HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABIES! It is hard to believe that my little pumpkins are 1! ONE, not months anymore, but we are now counting by years! How is it possible that an entire year has passed since the morning I woke to find my water had broke? A year since Travis and I were making our daily trips to the Baptist NICU, a year since I was alternating nights with my mom sleeping on the hardwood floor to listen for babies and keep them on their 3 hour feeding schedule. A YEAR! Oh the difference a year can make!
As I think back over the past year, I am overwhelmed with emotion and the feelings of thankfulness, joy, fatigue, anxiety, sadness and love. Some of the happiest and hardest moments of my life have occurred over the past year, and I would not change it for anything. Every scary, anxious, tired, hard moment of the past year has been completely outnumbered by the wonderful, happy, joyous, funny moments. I would like to say that the past year has been easy...but I won't. The past year has been hard, sometimes very hard; however, I feel sure that all first time parents experience hard times during the first year. The hard times that we experience on a weekly/daily/sometimes hourly basis have been made much easier by the help of family, friends and a strong faith in God. I have said many times over the past year that we would not make it without our wonderful family--I am sure I would be a crazy (or crazier) woman without them!
One year ago today, when God blessed Travis and I with the greatest gifts I could imagine, our lives were forever changed. Goals and priorities shifted, "alone" time became a very rare treat and our grocery bill tripled! BUT I now understand "a mother's love". I feel so blessed to be able to experience this kind of love that is like no other.
As time continues to fly by and we begin our second year with these precious babies, I cant help but be a little sad. Sad that we are done with "the baby phase" (a phase that we will probably never have in our house again). I am sad to they are outgrowing the sweet baby swings and bouncy seats and moving on to mobile toys, but progress and growth is all part of life. I am thankful for their lives and the challenges they have brought into my life. I love you (Braden, Brooks and Kate) more than you will ever know--Happy Birthday!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
October 15, 2011--A year of Blessings
One year ago today was one of the scariest days of my life. October 15, 2010 was the day I went in for my scheduled 26 week check up and was put into the hospital. Had I known prior to this appt that I was not going to return home until 6 weeks later there are a few things that I would have done (pack, finalize nursery, clean my house). I remember going in for my US before seeing my MD as usual. As far as I knew, everything was fine, the actual MD appt went well, BUT there was one more US test that my MD wanted to check before I left. Travis met me at this appt, but since I thought all was well, I had sent him home before I went in for the 2nd US. After the US, I was supposed to be sent home, however the US tech told me that my MD would go over the findings with me. A little confused about why the MD wanted to see me again, but not really worried, I returned to her office. The next thing I knew, I was hearing her on the phone outside my room admitting me to the hospital. WHAT? I must have misunderstood--everything had been fine just a few minutes ago, why did I need to be admitted to hospital? Dr. Saig came in and calmly explained to me the findings of the US (placenta insufficiency for baby C--Brooks) and said that it was time for me to go on to Baptist. I lost it immediately. I still didnt really understand what was going on, I just knew that I was scared. 26 Weeks was way too early for my sweet babies to come into this world (and much sooner than my original [slightly unrealistic] goal of 35 weeks).
The next five weeks were filled with many ups and downs. I had incredible nurses and doctors who took wonderful care of my babies and I. I am still very thankful for all of the prayers that went up for my family. Unfortunately, it is often in time of need when you (I) really fall to your knees and see how much you need faith in God and the support of a wonderful Christian family. God is so good and has blessed us with 3 healthy babies.
Thank You to all of my friends and family who have gotten us through this past year--we are forever grateful for your love and support!
The next five weeks were filled with many ups and downs. I had incredible nurses and doctors who took wonderful care of my babies and I. I am still very thankful for all of the prayers that went up for my family. Unfortunately, it is often in time of need when you (I) really fall to your knees and see how much you need faith in God and the support of a wonderful Christian family. God is so good and has blessed us with 3 healthy babies.
Thank You to all of my friends and family who have gotten us through this past year--we are forever grateful for your love and support!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
"Fall" has a whole new meaning this year!
As we enter fall of this year, I realize that our fall season is going to be filled with many "falls" (not to mention the bruises and bumps that go with it) . A house with (almost) 10 month old triplets is an accident just waiting to happen. They are fearless and into EVERYTHING! Just today, I discovered they are no longer safe anywhere except their cribs. They began climbing out of bouncy seats (while strapped in) a few wks ago and just today I found Kate climbing out of exersaucer with her head inches fom the floor! Although this phase is a little scary for me, it is also so much fun (well...most of the time). It is so awesome watching them grow, explore and learn about the world around them.
