Third Times The Charm??

While at Chuck E. Cheese, the girls were in the sketch booth, well it took us quite a few tries to get it right. Well kinda right, we never did get it completely right, but I am sure we'll go back sooner or later and we can try again! :)

Take 1~


Take 2~


Take 3~

Our 4th Birthday Party...

Here are some pics from the girls birthday "party" (it was just the 8 of us) at chuckie cheese! They had a good time, and even blushed when we sang to them! :)
They are getting so big girl, which I know I say all the time, but it really does sadden me alittle bit.... They are not thrilled about the mouse himself, but let me take a couple of shots before they insisted he leave! I think the boys had almost as much fun as they did! :)

Turning 4 on Sunday....

Aspen Danelle Cooper


Payton Rayne Cooper


Trinity Jo Cooper

Holiday Session 2008

I really love the 3 girls alone, 3 girls together, the 3 boys alone. The one of the 6kids together is not too bad... and the family one is ok, I am not thrilled with how we were posed. I do however, love the new Artist Sketch they do, so I got that one! :)The blog header is my Christmas card. All the images on the side are new from this same session :)

To Third Birthday 2006-2007

Oh my gosh.... So many things happened to them this year. They were fully, day and night potty trained by 2 1/2. Which ok, could have been sooner, but the thought of potty training triplets, truly overwhelmed me. Then one day I was done! :) So we just did our thing! They actually did very well after the first couple of days, and we so excited to wear big girl panties. Too bad they still had a Binky! I know, I know but honestly I felt like pick our battles, and they could only have it at the house, for nap time and night time. (I did take them to the dentist to make sure it was ok, and because they talked so well, he was ok with it) Which just justified in our minds letting them keep it.....
Then we pcsed from Germany to New Mexico! My poor girls cried until probably 6 months ago "to go home, no the home we go to on the airplane" Now when they see pics from Germany, or when Ms. Marie adds post that they recognize the area (Cody, or the park) they want to go home! :) This was the only place they had known from birth and we so upset to up and leave all that! Moving twice here didn't help either, but they seem to be adjusting alittle better. They love church, and the nursery at church. They Love Ms. Stephanie (teacher at church) and love their big girl room! As you can see they also love babies, and stuffed animals! We still sleep with all these items! And have now begun "But they need a bath too Mama"

To Second Birthday 2005-2006

The Girls 2nd Birthday!


