying, so I guess I better sign off...

Twas the Night Before Canaan...

So in about twelve hours from when I write this, I will be heading out to meet my third baby boy...I am so excited!

Corban was 9 lbs. 4 oz.s two weeks early, Caleb was 7 lbs. 2 oz. two weeks early, so my guess is that Canaan will fall right in the middle at 8 lbs. 3 oz. I have a red head, a blondie, and would LOVE it if the dominant Hispanic genes on both Nate and I's side will step up to the plate and give us a dark haired baby. Both of my boys so far have been born bald and have stayed bald their entire first year, so if Canaan is born with a head full of hair, that would make my day.

But of course we will love him no matter what he looks like...

Well, we will try to update you all and post pictures as soon as reasonably possible. We are so excited to meet our newest little blessing. If you think about it, please pray for us in the upcoming days...we're gonna need it!

Two Weeks To Go!!

Two weeks to go!!!

...Or less, but shhhh....we are not hoping for that. (Babies are much easier to care for when they are contained...;) Our calendar has something on it every single day until the Big Day, which is scheduled for Monday, May 4th.

We are so relieved to have Nate's sweet Mama coming out on the 30th from Florida to help out with our bambinos while I am recovering.

This week I am dedicating my life to a Children's Consignment Sale in Lawton. If you volunteer three hours or more you get to shop before it opens to the public. My only motivation is the hope of finding some outdoor toys for my boys (i.e. plastic playhouse, picnic table, basketball goal, climbing cube, slide, etc.) Now that we have a dog and are attempting a garden, we need something for our boys to play with outdoors. And holy cow, new outdoor toys are ridiculously expensive...to the point where Nate again declares that we are in the wrong business. I mean seriously, how Fisher Price and Little Tikes can charge hundreds of dollars for a few pieces of neon plastic that fade in the sun within months is just pure robbery. But I digress. So, think of me volunteering my 9 month preggo self on Thursday all for (Lord-willing) a few long sought after outdoor toys.

Next week we are heading to Oklahoma City for a couple of days for some doctor appts. for the boys. This will be my last chance for some shopping in civilization before Canaan's arrival. Target and Babies R Us, here we come!

We have been incredibly blessed by those around us lately, and feel like we have some sense of a support system here now, which is a huge blessing. Nesting has begun in full force and I am literally working my tail off sun up to sun down trying to get our house in order to run smoothly for at least two months post baby. There are many more projects to do, but the essentials are done.

Please pray for us these next couple of weeks, if we come to mind. There are so many unknowns and details to work out. Being an hour away from the hospital brings extra work and planning, and I have been having a lot of anxiety. I am getting so excited for the snuggly newborn stage though and can't wait to meet the newest Tolle. We'll keep you posted...

Scoot N' Skate

Our town has this new activity for toddlers called "Scoot N' Skate" where they can bring a ride on toy and have free reign of the local skating rink. And boy do my kids love it. Worth every penny.


And yes, Corban is wearing big boy skates. Where does the time go, I wonder. Thankfully, the wheels were so tight that he pretty much just walked in them.

Easter Sunday

Sunday Mornings

Our family drives an hour to church each week (because it's the only reformed church in a bazillion mile radius, but that's another story) and after the hour drive (which our kids are perfect for) they have all this energy to burn. So we try to arrive 20-30 minutes early so they can burn some of their all boy energy before being expected to sit still and quiet in the sancturary for two hours (a feat we have yet to accomplish, but again, that's another story.)

So here are our cherubs this past Sunday...it's funny because there are some toys in this nursery that have dates on them circa 1963-1985...it brings Nate and I back to the good ol' days every Sunday morning. Caleb has been trying to conquer the slide on his own for the past several months and has finally accomplished it, much to his jubilation. Can you believe this little man will be a brother in 4 weeks or less??

Carnival Craziness...

We had a carnival come to town this weekend. That's a really smart move on the part of the carnival company...bringing something to do to a town with nothing...I'm sure they made a killing off of all of us. Not that anything that sets up over twenty rides in half a day is extremely safe or reliable, but what can I say, the Tolle's were desperate. :)

Corban had an absolute blast. He rode his first little roller coaster...all by himself! After about six times around I asked the carnie to stop it because Corban was looking a little green and scared. When he got off I asked him if he was a little scared and he said, "No, no mommy, I NOT scared!! I go on da roarer coasta again!!" What a big boy.