MD checkup this week went great! Braden weighs 18lbs 8oz, Kate is 17lbs 11oz and Brooks is 16lbs 2 oz. Brooks is still lagging behind a little with wt, however, I am sure part of this is due to his high level of activity. He is small and VERY ACTIVE which I think is preventing him from putting on as much wt as the others. MD said everything was looking good and he was pleased that they seem to be hitting all of their milestones on schedule. We scheduled our next appt for their 1 year check up!! Cant believe our babies are almost one!
As far as life for Travis and I, things are going well. The rest of the year is filling up fast and I am afraid it will be Christmas before we know it! We are really looking forward to our trip which is coming up in a few weeks, but I am already nervous about leaving the little ones. I know they will be fine, but it still makes me a little anxious when I think about leaving.
I know I have been awful about updating pics, but extra time is pretty rare these days...hope to have some on here soon!
MD checkup this week went great! Braden weighs 18lbs 8oz, Kate is 17lbs 11oz and Brooks is 16lbs 2 oz. Brooks is still lagging behind a little with wt, however, I am sure part of this is due to his high level of activity. He is small and VERY ACTIVE which I think is preventing him from putting on as much wt as the others. MD said everything was looking good and he was pleased that they seem to be hitting all of their milestones on schedule. We scheduled our next appt for their 1 year check up!! Cant believe our babies are almost one!
As far as life for Travis and I, things are going well. The rest of the year is filling up fast and I am afraid it will be Christmas before we know it! We are really looking forward to our trip which is coming up in a few weeks, but I am already nervous about leaving the little ones. I know they will be fine, but it still makes me a little anxious when I think about leaving.
I know I have been awful about updating pics, but extra time is pretty rare these days...hope to have some on here soon!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
September 3, 2011
My how a couple of weeks can change a household--especially one with nine month old triplets. The time has come that I have been anxiously awaiting--mobile babies! Brooks was actually the first one to crawl a couple of weeks ago. He was the last to sit up on his own, but the first to crawl. He is fearless at this point and is actually very fast. He has mastered crawling and is now working on climbing and pulling up. He is able to pull up to stand in his crib (mattresses have to be moved down) and on most furniture. He is a little sneaky and likes to crawl/climb into bouncy seats backwards (bc he knows he is not supposed to--i am convinced he knows exactly what he is doing). About 1-2 days after Brooks began crawling around the house, Braden caught on (he had been leap frogging to move from place to place). He too likes to pull up to stand on anything he can find and then gets upset bc he seems to not know what to do next. He is pretty vocal at this point--lots of dadadada and babababa, but no actual words yet. Kate decided to join in on the crawling earlier this week and is now able to keep up with the boys. They all seem very focused on the gross motor skills right now, so communication is taking a back seat. They babble quit a bit, but I am really wanting to hear a consistent mama....guess it may be a while.
We tried toast for the first time yesterday, which went well. I have yet to find a food that these babies dont like--hopefully this means they will be good eaters! I also offered them water in a sippy cup for the first time earlier this week. I am not sure how much water they actually drank, but they did good with the cups.
Braden has been going through some major teething over the past few weeks as well--he now has 5 teeth (2 on top and 3 on bottom). Kate and Brooks act like they are teething, but still only have the 2 bottom teeth right now.
Life for Travis and I has definitely become harder. It is really difficult to get anything done during the day when you have to keep your eyes on 3 babies ALL THE TIME! They are such hazards to themselves right now--they are mobile and fearless--a bad combination! Plus, with all the teething going on, at least one baby wakes up almost every night now. I am not complaining, just givining reasons why my house may not always be kept as neat, tidy and put together as I would like.
I am really looking forward to our next MD appt in a couple of weeks--I am curious to see where they are on the growth charts. I believe Braden and Kate will be in the normal ranges, but think Brooks may still be a little small for his age. He is definitely growing, just smaller than the other two.
We are very excited about the start of football season this weekend and look forward to a good and busy fall--this year is flying by!
We tried toast for the first time yesterday, which went well. I have yet to find a food that these babies dont like--hopefully this means they will be good eaters! I also offered them water in a sippy cup for the first time earlier this week. I am not sure how much water they actually drank, but they did good with the cups.