The girls with Auntie Kim and Uncle Craig


Where to begin this post? I think I will borrow a sentence from Maggie yesterday, God is Good! Yes he is.... The girls being in the NICU at birth for 5 weeks was horrendous, but I am not sure anything could have prepared us for the knowledge that they all 3 have holes in their hearts! What was once thought to have been only T, ended up being all three of them. I do think every family has a testimony, and these girls are "Team Coopers Testimony" I think there is a reason he choose them to appear so healthy on the outside, but not so much on the inside. When the girls were born and the holes were detected we were told they would need surgery to "fix" them when they turned 3-4 years of age. However, my babies hearts couldn't take it anymore, so when they turned 15 months old we were told they needed to have their surgeries then! Well, after tears, and why's up above, We just put it in God's hands. That is all you can do right? We were given the option to allow the German Professors to work on them, or file a penitence to fly to Walter Reed. While I will say the German doctors were actually very kind to the girls, and even at times better with them then our own doctors, the language barrier was too much to take, especially Kevin and I felt on something so important, as their heart.
We were told to leave the boys in Germany and fly to Walter Reed with just the girls, but something (or someone) was telling me not to do it! I had no idea why.... we stayed in D.C. for 5 weeks... what was suppose to have been a week there and back, did not end that way. I am so thankful to this day that Kevin and I are so over protective and said No way... We paid for their tickets out of pocket and I am so grateful we did! They had great teachers who sent their work, and honestly the boys missed way too much school, but we had God on our side, and it all worked out where the boys were concerned. My Mom flew (what would I do without my parents?) again and met us there so she could stay with the boys while the girls were in surgery. The pediatric cardiologist they had in Germany was Dr. Scott, and it just so "happened" that he got stationed at Walter Reed, right when my girls needed surgery! Man God is Good. It was a huge sense of relief that he would be with my girls, the man who had detected the holes to begin with, would be in there with them.
When we got to Walter Reed, we were in the post op, going over each girl, each procedure, doing the eco's and ultrasounds on their tiny hearts. When we got to Aspen, it was gone.... I mean GONE! She had nothing... She was Healed! Why her? and Only her? I have no clue, I know WHO! Just not why... to this day, they still check her with the other two, once a year but she has yet for it to ever come back, instead she has a heart murmur, just like her mama! :) There is a chance it will come back, but it's not up to us, it's all in His hands!
So Trinity and Payton had surgery... it was horrible to see them in so much pain, and not be able to help them. They were and still are terrified of doctors which makes each visit worse, I think. T's surgery went well, her new piece that was placed in her heart appears to be working very well, she is checked every 6 months and so far so good. Her body has excepted the piece and has allowed it to grow with her, as thou it was suppose to be there. There are days we can tell she has over done it, and we have to take her in but for the most part I would say T is 90% healed! Now Ms. Thing (oh I mean Payton) on the other hand... Wellll she's Payton! Her first surgery did not work, in fact her heart ended up being the worse of all 3 girls. The piece was instantly rejected and in fact she had emergency surgery the next day to remove it. So after 5 long weeks, we headed back to Germany, where we watched them both, but especially her like a hawk. The doctors told us that it is not good for them to cry, for when they cry their heart pumps harder, and with the hole it is hurting the other organs in their bodies. What does this add up to?? They are spoiled rotten! And kept that Binky 10 times longer than I would have ever allowed the boys to keep them! But we were truly scared to death!
The time came again where Payton and I only were told we could go back to D.C. they had invented a newer, better piece and she was set to get it. Again being told Leave everyone else there including Kevin and all 5 kids. Are you kidding me? We paid again out of pocket, but God knew he knew I could not be with her worrying and then worry about the other 5 in Germany, Kevin too, he didn't want our daugther having this surgery again without him there. So we were given the opportunity to fly Space A this time, of course with the possibility of only she and I getting on the plane. But it just so "happened" we all got to go yet again! And yet again, we were there this time a month! Payton is not healed to this day, at one time this scared me, ok it still does, but I still think there is a reason. Payton is an additional testimony, for what? I am not sure, but I know she is!
They all 3 have to be on Meds before they can go to the dentist, they can't run fevers, and we have to try our hardest to make sure they don't get sick, especially her, but I know in my heart he has his hand over them. Payton has to be seen more than them, and to be honest she and T are the reason we live here, she has to be within 20 minutes of a Ped. Card. and this happens to be the best hospital. They have an appt. Dec 1 to get checked out, and there are days she does better than others, she will more than likely be the one to have more surgery as she gets older, but for now, we just watch her and pray! :) All 6 of my kids are blessings and one day we will find out why Payton ...... is Payton! :)


Images of the girls in the hospital, along with my Aunt Pam who came to see them both times, I will forever cherish that she got to come be with me and us before she went to join Him in heaven.

Here are some of the other things we did this year. Included are again them with Dr. Fausett and Anna, them with Uncle Craig, with the Awadikimows, and over the summer as they were beginning to heal! The shot of them shoved in the red car was at the commissary in D.C. they had to be in the same one! Mind you they got that Binky more than ever now! :)

Birth to First Birthday 2004-2005

Dr. Fausett with our Triplets, and The Weydemuller Triplets!


Here is their First Year! Or a small glimpse into it! :) Everyone knows the actual birth story, so I won't go into too much detail. But just to say that Payton got in a hurry and once baby A came out, she decided it was her turn. That is why they are now A)Aspen, B)Payton and C)Trinity. Also, I will say that it was confirmed at their birth that they were in fact Identical, and everyone was very excited to see the evidence. While searching for images of them, I ran accross those.... Um Yuck! But it is cool to show them how they were made and the proof! :)
We were so tired this first year! But they were so cute! Towards the end of the collage is a photo of them with Anna and her husband Scott. There is also another shot of them with Dr. Fausett at their First Birthday. We actually have kept in contact with him (of course I with Anna) over the last 4 years. Kevin and I owe him so much, he was truly a blessing to us and the girls! We had so much support from our neighbors and friends, Kim and Craig, and I will blog them soon. We also had a great support at Church. We to this day miss our old stomping grounds, I mean Church! :) Vogelweh AG.....Thanks to you all!

 

Got Triplets?

*If you are just checking in, this post began two down :) Scroll down to catch up...

