Lounging around!

Our favorite thing these days has been lounging around. Grandma Donna bought them some chairs & at first, they weren't sure what they were or what their purpose was. Slowly, they have learned that they are great chairs to lounge & climb in.

Gotta love this one! Ian is doing the Al Bundy!

Gabi was really enjoying Barney. They love the purple dinosaur. (That is what he is, right?)


Ian & Sofi prefered the couch over their chairs. I think they feel like "big people" when they sit on the couch. Sure do act like it!


Here are all 3 of them lounging in their chairs together. Cute!

"Be-Bu" aka Belly Button

Our newest fascination is the "be-bu". Sofi loves her be-bu. Sofi love ANYONE'S be-bu. She is constantly looking for my be-bu. She thinks it is the most awesome discovery known to man. Well, known to man in Sofi's world. Gabi is getting interested but hasn't achieved "obsessed" status yet. Fortunately for you, I have managed to capture Sofi looking for her be-be as well as Gabi's be-bu.



On another note, I have to tell you about my amazing friend, Andrea. I know her b/c she is Leslie's (my BFF) sister-in-law. She makes the COOLEST cart/highchair covers. She made herself one & I have commissioned her to make me one. She is also a SAH mommy & could use the extra cash. The idea is to start taking 1 of the kids w/ me while I grocery shop. Check out her blog...

Andrea's Blog

If you happen to need a cart cover that DOUBLES as a highchair cover (no need to have 2 covers when you can have just one) that can be made to match your fashion sense or your decorating taste, she is the person to go to. Just leave her a comment on her blog.

(Um, Andrea, I hope you don't mind me braggin' about you or the link to your blog!)

Our first REAL family outing.

Yes, it took almost 16 months for it to happen but it did & that is all that matters, right? We were diligent about getting everything together the night before so Saturday was actually not about scurring to get everything together. The kids did really well, even taking catnaps in the car on the way over to Megan's house (another triplet mommy). They live an hour away so this was also our first "road trip" of sorts. The longest the kids have been in the car is about 15 minutes. Well, actually they have napped in the car on the way back from a ped's visit & I drove around the subdivision for 20 min so maybe they have been in the car as long as 40 min.

Anyway, back to the story. We fed the kids lunch at noon & by 1pm, we were in the car pulling out of the driveway. Ian fell asleep almost immediately. Gabi followed suit & Sofi decided to stay up as long as she could. We were about 30 min in to the drive before she conked out. It wasn't too bad of a ride there.

Then we got to the party. Megan's kids are adorable (Cullen, Jake & Ellie). This was their 1st birthday party & we were excited to attend. I have to say it was a bit overwhelming as there were many big people there & a few times we thought we lost a kid in the crowd. Once we got them in the playroom, it was a bit easier to relax.

Todd took each of the kids separately to watch the presents being opened. Then, before we knew it, the time had come to say our goodbyes. We had great fun playing w/ the other kids there, Patrick & Grayson, as well as Cullen, Jake & Ellie. I wish we had more time but we were already going to be late for the kids' dinner. The kids were also getting a bit cranky, eh-hem...Gabi.

Just as we were entering the subdivision & about to celebrate a our 1st family outing, Ian decided to throw up. We think he got car sick. So much as for a flawless trip! Eh, if that was all that really went wrong, I would say we were successful no matter what.

Taking 3 kids out isn't an easy thing to do. It was a task & a learning experience. I'm glad we did it.

This is Miss Ellie. She is the only girl in this set of triplets & made a very pretty birthday girl! Wish I had gotten pics of Cullen & Jake!


Gabi was trying to give Patrick's mommy a toy. See the paci clip I made her. It kept her soothie w/ her the whole time!


Daddy was actually enjoying the playroom w/ the kids. You can see birthday boy Jake just to the left of Todd.


Ian was enjoying their music table as well as the big, green dinosaur. That thing was pretty cool!



Thank you Megan, Dennis, Cullen, Jake, & Ellie for inviting us to your 1st birthday party! We had a good experience!