Braden has been going through some major teething over the past few weeks as well--he now has 5 teeth (2 on top and 3 on bottom). Kate and Brooks act like they are teething, but still only have the 2 bottom teeth right now.
Life for Travis and I has definitely become harder. It is really difficult to get anything done during the day when you have to keep your eyes on 3 babies ALL THE TIME! They are such hazards to themselves right now--they are mobile and fearless--a bad combination! Plus, with all the teething going on, at least one baby wakes up almost every night now. I am not complaining, just givining reasons why my house may not always be kept as neat, tidy and put together as I would like.
I am really looking forward to our next MD appt in a couple of weeks--I am curious to see where they are on the growth charts. I believe Braden and Kate will be in the normal ranges, but think Brooks may still be a little small for his age. He is definitely growing, just smaller than the other two.
We are very excited about the start of football season this weekend and look forward to a good and busy fall--this year is flying by!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
August 13, 2011
Ten years ago today, Travis and I had our first date---who knew how wonderful our lives would be 10 years later!
I cant believe this year just keeps flying right on by. We had our first official playdate this week with the Orr triplets, Harper, Jack and Caroline. The Orr babies are about 3 months older than Braden, Brooks and Kate and will hopefully make for great playmates in the next few years. I think it will be good for Braden, Brooks and Kate to have peers in a similar family situation and I know it is good for me to have contacts with other mothers of triplets. I was also able to go to dinner with 3 other mothers of triplets this past week and am thankful for these new women in my life. They truly "get it" when I have questions or concerns and will hopefully be a great support for me in the next few years. From the dinner (there was a mother of 3 year olds, 2 year olds, 1 year olds and me), I concluded that life will most likely get harder before it gets easier. It is interesting hearing the different struggles that each of us are currently going through and helpful/scary to hear what lies ahead.
Stephanie, our TEIS teacher, made her second visit this week. She observed that Braden is "very strong" and will be walking sooner rather than later (not that he is close to walking yet, he just pulls himself up any chance he gets). He is able to scoot all over the floor, but has not yet conquered a true "crawl". Brooks is doing much better at sitting independently and is able to transition from sitting to quad position. He is also able to scoot himself in all directions. Kate has also improved her sitting and is rocking on all 4's. She scoots as well, but no crawling so far.
Baby food is going well. They are now getting 3 meals/day with 5 bottles. After talking with the other mothers and Stephanie, I think it is time to move them up to stage 2 foods. I am a little nervous about this progression, but I am sure they will be fine.
We had our second set of professional pics last week which I think went really well. It is very difficult to keep 3 babies happy long enough to get all individual and group shots (esp if you want them in more than one outfit). You can see how big each of them are getting.
We are going to take them to church at Grandmothers tomorrow for the first time, so they should get good and spoiled from all the attention :)
I cant believe this year just keeps flying right on by. We had our first official playdate this week with the Orr triplets, Harper, Jack and Caroline. The Orr babies are about 3 months older than Braden, Brooks and Kate and will hopefully make for great playmates in the next few years. I think it will be good for Braden, Brooks and Kate to have peers in a similar family situation and I know it is good for me to have contacts with other mothers of triplets. I was also able to go to dinner with 3 other mothers of triplets this past week and am thankful for these new women in my life. They truly "get it" when I have questions or concerns and will hopefully be a great support for me in the next few years. From the dinner (there was a mother of 3 year olds, 2 year olds, 1 year olds and me), I concluded that life will most likely get harder before it gets easier. It is interesting hearing the different struggles that each of us are currently going through and helpful/scary to hear what lies ahead.
Stephanie, our TEIS teacher, made her second visit this week. She observed that Braden is "very strong" and will be walking sooner rather than later (not that he is close to walking yet, he just pulls himself up any chance he gets). He is able to scoot all over the floor, but has not yet conquered a true "crawl". Brooks is doing much better at sitting independently and is able to transition from sitting to quad position. He is also able to scoot himself in all directions. Kate has also improved her sitting and is rocking on all 4's. She scoots as well, but no crawling so far.
Baby food is going well. They are now getting 3 meals/day with 5 bottles. After talking with the other mothers and Stephanie, I think it is time to move them up to stage 2 foods. I am a little nervous about this progression, but I am sure they will be fine.