The first time I met Dr. Fausett, my phrenologist, I didn't like him... Gasp I know. But you see he is an honest person and he said to me "I will be honest Mrs. Cooper, you are pregnant with Triplets, for now. When you make it to the 18 week point then we can get excited, and name them" I was crushed.... I left there so mad at that man! Kevin said "Jody, he is just doing his job and telling you what can happen" In hindsight he was but when you are in it, I was so upset.
Weekly I went to either Dr. Fausett or Dr. Higgins. Which means I also got to see Kristy and Anna! Anna and I who were once acquaintances, became very good friends! Anna is so Awesome, not only as a person but in God! She said to me all along, "Jody, He gave them to you, He will watch over you and them" I learned to really trust, admire, and respect both men to the utmost! But counted on Dr. Fausett and Anna! I counted on her to guide me through?? Or just have words for me on those days! Dr. Fausett to care for me, and most importantly them! Kevin and I both fully hearted believe that it was all God, and only because of the care I received with these people that I was able to carry them the way I did.
At my 13 week appt. Anna and I got to see what they were... My mom said to me "What is your motherly instinct?" "Two Boys and a Girl" was my answer. The morning of the appt. Kevin said "Jode, it's ok if they are all 3 boys...as long as they all make it and are healthy" I said "I know, but I prayed for at least One girl" As Anna and I sat that morning doing our routinely check up, she said "Well there is one hamburger" a few minutes later, there is 2.... I am now gasping.... there are 3 Jode. I am 80% sure it's 3 girls! No Way! You have to be kidding! I was so excited, but later that day, I was also heart broken. I really did think it would be Chase, Lucas, and Aspen.
As time went on, we shopped for 3, had 2 baby showers, and just prayed all the time, Lord let them be good. When I was about 16 weeks, Anna and Dr. Fausett noticed something was off with Baby B (Trinity's) heart. Oh this scared me to death. So we began 2 times a week appts. Thankfully we lived in Landstuhl and this made a huge difference to us and to Dr. Fausett. We knew she had a hole of some sort in her heart but while in utero she was ok. I cried at this appt. Anna prayed for me and the baby(ies)! I still to this day can not remember what her job title is, but Anna's job is to run the 4D ultrasound machine, she would measure weekly, watch them grow and show me the progress! But I think her title was "Jody's Keeper!" :)
At 23 weeks while Anna was doing her thing, she noticed that there was only one placenta. This means nothing to me, I am so clueless, Anna is ecstatic! She gets Dr. Fausett, who is reserving himself to be happy, and just keeps having Anna show him over and over. He leaves the room thankfully, by this time, Anna knows I am dingy, so I can wait till he leaves to ask her what the excitement is over! She says to me "Jody, this would mean they are Identical!" Um ok... I will be so honest here, I really didn't know they were "rare" all I kept thinking was Sara was right, good then they will all either be ugly together or pretty together! I realize this sounds harsh, but Sara and I are very realistic people! :)
We had by this time named them. We had first gone with A, B, C names as that is what they were called for 8 months right? Aspen Danelle was chosen along time ago, B was Brooke and C was Cadence but then 2 things happened, We already have a "B" name in the family and everyone made fun of Cadence, referring to her as a Cadence call in the AF! I was not doing that to my daughter. So we began searching for other names. Trinity Jo means 3, how fitting and Payton Rayne is just so cool :) So they were labeled A)Aspen B)Trinity C)Payton.
At 28 weeks I am at the BX putting Heath a birthday lay a way on, and notice ok well they are either right on my bladder or I have just wet myself. Nice.... Go to the bathroom, oh no it's not stopping. I don't want to be "that pregnant lady" but in my heart something was off, so I call Dr. Fausett, and tell him, Come see me he says. Sure enough I am admitted from then on, Aspen's water is leaking. Those were the longest 5 weeks for not only me, but my family as well. Kevin had to bring me a bag of socks to fold every couple of nights and I had to label who's clothes were who's! I did all that stuff, Kevin never did, so he honestly had no clue what to do! :)
My mom came over for a week to help him. I missed the boys Halloween, and all the activities at school, this killed me! But I also developed great friendships with different people, and cherish those to this day. My mom flew back home to pick up my dad! On November 13 another doctor said she could see Aspen's head, and that she thought just by looking I was at a 4! So November 15 Dr. Fausett came in told me that tomorrow was the big day!

These are different images through out my pregnancy. Anna and Dr. Fausetts office/room where I went twice a week, there is one of Anna herself, and then me at my baby showers!

 

There are How Many???

*If you are just checking this, this actual post began yesterday :) Scroll down first!

