Help!

HELP! I NEED SOMEBODY,
HELP! NOT JUST ANYBODY,
HELP! YOU KNOW I NEED SOMEONE, HELP.

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, SO MUCH YOUNGER THAN TODAY,
I NEVER NEEDED ANYBODY'S HELP IN ANY WAY.
BUT NOW THESE DAYS ARE GONE, I'M NOT SO SELF ASSURED,
NOW I FIND I'VE CHANGED MY MIND I'VE OPENED UP THE DOORS.

Thank you Beatles. That explains everything.

Its been quite the month. Luckily, I've had lots of help to which I am very grateful. This has come in a variety of ways (yummy dinners brought over, fun visits, asking Lucy to come over to play, etc.). Thanks everyone! Here are a few more "help" examples ...

Pampering Day by Lacey and Lucy

Lacey did my hair, Lucy painted my toenails and filed my fingernails. SO FUN!!! This was a week after delivery and much needed. Thanks girls!

Cleaning!

My mom scrubbed my laundry room on her hands and knees. Don't get grossed out at this picture. Honestly, I do mop my floor. But, I had NO idea comet would actually make it white again. Way to go Grandma Cindy!

Tending!

Grandma Liz tended the kids several times while I ran what seemed like 55 errands. I thought I was prepared for Christmas and the other December events before Austin was born...but not prepared enough. Thanks Grandma Liz!

I've been on my own for a few days now (once for over 24 hours while George worked) and we are surviving pretty well. Austin is starting to eat faster and that helps tremendously. Still, there are several times a day when I'm nursing Austin, Elise is on one knee, and Lucy (not wanting to be left out) is on the other. Its quite comical really. My mom, cousin, and a few others gave me some advice to just "enjoy the baby stage". They said I'm not going to get anything done anyway, so I may as well just play with the kids and ENJOY them! I thought that was great advice (these people know me really well) and decided to make this my NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION for 2009! I'll put my "projects" on hold for a while, not worry about being slow at getting things done and remember what a blessing it is to have three little ones... that won't be little forever.

Blessing Day

On Sunday, December 21, Elise & Austin were given a name and a blessing. George performed the ordinance and did a great job. Both kids behaved like champs. We wondered what Elise would do since she's pretty active these days. But she did just fine during the prayer and afterwards she flapped her little arms and kicked her legs with joy. It was really sweet. Austin was wide-eyed (just like normal) during the whole thing, but didn't fuss. It was a wonderful day. Thanks to all the family & friends who came... it made the day more special to share it with folks we love.

Here are a few pics...

George the 4th and George the 6th

Aaaagh... the joys of trying to get a good picture for the Christmas card...

This is the one we finally picked...
Merry Christmas everyone!

Austin at 2 weeks

Riverwalk Tree, Our Tree & Lackland's Tree

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!

Christmas Tree at a fancy hotel on the Riverwalk

Decorating our tree at home. Both girls liked the bells the best.

But stacking the boxes came in close second.

Here are some pics of the Lackland Airforce Base Christmas Tree lighting (Dec 2).

Tower of three

Lacey, my live-in nanny.

What a big help! Thanks, sis!

Family pic... Austin's head is in there somewhere.

Daddy & Daughter

Different groups in the AF made lifesize "Christmas Cards" that lined the grassy area outside the building. Lucy and Elina loved putting their hands in front of the lights and making shadows on the card. They also thought the real donuts and milk on the card above were pretty cool. I'm not sure which groups were the actual winners... but here are our top favorites...

My favorite

George's favorite

Lucy's favorite (she thought it looked like her and her dad at the bottom of the card)

Lacey, did you vote?

Carmel Apples

Ever so careful to get the apple in the candy she wants.

Elise isn't near so picky... she'd go for anything

Apples "before" chocolate...

...and "after"

Austin missed the whole activity.

More about Austin

Finally, I'm back to life. Although its a slower pace. I just wanted to say a quick "thanks" to all of you for your comments and "best wishes." What great friends we have!

I keep meaning to post something from my perspective, but haven't quite got around to it. I am slow sending out an email to our friends and family but that was kind of on purpose. We weren't positive on a name, so I wanted to make sure I was sending out an email with the name we were going to stick with. We decided on....

GEORGE AUSTIN TRIPP.

He'll go by Austin. Its a 5-generation tradition in George's family to name the first born son "George" but only every other generation actually goes by their first name. Lucy was actually the one who suggested the name. It was during my birthday breakfast. I looked at George and said, "Do you like that?" And he said, "Yeah. I really like it." That became his top pick. I was still leaning "Cole" and even thought "Colton" (and Cole for short) would be great. But anyway... sorry... got a little too detailed .... thanks for the naming help and participating in our poll.Little Austin is a cutie. Of course we think so, since we are the parents. He's pretty good natured, but its so hard to tell when they are little. I love to feel his soft cheeks. I do that a lot because I am trying to wake him up to eat. Newborns take FOREVER to feed so I sit on the couch a lot. Since I have help with the kiddos right now, it is not too bad and I try to remember to enjoy the time to read or think or watch parts of my favorite shows. Its been "the Sound of Music" for the past couple days. Love that! Right now, its "White Christmas." Love that too. However, I always look at the clock and think, "My word, I just fed that kid and it is already time to do it again!"

Anyway ... as I've sat and pondered, of course I've thought of the similarities/differences in looks between Austin and the girls. He definitely has more hair than both did. He has large eyes and already lifts his head to look around at the world. He has a real strong neck and a perfectly shaped head. Poor Lucy was so banged up after delivery (it was a rough, long, hard one with forceps, etc.) but he came out looking pretty good. He has little bean pole legs and looks pretty long and skinny. He has big feet.


As far as deliveries, this one had its rough parts (the hour and a half from when my water broke to when they got the epideral in was the WORST... I thought I was going to DIE {if I could write that in bigger text, I would}... I'm not sure how the "natural" gals do it. Wow.) But all in all, this labor was less difficult. It was so much quicker than Lucy's. The first part of my labor with her was the worst part of that whole experience and even though people say you forget how much pain you were in, I still remember that ordeal. I really liked being pregnant both times, but the labor... not my favorite part. I was really nervous that Austin's would be as terrible. But it wasn't. As far as the "labor" when Elise was born... it was a whole different kind of stress and pain. Longer than either child. But then the babies come. And you breathe a sigh of relief. And it is so fun to hold those little miracles and thank the Lord for what He has sent you.
Here's a few more pics...Michelle (my nurse), Dr. Amber Morris (my OB) and me. This picture was taken right after delivery, but the funny thing is that the "before" and "after" pictures look almost identical.

Kiss from big sis Aunt Lacey visiting at the hospital

First bath
Day-after-Thanksgiving bingo. Lucy colored the bingo cards during the week and was pretty excited to play. The trick is getting her to use the smarties as markers instead of candy. :) That's hard for Geo too.
Even Elise got into the action.
Uncle Mark