A fresh opinion!

We finally got to meet our new ECI coordinator (catch all therapist), Melissa. We REALLY like Melissa! I think she is going to push Ian which really is saying that she is going to push me to push Ian, if that makes sense. It was a very productive meeting. I didn't expect her to do much w/ him this 1st time b/c I know she needed to observe where he is developmentally so I let her do that while interjecting information about his recent activities.

Our old coordinator passed along the info about Ian's famous "du". Seems like he uses this word for just about anything. Melissa asked me if he could possibly be saying "that" & I told her it never crossed my mind. Now I wonder if he is just calling everything "that". He does say a couple of words outside of mama & dada. I also told her the Gabi situation. She does all the talking for the them. When she wants water, she signs it & the other 2 also get it b/c I automatically offer it to them. This is completely normal in the multiples world & unfortunately there isn't anything we can really do to change this. She is the official spokesperson.

Now, if there isn't any movement forward by the time he hits 18 months, we will begin speech therapy. Fine by me. What ever help they are willing to give us, we are willing to accept.

Melissa was pretty happy w/ where Ian is developmentally, even stating that if they were to assess him today for services, he would likely not qualify. Even w/ the delayed walking, it isn't of concern until they are 18 mths old. She said he is on the low end of normal but still hitting milestones in the allotted time. YAY IAN! That's my boy! Persistent but pleasant. Another thing she mentioned...he was very willing to play w/ her, not holding back. That's my babies. They really don't have stranger anxiety if you are on their turf. Seriously. None. They will seek you out & sit in your lap. No joke.

The plan is to continue to see him twice a month & PT once a month. Sonia, our PT, is coming w/ another PT to assess his ankle strength for braces. Until then he is w/o shoes for most of the day. In the late afternoon, I put shoes on him. I have to say that I have already noticed a difference in his balance in the past 2 days. This boy is soooo close to walking. I have a good feeling about things.

We have a follow up appt w/ his neurologist on the 22nd. Todd normally takes Ian to all his neurology appts since he is familiar w/ the docs b/c he is the one that stayed in the hossy w/ Ian. This appt happens to fall on a Saturday so we are going to get 1 set of the grandparents to watch the girls while we take Ian down to see Dr. Brown. I need to go this time in order to pass along the info that the PT said. It will be a good trip for the 3 of us.

Gotta share the latest news on feeding. I have begun to introduce the spoon to the kids. No. Not like for the 1st time ever. I mean where they get to actually use it to shovel food in their mouths. We do it every morning w/ yogurt. Hell, you can't get too dirty w/ yogurt, right? It is thick enough to stay on the spoon & yummy enough for the kids to want to get it in their mouths. Of the 3, Ian is the best at getting it all in his mouth & is most often the least dirty. I tried to get the girls w/ the spoon in their hand but these were the best I could get.

Our first STEAK!

Last Wednesday Todd grilled some yummy steaks. I had about 1/2 of mine left over & decided to give the kids the rest of it for lunch the next day. I wasn't sure how it would go over since they have had an aversion to red meat for quite some time. I have to sneak it in their food so I was pleasantly surprised that they actually ate it! I wish I had waited for dinner so Todd could have gotten a glimpse of the kids eating their very first piece of steak!




We have been keeping busy w/ several playdates around here. Mommy needs adult interaction. Today, Allie (a friend from high school) & her precious daughter Zoe, came over for a morning playdate. It was great! Zoe is so precious. She is a tiny little thing but that is expected as she was born way too early. After spending nearly 7 months in the NICU, she is at home w/ her mommy & daddy, getting ready to celebrate her big FIRST birthday on the 18th! Wish I had gotten pics :(

We did have another playdate w/ a triplet mommy (Marie) last week. The kids were all about being in her lap, especially when she busted out the Cheerios! All 6 kids were her best friends!




One last thing, I think this is priceless. I would love to see who can come up w/ a funny caption for this picture. Leave a comment!

Our first bite of STEAK!