So yeah we are pregnant right.... I have only been seen through the military so please forgive me not knowing how the rest of the world works! :) But in the military system they make you go to a 10 week appt. You know that dreaded first appt. I hate those. But knew I would get to hear the baby's heart beat! Mind you in the last 4 weeks, I am exhausted, I mean straight up tired. I am sick, sicker than I have ever gotten in my life, and I am thinking you have got to be kidding me. I am at one point telling Kevin and Cori "I need maternity clothes, something is wrong!" Both of them mind you were like you do not need them yet you are fine! :)
At my appt. I get the best nurse, Kristi, she is really cool, and I meet Dr. Higgins, one of the best doctors I have ever met. We are doing the routine, and he says to me "What number of child and pregnancy is this?" I say "Child 4, 5th pregnancy" (We lost a baby between Broc and Heath) Dr. Higgins says something like "Huh..." Keeps going and making sounds I honestly thought something was wrong, and was getting really upset! He decides right then and there he has to do an internal ultrasound. A What? Why? Now I am freaked. Here is the following conversation:
"Mrs. Cooper, is there a possibility of Twins?"
(laughing) "No... why?"
"Hummmm, Kristy, Do you see that?"
"Yes, Yes sir I do.... Um Sir Do you see THAT?"
He walks out of the room.
"Kristy, what, what is it? What's wrong?"
"No, wait till he comes back..."
He comes back with a friend of mine from church Anna, and she is all excited...
"Twins huh"
"What? Um No!"
Anna picks up the wand for the ultrasound (I had no idea what Anna's job was, so I am still like what is going on?)
"Um Jody, that is not twins, that is Triplets!"
"You have got to be Kidding Me!"
"Is this a joke, I can't have Triplets!" (I say to anyone listening at this point, they don't care about me, they are all glued to the screen!)
"I am going to Kill Kevin!" (thinking his reversal was why, mind you the one I made him get)
"Um Mrs. Cooper, this has nothing to do with your husband, this is all you sweetie!" Dr. Higgins replies!
"Well, someone better come home with me, because Kevin will not believe me!"
We spend the next hour planning my schedule, apparently things are alittle different when you are pregnant with more than one!
I walk in the door, Mind You I have been gone for along time probably close to 3 hours, and Kevin is livid (he was at home watching Heath so I could go to the doctor)
"Jode, I can't have a 3 hour lunch"
"Then you better call and take the rest of the day off, because here...."
I hand him 10 ultrasound images
"What what is this?? Is this is a joke?"
"Nope... We are having Triplets!"
"Yeah right, Jode what did they really say?"
"Kev. We are having Triplets!"
"Holy Crap!"
He sits down and does not move for 30 minutes, literally!
After that he calls work, tells them where he is and that he will be there as soon as he can drive! :) We cut the images in half so he can show work, and I can show Aunt Kim (next door) and the boys when they come home from school!
Man, that was a life changing day! :)

This Post will take a week!

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Marie blogged her pregnancy till the boys birthday. So I thought I want to do that! :) However lets' be honest blogging 3 all in one day would take a huge post! So I decided to break it up. Besides then you can check back every day to see the rest!

8 years ago I had a slight heart attack, due to I have a heart murmur and was on the Pill, they have no idea why, but all the sudden after the birth of Heath my body could no longer be on the pill. Kevin saw this as a Oh well we are done having kids anyhow, let's get fixed WHAT??? I was not on board, but Kevin went to the appt. for a Vasectomy without me! The morning of his scheduled out patient surgery, I cried all day, so long and hard the nurses were like "Sir, Are you sure she agreed to this?" He said "No, but she'll be fine..." (Nice Huh)
For the next 2 1/2 years I begged, pleated, bribed, and cried for him to get a reversal! On May 27, 2003 He was scheduled to do just that!
The day of his surgery did not go as planned, what was suppose to be a day in and out thing, ended up being Kevin and I in Colorado Springs for a couple of days, with Kevin in the ICU. How was I suppose to know he was allergic to anesthetics?? Yea so he is really bad actually, but see we can all laugh at this now right? You should hear his version! :) The doctor came out of that surgery very excited and proud and said to me "You will be pregnant in 3-6 months, that is how well we did and he went right back together!"
The following months were horrible for me! I am not patient, and was not giving it to God like I should have been. In December right at that 7 month point I begged, pleated and cried for Kevin to go get checked, after all something had to be wrong right? We had never had an issue before getting pregnant. Long story short, the first test said he had no sperm count the second test, however after learning the correct way to do the test, confirmed Kevin was just fine.
So back to waiting.... mind you at this point, I will be honest when I first begged and cried for Kevin to get fixed, it was because I wanted a girl. But as the time went on, and there was no baby at all, my heart was changed. As were my prayers, I began now praying "Lord, I want a healthy baby, boy or girl, I don't care, but just please can I have a baby" Everyone said to me, when the time is right it will happen. I to this day, can not stand this statement! I am sure it's true, but I can't stand to hear it!
In March, as I waited ever so patiently, I myself went to the doctor! She told me to get completely off Diet Pepsi, there is something in NutraSweet that does not allow you to be fertile, she put me on prenatal vitamins and told me to download an ovulation chart. That Sunday at Church, a young girl gave me a present, her name is Jessica she got me a book called "A Super Natural Childbirth" Can I just tell you how much I love this book. I now give it to all my friends as gifts and plan to purchase it not only for the 3 girls, but the boys wives as well.
Anyhow due to this book, and what I had learned from reading it. I had changed. I learned to pray different and specifically. So on April 8, 2004 I knew, that I knew, I had just conceived. So I began to pray right then and there "Lord, let this baby be healthy, and if at all possible, if not too selfish and your will, be a girl"
April 27, 2003 11 months to the day I found out I was pregnant! I took 3 home pregnancy tests, and then went to take a blood test, just in case! :)
"Mrs. Cooper, you are pregnant and due December 25" Are the best words I have heard in my life! I learned some valuable lessons these 11 months, Patience and giving it to God top that list.... Little did I know what was coming! :)