We had our second set of professional pics last week which I think went really well. It is very difficult to keep 3 babies happy long enough to get all individual and group shots (esp if you want them in more than one outfit). You can see how big each of them are getting.
We are going to take them to church at Grandmothers tomorrow for the first time, so they should get good and spoiled from all the attention :)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Month 8 of life with triplets...
Well, another month has almost passed since my last blog update. We have had a great month with each baby continuing to reach various milestones and grow like crazy! As of now, all 3 babies can sit up on their own. Braden is definitely the most stable, but Kate and Brooks are doing great at sitting up on their own and playing as well. Braden and Brooks are also showing signs of crawling. I usually find them up on all 4's rocking back and forth in their crib when I go in to get them up from a nap. Braden is also doing this almost anytime you lie him on his tummy. They have all been scooting around and doing 360's for a while, but have yet to make true forward progress...I am anxiously awaiting the day they are mobile.
Barbara is working out great and has been a wonderful blessing in our life. The kids seem to love her and I feel very comfortable going to work knowing that the kids are in her hands.
I am still making my own baby food which is going well. It is actually much easier than I anticipated and pretty cost effective.
We met our new TEIS teacher, Stephanie, this week. She was very nice and had only positive comments to make about the kids--not that I was expecting her to be negative, but it is always nice to hear how well they are all doing.
We have been trying to venture out a bit more these days, but it is really so hard (and tiring) getting everybody (including myself) ready and loaded up in the vehicle. I know it is important for the kids to get out, so we (Travis and I) are doing our best at taking them places.
I have definitely been slacking this month on the pictures, so I will try to do better the next few weeks.
Barbara is working out great and has been a wonderful blessing in our life. The kids seem to love her and I feel very comfortable going to work knowing that the kids are in her hands.
I am still making my own baby food which is going well. It is actually much easier than I anticipated and pretty cost effective.
We met our new TEIS teacher, Stephanie, this week. She was very nice and had only positive comments to make about the kids--not that I was expecting her to be negative, but it is always nice to hear how well they are all doing.
We have been trying to venture out a bit more these days, but it is really so hard (and tiring) getting everybody (including myself) ready and loaded up in the vehicle. I know it is important for the kids to get out, so we (Travis and I) are doing our best at taking them places.
I have definitely been slacking this month on the pictures, so I will try to do better the next few weeks.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
July 6, 2011
Wow-how this past month has flown by. I can't believe it has been over a month since I posted an update on these precious, ever-changing babies.
Personalities have definietely surfaced and these children are growing and changing every day.
Braden continues to be very "active" we will say. He loves to bounce and jump and has just started doing this thing where he will raise both his arms up like "touchdown" and make a hilarious face. He is teething and has 3 teeth right now. He is still my biggest baby and weighs approx 16lbs now.
Brooks continues to be my squirmy little wiggle worm. He can literally wiggle his way out of any swing/seat and then thinks it is funny when I freak out. He has a great laugh that melts my heart and is a smart little guy. He knows how to put on the charm and therefore has become slightly spoiled bc he is hard to put down--by everyone. I have heard many people refer to him as "their buddy" or "cuddle bug" bc he knows just how to snuggle up with you to make it near impossible to lay him down. He is also teething and has 2 teeth as of now. He is still my smallest, but seems so big at approx 14lbs.
Last, but not least...Kate ,AKA "sweetheart" to her daddy, and I can not think of a better name to describe this precious child. She is a sweetheart through and through. She rarely cries (other than when she is hungry) and loves to sleep. She will smile if you just look at her and loves to squeal. She also has a great laugh and is probably the easiest to get laughing right now. She is also teething (yes-that is 3 teething babies!) and has 2 teeth. She is my longest baby, but not quite as big as Braden, weighing approx 15lbs.
We are working on our daily schedule which seems to be going pretty well. For some reason, early evening is our hardest time of day--everyone gets fussy and is harder to console. All 3 are working on sitting up on their own. Each of them can do it, but Kate and Brooks are not quite as steady as Braden. We have not heard any news on our new TEIS teacher, but hopefully we will hear something in the next week or so.
Starting next week, Miss Barbara will begin keeping the babies in place of my sister in law Tara. Tara had a great opportunity open up at work that she had to take. We understand, but will miss having her watch the kiddos. Thankfully, Mrs Barbara was sent our way and I think will work out great. God continues to bless us more than we deserve! He is so good!