Last Wednesday Todd grilled some yummy steaks. I had about 1/2 of mine left over & decided to give the kids the rest of it for lunch the next day. I wasn't sure how it would go over since they have had an aversion to red meat for quite some time. I have to sneak it in their food so I was pleasantly surprised that they actually ate it! I wish I had waited for dinner so Todd could have gotten a glimpse of the kids eating their very first piece of steak!




We have been keeping busy w/ several playdates around here. Mommy needs adult interaction. Today, Allie (a friend from high school) & her precious daughter Zoe, came over for a morning playdate. It was great! Zoe is so precious. She is a tiny little thing but that is expected as she was born way too early. After spending nearly 7 months in the NICU, she is at home w/ her mommy & daddy, getting ready to celebrate her big FIRST birthday on the 18th! Wish I had gotten pics :(

We did have another playdate w/ a triplet mommy (Marie) last week. The kids were all about being in her lap, especially when she busted out the Cheerios! All 6 kids were her best friends!




One last thing, I think this is priceless. I would love to see who can come up w/ a funny caption for this picture. Leave a comment!

Ear infection...be gone!

Ah, now that the molars are out, the ear infection is G.O.N.E. GONE. I have to tell you that this week has been a bit on the rough side. Ok, not really "rough" per say but a bit choppy in the sleep department. Seems as though these molars were really bugging the crap out of Ian. We were holding our breath & praying it wasn't still an ear infection and today's visit w/ Dr. N confirmed that it was indeed those pesky molars.

Ian's ears are crystal clear! His bottom right molar came through yesterday & the left side is coming through as we speak. No wonder the boy has been waking up a couple of times a night. Bleh. Molars are for the birds. Luckily for us, he would go back to sleep. Ian is one of those kids. If you go in there, pick him up, get him to stop crying, it won't matter b/c the minute you put him back in the crib, he will start to cry again. So, this week it has been our task to just go in & check on him & leave immediately after. We don't want to prolong the inevitable & the faster we can get out of there, the quicker he gets back to sleep.

I wanted to also share some news about the boy. He has been taking a step or 2 here & there. I don't think many others would think this such a big deal but for us it is a HUGE deal. He will actually let go of something & lung/step towards something. It is only 1 step but he is still attempting to move on his own feet! He still has a ways to go before he will be walking but this is a move in the right direction.

Can't forget that the boy has also gained 3/4 of a pound in 2 weeks & grew 1/4 of an inch! I've been working on getting some weight on this boy. He is now 22 lb 3 oz. WOOT!

Here are some pics from the kids eating. Yes, they had a piece of an oreo cookie. Yes, it was messy. Yes, I will think twice about giving it to them again b/c it got all over their clothes.

Playing w/ Tio

I'm glad that summer is here b/c that means my brother can come over to visit. Honestly, we don't see him enough but I understand that his life is busy & he comes when he can. Yesterday he was here for 1/2 the day & really got to playing w/ the kids. I think he really enjoys it now being that they aren't so "breakable". He gets on the floor w/ them & has a blast. Sofi hasn't warmed up to him completely, never has but we are working on it.

I'm not sure what the conversation was but apparently the kids were ENTHRALLED. Maybe the meaning of life?


Attack of the KILLER TRIO!


Ah yes, our favorite thing to do now days. Act as though we are "invisible" & walk around w/ the blankie on our heads.



Who's under there? Awe, just Gabi!


I wish there were more time to just hang out like this. Having my brother around brings me great joy. He is one of the people I am closest to. Someone I can really open up to. Tio, we love you!

A visit from our friends!

This happened last week but the triplet playgroup really kind of wore me out so I didn't have a chance to post about this. My best friend's sister-in-law came over for a visit. Andrea brought along Jude (1 yr old) & Cecilia (10 yrs old) for a morning play date. I loved having adult company. They even stayed for a couple of hours so we could really get to chatting.

A little history. Leslie & I have been BFFs since right after 6th grade. We met Andrea in college, before she ever dated Leslie's brother, Terry. As a matter of fact, Andrea & Les were really close friends & I'm not sure how she got introduced to Terry but they became friends & eventually started dating. Then came marriage & a baby carriage!