Caleb was over stimulated from the start and couldn't even handle the merry-go-round, which seems to be right in line with his cantankerous personality. But I still love him to itty-bitty pieces.

Caleb did however, enjoy his first funnel cake. He literally gobbled half of it down and the rest of us split the other half.

All in all a fun time!

Our Newest Family Member...

Oh boy, it's been awhile. In my last blogging hiatus, I mentioned life not being busy or intersting enough to blog about, but this blogging hiatus is due to quite the opposite. We've been busy! And I've been wiped out!

The newest member in our family is our dog, Calvin. We've had him for a couple of weeks now and he is pretty precious. Had I written this post prior to Sunday, I could have said that he completely loves the boys and is 100% gentle with them despite them racing their cars down his back, Caleb pulling his hair, and Corban thinking he is a horse. But, unfortunately, Sunday evening the boys were playing in the other room and we heard a growl and a scream and Caleb got his nose bitten and now sports a big scratch on his face. According to Corban, Caleb bit the dog first and then "Talvin ate Taleb". Who knows, but it served a reminder to us that no matter how sweet the dog is, in the end it still is a DOG and we shouldn't leave an animal alone with our babies.

Anyone who has ever had a discussion with Nate about pets, has heard his mantra of "People inside, animals outside." Every discussion we've ever had about getting a pet ended with this reasoning. So, a few weeks back I was in Lawton and saw these puppies for sale that were way too precious. They were Austrailian Shepherd mixes and so I came home and told Nate about them and we researched the important things that a) they are good with children and b) they are outdoor dogs. So when we went back to get a puppy, they were all gone and we were truly disappointed. I could have taken this as a sign that life is too busy right now to add a dog to the "Needs Love and Attention" list I have in my life, but those who know us know that we are gluttons for punishment and if our plate isn't completly full, we get bored. So... I "Craiglisted" our dog and found him in a town about an hour away. He had been abandoned twice, but the lady at the pound said that he was the sweetest of them all and her own children loved him to death. Plus he had been an outdoor dog at the pound for the past six months, so we thought he'd be a great match...

Well... guess who is NOT an outdoor dog and is sleeping on my leather couch!! And let's just say that I was not the "softie" in this situation. Mr. "People inside, Animals outside" has turned into quite the dog lover. We feel good about rescueing a dog from the pound and feel so blessed that he is generally good with our kids and is already housebroken, etc. A good deal all the way around.

On a side note, I've realized that it may not have been the wisest thing to name all of our children and the dog with "C" names. I go through the entire list before I get the right name with the right child (or animal.). Even though Canaan is not here yet, his name is thrown in there as well usually. And I've realized that even the dog is male, so I am truly, truly the queen of this house.

It's Time To Grow Up!

I think Caleb just woke up this morning and decided this was the day he was going to start walking. Prior to today, he has taken one or two steps here and there...and then last week he took about eight for my friend Amy, and since then he has been on a walking strike. Nothing for over a week, not even a step or two.

Then all of the sudden this morning he decides it's time to walk. I just happened to be recording a video of the boys and then he just took off. Here is the video we were recording right before the magic happened (Nate doing some exercises with the boys):



And here is Caleb twenty seconds later.



And ever since he's been trying all day to walk. He can even get himself to the standing position from the ground without holding on to a table or shelf or anything.

My baby is growing up!


Also, I think Corban decided that it was time to be potty-trained. I hadn't decided if I really wanted to undergo the challenge of potty training him before the baby came or not. Honestly, sometimes it is just easier to change a diaper, but Corban suddenly has the desire and the skill to be potty trained. We have a while to go, but he is definitely catching on and is a self starter.

He has a sticker chart and everytime he fills up a line with stickers, he gets a special treat (usually in the form of sugar.) He is very motivated by stickers apparently as he takes off his pants several times a day and wants to go potty. Here's a video from his first day on the potty. He apparently caught on fast that potty time can double as reading time.

I Flew Daddy's Airplane Mommy!!