We are having this conversation at 4??

I am sure this is an Over share, but well there it is :)....
The girls go with me everywhere, because we live in 3550 sq. ft. but for some reason all have to be with and on me 24/7 :) Therefore why they were with me after my shower yesterday.
I walk into my room T is on my bed, covered in pantyliners. (new ones from the box)
"Um Trinity, what are you doing?"
"I am sticking these diapers to me"
"Right, T those aren't diapers..." (pealing them off of her)
"Why, Mama... What are they?"
"Um they are for Mama's when we are bigger"
"They go in your big girl panties?"
(I swear to you, this is what she asked me)
"Yea..."
"Why, what are they for?"
(at this point, I am thinking ok do I lie to them, all 3 are there now)
"Well, they are for Mama's because our bodies do things that make us special, special enough to have babies"
(I was honestly at a lose, boys don't care this long into a conversation!)
"Well, I don't want to have babies, if it means I have to wear Diapers!"
Great.... Now that I have corrupt my daughters!

Looking Back... Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2004:
Was the first time my boys got to hold the girls... I love these images! This was also the year, we became an AFN commerical. We ate Thanksgiving dinner at the hospital in the chow hall! It was the best way to spend all day with all 6 kids, and eat between the girls feedings. The photo of the 3 girls was taken by their nurses and hung on their crib for their first Thanksgiving!




Thanksgiving 2005:
We forgot the camera on Thanksgiving day itself, so I found pictures we took that year of Heath in his Kindergarten Thanksgiving program. Oh he is so cute!




Thanksgiving 2006:
We spent at Disneyland Paris! We had Thanksgiving breakfast with the characters, and it was so much fun... Well for most of us, the girls had just turned 2, stranger anxiety had set in for them, but more so because they are so attention getting. Check out that stroller! I think this is by far one of my favorite Thanksgiving memories.... That is Aspen who looks like Rocky, she did that the night we were packing to head to Paris...



*I only blogged the last 4 years of Thanksgiving, because the rest are all on film or were deleted by my husband after I would print! (yes, you can imagine how happy I was upon finding that out) :)

The Annual Zoo Boo

This was the kids and Kevin's first time going to the Albuquerque Rio Grande Zoo. (I have shot there twice) I guess all year they do different things at the Zoo, but for Halloween they do come in costume and trick or treat. The Best part? We only had to pay for Kevin, Dave and I!(3 adult tickets, meant all kids 12 and under were free) Um, I know I have said this before, but it's so expensive to do things with all 8 of us, so when Kevin heard about this deal, we went for it! :)
This was the first time the girls really "got" the zoo. I think because it's been so long since any of them had been, it was a nice treat for us all!
We took the girls strollers, because I had the funniest feeling that all day, would end up being along day without them! They do not normally ride them much anymore, not even at the mall, but thankfully I took them. They were done after awhile, so it was a nice ride for them. There are a few images of Heath and the girls standing in lines to get candy! All 6 of them looking at the animals, and then Heath rode the camel! All in all, I think we all had a great day! :) I am really considering Season Passes to the zoo, botanic gardens and aquarium at income tax time. I had no clue there were so many things to go do!

 

"Mama this is my name... Trinity Jo Cooper"

Yeah.... so I am "that Mom" I can't help but show you she "wrote" her name! She is very proud of her efforts, as to be honest as am I! :) She has the T and y down... working on the rest, but not too bad for not even 4 I didn't think....

Flash Back To 2007!

Monday will be an offical year that we have lived here! I wanted to share early! :) Plus these were taken all before we got here, traveling! Look how much smaller all my kids look :( It makes me happy and sad all at once at how fast they grow! Enjoy!

Our Journey from Germany back to America, where we flew to MD. and then drove from there to NM. Let me say Never Again! :) If i can help it!