Personalities have definietely surfaced and these children are growing and changing every day.
Braden continues to be very "active" we will say. He loves to bounce and jump and has just started doing this thing where he will raise both his arms up like "touchdown" and make a hilarious face. He is teething and has 3 teeth right now. He is still my biggest baby and weighs approx 16lbs now.
Brooks continues to be my squirmy little wiggle worm. He can literally wiggle his way out of any swing/seat and then thinks it is funny when I freak out. He has a great laugh that melts my heart and is a smart little guy. He knows how to put on the charm and therefore has become slightly spoiled bc he is hard to put down--by everyone. I have heard many people refer to him as "their buddy" or "cuddle bug" bc he knows just how to snuggle up with you to make it near impossible to lay him down. He is also teething and has 2 teeth as of now. He is still my smallest, but seems so big at approx 14lbs.
Last, but not least...Kate ,AKA "sweetheart" to her daddy, and I can not think of a better name to describe this precious child. She is a sweetheart through and through. She rarely cries (other than when she is hungry) and loves to sleep. She will smile if you just look at her and loves to squeal. She also has a great laugh and is probably the easiest to get laughing right now. She is also teething (yes-that is 3 teething babies!) and has 2 teeth. She is my longest baby, but not quite as big as Braden, weighing approx 15lbs.
We are working on our daily schedule which seems to be going pretty well. For some reason, early evening is our hardest time of day--everyone gets fussy and is harder to console. All 3 are working on sitting up on their own. Each of them can do it, but Kate and Brooks are not quite as steady as Braden. We have not heard any news on our new TEIS teacher, but hopefully we will hear something in the next week or so.
Starting next week, Miss Barbara will begin keeping the babies in place of my sister in law Tara. Tara had a great opportunity open up at work that she had to take. We understand, but will miss having her watch the kiddos. Thankfully, Mrs Barbara was sent our way and I think will work out great. God continues to bless us more than we deserve! He is so good!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
June 8, 2011
We have had a busy couple of weeks! The babies had their first trip to Aunt Glo and Uncle Dan's house on Memorial Day and then visited Gradmother's house for the first time on Friday. Thankfully, all three of the babies do great in the car and typically fall asleep as soon as the car starts moving--which makes these trips much easier. The hardest part of taking a day trip is all the "packing" that is required to take 3 babies away from home for an afternoon. By the time I am loaded up with the babies and their gear, I am exhausted (although I have to admit, I rarely leave home bymyself, so I typically have some help with the loading part). Saturday, we had our first trip to Dave and Tara's with the babies and Sunday was church in AM and PM (another first for the entire family to be at both services in one day!)
Today, our TEIS teacher, Christy, came out to work with the kids. She informed me that she has taken another job in a school and will no longer be following our family :(. We will definitely miss her! After their "play session", we had our 6 month check up. Thankfully, this check up went great with only good news! Kate is in the 10th%ile weighing 13lbs 10oz, Braden is in the 5th%ile weighing 14lbs 9oz, and Brooks is still under the 5th%ile weighing 12lbs 9.5oz but is making "great progress" with his "catch up growth" according to MD. We have been so blessed over the past year and I am so proud of how well my little ones are doing.
We have slowly begun introducing baby food (only rice cereal and sweet potatoes so far) which is going pretty well. I am thinking I will try to make my own baby food (more for economical reasons than organic), but we will see. I attempted my first batch of homemade sweet potatoes today--hopefully they will like them as well as they like the Gerber baby food!
Today, our TEIS teacher, Christy, came out to work with the kids. She informed me that she has taken another job in a school and will no longer be following our family :(. We will definitely miss her! After their "play session", we had our 6 month check up. Thankfully, this check up went great with only good news! Kate is in the 10th%ile weighing 13lbs 10oz, Braden is in the 5th%ile weighing 14lbs 9oz, and Brooks is still under the 5th%ile weighing 12lbs 9.5oz but is making "great progress" with his "catch up growth" according to MD. We have been so blessed over the past year and I am so proud of how well my little ones are doing.
We have slowly begun introducing baby food (only rice cereal and sweet potatoes so far) which is going pretty well. I am thinking I will try to make my own baby food (more for economical reasons than organic), but we will see. I attempted my first batch of homemade sweet potatoes today--hopefully they will like them as well as they like the Gerber baby food!
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