Somehow, we all managed to get pregnant at the same time. They were trying & we were doing IVF. Turns out that Les & I were due 3 days apart. Her on the 10th of May & us on the 13th. Needless to say, our trio came 6 weeks early but we still got to experience the pregnancy together. Andrea was a few weeks behind us & Jude was born in June.

Here is sweet Jude. He loved the kids' pacis. Monkey see, monkey do!


Cecilia was great w/ the kids. Gabi got particularly attached to her not leaving her side for most of the time they were here.



A rare picture of me & 1 of the kids.


The girls chillaxin' after a long day!


We had a blast & hope they come over sooner than later. It is great to have adult company. Can't wait for the next time!

Multiples & More Sponsorship!

Check it out! I decided to give a $25 gift certificate to the Multiples & More blog. They featured SIGnature Creations. You can go leave a comment for a chance to win the GC.

Multiples & More Give Away

While I am shamelessly plugging SIGnature Creations, I am also giving away a pacifier clip on the blog.

SIGnature Creations Blog Contest

As always, thanks for your support!

Ian & his walker :)

The PT suggested a walker for Ian & had one for us to borrow so we have been diligently working w/ our boy & his walker. He LOVES it. Every afternoon, when they wake up from their nap, we come downstairs to play. I get his walker out & the practicing commences. I think he likes to be at the same level as his sisters & will walk around the living room for a good 10 minutes before he tires out. Every day, he gets a little better.


Other than the normal stuff going on, we also got some new chairs for the kids (thanks Grandma Donna). They are still quite active & really don't sit in them much but as soon as they slow down a bit & can watch tv for longer than 2 minutes w/o wanting to move, I think they will thoroughly enjoy the chairs. I have yet to catch Sofi sitting in one. Figures. She is our mover.



This is a picture of the girls right after I put Baby Einstein on. They are waiting for their milk (Daddy was downstairs getting it ready). This is part of our bedtime routine. Every night I bring in the bouncy chairs & the girls know to get in them & watch the video while Daddy makes their milk. We finish the video & then it is time for bed.

Let me super size that playgroup, please.

8 x 3 = 24

24 kids ranging from 6.5 months old to 27 months old. Oh. My. God.

The experience was incredible & for just a couple of hours, I felt like every other SAH mommy out there that goes to playgroups on a regular basis. Just call this one super sized. The playgroup started at about 9:30 & ended by 12:30. Just about 10:30, we had everyone in the house at the same time. Chaotic is a good way to describe it BUT fun & enjoyable! Sure, we had a couple of baby meltdowns but not enough to drive anyone to the brink of insanity. I think maybe next time I will serve wine instead of coffee, LOL!

I think that we all felt the same way. We were finally surrounded by other people that understood what it was like to be a mommy of 3 babies at one time. Please don't take this the wrong way but even w/ twins, you still have enough arms to go around. Once you pass that threshold, things are a bit different. You can grab 2 but what about the 3rd? Luckily we all helped one another. 2 mommies even fed their babies over here. No worries b/c other mommies helped w/ the feedings as well. It was an awesome show of teamwork!

The mommies that came were Carrie (Emma, Elizabeth, & Emily), Lynn (Tommy, Tabitha, & Zoe), Anna (Hudson, Tobin, & Skyler), Susan (Ava, Mia, & Andrew), Jennifer (Mollie, Elise, & Preston), Kerra (Hannah, Aiden, & Olivia), and Marie (Ava, Trevor, & Chloe) as well as ourselves.

There were only 3 sets of triplets at this moment.


Miss Lynn watching the babes play.



One of the triplets from the oldest set & the 3 from the youngest set together.


Kerra surrounded by babies!


Kerra's diaper bag was being enjoyed by many, especially Gabi & Ian.

These last 2 pictures show just how crowded it got in the living room! This was when all 24 kids were here along w/ 9 adults!



This is the real life of a mother of triplets.