I coordinate the Base Playgroup every Friday here. It's one of the few regular things that we have to look forward to each week that gets us out of the house and gives me a chance to talk with other grown up people. But the hardest thing about planning Playgroups are coming up with locations in a small town, without wearing them into the ground. Let's see, there's the two decent parks in town (weather permitting), McDonald's Playland (but by Friday most people have been there like twice already that week), the Base Gym where the kids can run and throw balls, and the Gymnastics Academy who graciously lets us use there building a couple times a month. So any ideas that are new and different are always welcome.

One of my friends recently asked if there was any way that Nate could arrange it to let her son see one of the airplanes "up close.", since her husband works in the legal office and doesn't have access to the planes. I thought it was worth a shot and maybe Corban could come too since he has never really seen his daddy's plane either. All of the sudden, it was a light bulb moment for me. A new playgroup location was born.

Sooooo.... This really cute stud arranged it so the playgroup could take a tour of the KC-135 yesterday. UnfortuNATEly, that handsome pilot was not able to be there for the event due to a last minute scheduling conflict. Everyone had a blast though. A bus came to pick us up and drive us out to the plane (and for 90% of the kids, I think the bus ride was 90% of the fun!) Corban absolutely loved it and was so excited that he got to sit in the pilot's seat and "fly da airpane."


Corban and his friends got full control over the cockpit. I really really hope they didn't mess anything up too bad, because they were sure pushing a lot of buttons. There are safety checks before they take off, right??

Corban talked all day about how the tires were bigger than him.

Corban and friends checking out the "boom pad" aka where the boom operator moves the doo-hickey into the other plane and passes gas (I know, technical speak!)

Corban, Eliana, and Autumn in their flight suits. Notice Corban's snowboots in the 70 degree weather. He wouldn't leave the house without some "flight boots like daddy's." I had to improvise. I'm surprised he didn't throw a fit when Eliana got to wear an actual flight cap.

The whole gang, minus Corban, who snuck off BY HIMSELF back onto the bus and was waiting for everyone. He gave me a heart attack when I couldn't find him...you'd think the bus driver would have noticed a two year old boy getting on the bus all alone. Oh well, I'm just sooo happy he wasn't lost on the flight line, in the plane or run over by the bus.

It was a fun morning, but wore me out! All three of us took long naps that afternoon. And Corban is STILL talking about how he flew Daddy's airplane. And the big tires. And the bus.

15 Minutes Of Peace and Quiet. And then...

On nights that Nate is home, he always blesses me by giving the boys a bath and giving me 15-20 minutes of peace and quiet all to my own self.



When that small time allotment is done, I hear a chorus of boys yelling for "Mama!!"...my signal it's time to come help with the bedtime routine.


Just for fun, I taped this nightly tradition. I absolutely love Caleb's expression in this video.



I love love love love love my boys!!

Happy Birthday Caleb!!

Caleb Asher joined our family a year ago today. It's been a long year and usually when kids turn one I think "Wow, it seems like s/he was born yesterday" but honestly it feels like he should be one already. It seems that he has just always been with us, I hardly remember life without the both of them.

The only thing that throws me off is his size. Corban was a giant at one year old and Caleb- well most people in the store guess that he is about eight or nine months. He's a tiny little man, but lately he has been packing on the pounds, much to my relief.

With Corban's first birthday, we had the whole big birthday bash...rented a moonwalk, had a BBQ and had way too many people over for the festivities. But when it came down to it, the party was for us, not for him.

With Caleb, we skipped all the pomp and circumstance formalities and kept it on the extremely simple side. Do I feel guilty??? A little bit...but he doesn't know the difference right? He got a exactly two small presents (both which Corban claimed as "mine" instantly) and some chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles.

And he loved it.

So did Corban.

Caleb is just one of the best babies ever. He is such a blessing to us. He's just a totally different kid than Corban is and was at this age, and we are thankful for the uniqueness of both of them. Caleb thinks he's big and keeps up well with the big kids (Corban and his friends). He has his mama's temper and already the boys literally fight each other for toys. And Caleb can hold his own. This next video is of extremely poor quality and will probably be of no interest to anyone other than the grandparents (fair warning!) but it definitley shows that Caleb is able to defend himself when necessary. (Ignore the fact that I laugh when Caleb smacks Corban...I really don't encourage violence and selfishness in this house...)

I love this little boy and am so thankful for one precious year with him. And pray for many many many more.